Colon Cancer Early Symptoms

Colon Cancer Early Symptoms

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colon cancer treatments

Cancer is a group of more than 100 different diseases that affect our body’s basic unit, the cell. When cancer occurs, the cells become abnormal and divide without any control or specific order. Normally, cells divide to produce new cells only when the body requires them. However, if cells continue dividing when new cells are not required, a mass of tissue forms. This mass of tissue, called a growth or tumor, can be benign or malignant. It is essential to note that benign tumors are not cancer while malignant tumors are cancer.

Colon cancer or colorectal cancer, as the name suggests, affects the colon, a part of the digestive system where the waste material is stored. Tumors of the colon and rectum are growths arising from the inner walls of the large intestine. Benign tumors of the large intestine are called polyps while malignant tumors are cancers. If benign polyps are not removed from the large intestine, they can become malignant over time. Colorectal cancer can invade and damage adjacent tissues and organs. The spread of the colon cancer to distant organs is known as the metastasis of the colon cancer and once metastasis occurs, a complete cure is unlikely.
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Detecting colon cancer through early symptoms help treatment

The symptoms of colon cancer are numerous and non-specific. They include:

  • Fatigue and weakness: The presence of a tumor causes anemia, iron deficiency that can make you feel extremely tired or lethargic.
  • Shortness of breath
  • Change in bowel habits, narrow stools, diarrhea or constipation: A tumor that is large enough to cause a bowel obstruction may lead to constipation, restrict blood flow and constipation. Any one or all the three of these underlying symptoms may also result in nausea and vomiting.
  • Red or dark blood in stools: Tumors tend to bleed that may show up in your stool. If the tumor is in the beginning of the colon, the blood may be virtually invisible in the waste. However, if the tumor is in the rectum or toward the end of the colon, it may show up as bright red in the waste which is a clear sign of the cancer.
  • Unexplained weight loss: Many of us would not want to understand why we are losing weight without any effort or reason. However, effortless weight loss is a sign that something is wrong. Unexplained weight loss could mean that the tumor is releasing chemicals that increase your metabolism.
  • Bloating: A tumor that grows toward the end of the colon may cause a sense of fullness. The body senses the tumor as a stubborn piece of waste and you get that ‘I still have to go’ sensation that can’t be relieved.
  • Abdominal pain or cramps: Sometimes a tumor causes a bowel obstruction, which blocks the colon. Depending on the severity of the blockage, solids, liquids and even gas may be prevented from passing by, resulting in severe abdominal pain or cramps. Painful cramps indicate that a tumor has poked through the bowel wall, which can be a medical emergency.

Other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, diverticulosis and peptic ulcers have symptoms that are similar to colon cancer. Depending on where in the large bowel, the tumor is located the symptoms may vary accordingly. As the right colon is spacious, cancers of the right colon grow to large sizes before they cause abdominal pain. However, it is important to note that colon cancer can grow for years before showing any symptoms. The next best thing to colon cancer prevention is early diagnosis. When the colon cancer symptoms in a person are detected earlier on, they have a better chance of survival to someone who has already reached the far end of the disease.

Leading a healthy lifestyle and making lifestyle changes can help prevent cancer. Research suggests that smoking cessation, decreased alcohol intake, maintenance of a healthy weight, exercise and dietary supplements help reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Eat right, exercise regularly and lead a healthy lifestyle. God forbid, if you detect the aforementioned symptoms please consult a doctor immediately. Remember that ‘Prevention is better than cure’. Healthy living is happy living!

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This post was written by admin on April 15, 2009

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Prostate Cancer Treatments For Early And Advanced Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer Treatments For Early And Advanced Prostate Cancer

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There is a wide range of prostate cancer treatments available today for both early and late stage prostate cancer and this article outlines the choices open to patients.

There is a wide range of prostate cancer treatments available today and the treatment that your doctor recommends will depend to a very large extent upon the progression of the disease. Thereafter it is a matter of discussing each treatment option with your doctor and of considering the advantages and disadvantages of each, as well as of course looking carefully at the risks which all prostate cancer treatments carry.

Prostrate cancer treatments fall into two broad categories – those that are recommended for early (Stage I and Stage II) cancer which is confined to the prostate gland and those used to treat advanced (Stage III and Stage IV) cancer which has spread to other areas of the body.

Early stage cancer treatments are designed to remove the prostate or to destroy it and thus to stop the cancer cells before they have a chance to spread to other areas of the body.

