Lung Cancer Chemotherapy

Archive for July, 2010

Lung cancer staging refers to a system of classifying where the cancer is in its growth. This allows physicians a guide to help determine what treatments would be most effective and how aggressively those treatments should be administered. It is also a way of determining the potential outcome of a particular case of lung cancer. The lower the stage, the better the odds of a full recovery. The process of deciding what stage a lung cancer has reached is called "staging the lung cancer." This is accomplished through a series of tests, such as x-rays, blood tests, bone scans, etc. The goal is to determine the size of the tumor or tumors and if the cancer has spread to other tissues (metastasized). X-rays, MRIs and CAT scans help to determine the size and location of the tumors. Bone scans and blood work can help to determine whether the cancer has spread to other organs or to the bones. PET scans can indicate whether or not a tumor is actively growing. Lung cancer staging is also dependent on the type of cancer. For instance, in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), there are four stages, while in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) there ...

Next to lung cancer, breast cancer kills more women in the United States than any other cancer. It's the leading cause of death in women between the ages of 40 and 44 and one is 13 women will have it sooner or later. "Breast cancer is the third most common cancer in the world today, despite the fact that it is confined almost entirely to the female sex. Breast cancer incidence rates are rising in several developing countries, and it is already the most frequent female cancer in many," revealed Dr. Corazon A. Ngelangel, professor, Clinical Epidemiology Unit, College of Medicine, and a consultant at the Medical Oncology Section of the University of the Philippines - Philippine General Hospital. The exact cause of breast cancer is unknown. But the risk of developing the disease increases after the age of 35, especially in those with a family history of the disease. Breast cancer is also more common in obese women and in those who have never had children or who had a child for the first time after the age of 30. Those who begin menstruation early and women who had late menopause are also at risk for developing the disease. The same ...

Being diagnosed with cancer, any cancer, is the last thing anyone wants. Lung cancer is a fairly common form of cancer and not just for smokers. In this article, we take a look at the basics of lung cancer. Lung cancer is the result of the mutation of DNA. DNA is the code in our cells that determines our physical characteristics. When our cells split, they take an exact copy of our DNA each time. Sometimes, however, this split does not go smoothly and the DNA is compromised. This is known as a mutation. Medical research has discovered it takes multiple mutations to create lung cancer cells. Lung cancer comes with many variations, but is always classified as primary or secondary cancer. What does this mean? Well, primary lung cancer is fairly easy to understand. It simply means that the cancerous cells were created in the lungs and have metastasized there. Secondary lung cancer is often called "unlucky" cancer because the problem did not start in the lungs, but has worked its way to the lungs from some other part of the body where cancer exists. Indeed, one of the biggest issues with cancer sometimes is simply trying to find ...

Cancer of the prostate diagnoses in the UK have finally exceeded that of lung cancer, which was until very recently the main malignant tumour affecting men. Rates of prostate cancer have increased in the UK to the current 25000 or so mark. This has climbed steadily over the last few years although it does not necessarily reflect an actual increase in rates but possibly just diagnosis. Part of the reason for this is the success of previous campaigns in making men more aware of their prostates and their capacity for disease. You can find your prostate by using the Prostate Cancer charity great 3D Prostate Locator on its website. Prostate disease is very common and gets more so the older you get. Young men beneath the age of 50 are unlikely to have significant sinister disease like cancer. They may though have inflammation or infection or both called a prostatitis and some may have a slow increase in prostate size, called Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). Both of these conditions may contribute to symptoms like having to get up in the night to pee, pain when peeing or pain on ejaculation. More serious symptoms like blood in the urine, erectile problems, and low ...

Educating yourself about the general facts on lung cancer is essential to help prevent acquiring the disease. As the number one cause of death among men in America and one of the major causes of death cases throughout the world, health experts are furthering their efforts in trying to unearth general facts on lung cancer, and how this disease can be so deadly.Among the various type of cancer deaths, lung cancer is responsible for 29 percent of that. In fact, there are more death cases for lung cancer as compared to the data of deaths for prostate, breast, and colon cancers combined. Hence, you can begin protecting yourself now by arming yourself with the general facts on lung cancer before it's too late. Causes Of Lung CancerWhen people think of lung cancer, they often associate it with cigarette smoking. Indeed, this is one of the leading causes of the disease. But it is not the only factor. One of the major focus of research for health experts regarding lung cancer is the genetic factor. Most cancerous cells develop when there is an error in the mutation of DNA cells. That error in itself can be affected by other environmental factors ...

We've all known someone in our lifetime that has fought breast cancer - a family member, a friend, a co-worker. This article will help you see how you can support breast cancer research at home, school and the office. Learn more about the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and how they work toward preventing breast cancer and finding a cure. The best way to support breast cancer research is to donate. It doesn't matter if you donate money, time or supplies - you're supporting charity for a cause. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation is a good place to start. They are dedicated to preventing breast cancer and finding a cure by funding clinical and genetic research worldwide. Did you know... - Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung cancer. - It is estimated by the American Cancer Society that in 2008 about 182,460 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among women in the United States. - In 2008, ACS estimates that about 40,480 women will die from breast cancer in the United States. - In men, 1,990 new cases are projected in 2008, with 450 deaths - ...

In practice, it is usual for all three treatments to be combined but how effective each treatment and the order or combination in which it is applied will depend on the stage of the cancer. Lung Cancer Survival Stories Where surgery is indicated, a patient will be either operated on using minimally invasive surgery, traditional open surgery or palliative surgery. Minimally Invasive Surgery Minimally invasive surgery is indicated when the tumor is relatively small, located in an accessible portion of the lung and is primary in nature. Primary cancer is a tumor which originates from the location it is found in as opposed to having spread there from another part of the lung or body. In minimally invasive surgery, two small incisions (between 2 to 4 cms) are made; in the upper incision a camera is inserted which is connected to a high definition television screen and which the surgeon looks at to guide the insertion of surgical instruments using the lower incision. For this reason, minimally invasive surgery is referred to as Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery or VATS. Minimally invasive surgery provides far less possibility of complications compared to full, open surgery. Pain is substantially reduced because the ribs ...