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The surgical removal of the prostate gland (prostatectomy) will normally be carried out as either traditional open surgery or using a less invasive laparoscopic approach. One recent development is the introduction of robotic surgery (using the da Vinci system) which has the advantage of preserving nerves, muscles and other structures in the area of the prostate. Robotic surgery is extremely effective but should be carried out by a highly skilled surgeon in a centre with considerable experience in using this technique.

Radiation therapy may also be used to kill the cancer cells within the prostate gland. A variety of different radiation therapy techniques may be used and treatment will normally be carried out over a period of several weeks.

A relatively new technique, which is still being evaluated, is known as cryosurgery. During cryosurgery, which is carried out under anesthesia, cooling probes are guided into the prostate using ultrasound and the cancer cells are killed by freezing them.

The final form of treatment used for early stage cancer is high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). This procedure is again carried out under anesthesia (or using a local spinal anesthetic) and a probe is placed into the prostate gland through the rectum. A beam of high intensity focused ultrasound is them used to raise the temperature in the area of focus and thus to kill the cancer cells.

For late stage prostate cancer hormone therapy is used and this is designed not to attack the cancer itself but to target the male hormones (in particular testosterone) which the cancer cells need to grow.

Late stage treatments will include orchiectomy (the removal of the testicles), which is designed to remove the source of the body’s main production of testosterone, or a variety of hormone treatments aimed at either reducing the level of testosterone and other male hormones in the body or of blocking their action.

In cases where hormone therapy proves ineffective, systematic radiation therapy or chemotherapy may be recommended.

Whatever the stage of your cancer it is important to consider all of the options carefully and weigh the advantages, disadvantages and risks of each carefully before choosing the treatment that is best for you.

For more information on prostate cancer treatments please visit ProstateCancerExplained.com today.

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Cervical Cancer Smear Test – The Long Wait

Cervical Cancer Treatment and Smear Test – The Long Wait

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Suffering in silence is not the cure for cervical cancer but modern medicine is.

Cervical and breast cancer are two types of cancer which not only affect a woman physically but mentally too e.g. dealing with all the trauma after being diagnosed with the disease. A large percentage of women admit to living in fear of the big C, however cervical or breast cancer free women admit that the thought of contacting the disease never leaves their thoughts.

Sadly, self breast examination seems to be unimportant for some women who choose to ignore a health issue as vital to secure their well being, ignoring any indication that breast cancer is developing can result in the patient having to fight for their life. If an examination of the breasts had taken place in some unfortunate cases the whole scenario would have just involved treating the breast cancer and no involvement of an undertaker. Women need to wise up because if they continue to carry ignorance as an ally to help beat this battle – then they lose. Winning includes modern medicines. Early cancer treatment betters survival odds hence giving a patient the chance to carry on with their life instead of throwing it away.

Aside from bosom blunders where ignorance may have prevailed we have cervical cancer. Women need to be aware of all involvements i.e. what to expect throughout any cervical cancer treatments. The cervix is the lower part of the womb or uterus and is commonly referred to as the ‘neck of the womb’.

The cervix and its purpose are to help maintain a normal pregnancy. In non-pregnant women, the cervix has no obvious function. In the UK cervical cancer is down on paper as the sixth most common cancer in women. It is of the utmost importance for a woman to keep healthy in mind body and soul by having regular cervical cancer smear tests – oft times referred to as a Pap smear test. Smear tests are commonly carried out in order to detect any cell changes that come before cancer. It’s a waiting game, meaning, it can take years for these cell changes detected at the time of a cervical smear test to become cancer. Luckily some changes have been known to go away by themselves.

Women who waited in anticipation for their cancer results said they found it more of an ordeal coping with the wait than that of receiving the actual prognosis (cervical cancer).

http://www.beating-cancer-gently.com/

Suffering in silence is not healthy, not all abnormal test results indicate that cervical cancer is present. It is through early diagnosis and treatment of pre-cancerous changes that development of actual cancer can be prevented. Early detection is most profound to help fight the disease.

There are two types of this cancer; the squamous cell cancer and aden-ocarcinoma. Cervical smear tests detect the early changes of squamous cell cancer. Early stage growths of certain cancers can be treated with surgery or radiotherapy thus resulting in a cure.

Regular questions asked about cervical cancer are what the causes are; well there is no definite single cause, however study points the finger at a viral infection of the cervix or cancer sticks (cigarettes). Fags are a major health hazard relating to lung cancer, smoking is said to also increase the risk of developing cervical cancer and even the number of partners in youth trial runs of intercourse have also been linked to being connected to the cause. In the UK cervical tests are routinely performed every three years, lives are being saved because of this.

Females face a silent but deadly situation because; pre-cancerous changes of the cervix that show up on cervical smear tests unfortunately do not give symptoms. Undergoing a biopsy of the cervix is the way cervical cancer is diagnosed. The process is normally done with an internal examination called a colposcopy.

Treating cancer of the cervix will purely depend upon the severity of the disuse, meaning, has it spread to the pelvis. A radical hysterectomy or Wertheim’s hysterectomy may be suggested as treatment. It is at this stage that a specialist gynaecologist will conduct surgery. Radiotherapy destroys tumour cells that the gynaecologist cannot see.

Remember "out of sight out of mind", is not a healthy approach for a cure; a healthy approach is to keep it in mind and any cervical cancer symptoms must be kept in sight.

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Breast Cancer Survival Rate and Treatments

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The Journey Through Cancer and The Seven Levels of Healing "The Journey Through Cancer" describes a revolutionary approach to cancer treatment and recovery by a physician who is at the forefront of integrative medicine in cancer care. Board-certified oncologist Dr. Jeremy Geffen has many years of experience serving as a physician, guide, mentor, coach, and friend to thousands of cancer patients and their families.

The Journey Through Cancer and The Seven Levels of Healing

By Jeremy R. Geffen, MD, FACP

As a medical oncologist, I have been honored to serve as physician, guide, and friend to thousands of individuals with cancer and their loved ones. Many heroic people have inspired and taught me a great deal about living courageously in the face of great challenges, and the unknown.


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Through this process, I have come to understand the experience of cancer as a journey — filled with ups and downs, periods of calm and tumult, and extraordinary opportunities for healing and transformation. I have also seen, again and again, what powerful roles the mind, heart, and spirit can play in impacting every individual’s journey through cancer.

It is normal and common to feel overwhelmed by a cancer diagnosis, as anyone who has been through this experience can attest. Unfortunately, it is not yet normal or common for individuals and families to receive skillful, coherent, and comprehensive help in navigating the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of cancer. For many, this is a painful and tragically missed opportunity. But it doesn’t have to be so.

Over many years of running an integrative cancer center, I was repeatedly asked: "Doctor, in addition to radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery, what else can I do to help myself? What should I eat? What vitamins should I take? What alternative therapies should I use?" And, "How can I deal with the mental, emotional, and spiritual challenges I am encountering?"

In searching for meaningful and practical answers, I saw an important pattern. I recognized that all questions and concerns encountered by patients and their loved ones fall into one of seven distinct, but inter-related domains of inquiry and exploration. I call these The Seven Levels of Healing and describe them in detail in The Journey Through Cancer: Healing and Transforming the Whole Person. They are a powerful guide for navigating all aspects of the cancer journey, including the mental, emotional, and spiritual — as well as physical — ones.

The Seven Levels are briefly summarized below, along with some practical suggestions for using them right away:

Level One: Education and Information. Understanding your medical care is important to achieving the best outcome. Feeling clear and confident about your care helps put your mind at ease and enhances your ability to enter the deeper dimensions of healing. Find an experienced oncologist whom you trust, and who answers your questions fully. Don’t make hasty decisions. Make decisions based on knowledge and understanding, not on fear.

Level Two: Connection with Others. This is a powerful component of healing. Family members can only do so much. Seek additional support from friends, clergy, and self-help organizations. Join a support group. Talk with others who have navigated the journey though cancer and found positive solutions.

Level Three: The Body as Garden. Conventional treatments remain the foundation of leading-edge cancer care. However, taking an active role in caring for your body also includes good nutrition, exercise, massage, relaxation, and other complementary therapies. These can nourish and strengthen the body, soothe and calm the mind, and invigorate the heart and spirit.

Level Four: Emotional Healing. Cancer can be an emotional roller-coaster. Everyone involved can experience feelings of fear, anger, depression, and doubt — as well as gratitude and love. Keep a journal to explore and release your innermost feelings. Work with a counselor or therapist. Don’t neglect your emotional self.

Level Five: The Nature of Mind. Mental anxiety is often another part of cancer. The mind can work for or against you, depending on your focus. To avoid feeling overwhelmed, examine your thoughts and beliefs and see if they are serving you. When fear and doubt are replaced with clarity and understanding, anxiety often diminishes. Ask yourself, "What are the blessings in my life? What am I truly grateful for?"

Level Six: Life Assessment. It is very empowering to discover the deepest meaning and purpose of your life, especially in the face of cancer. Answering three important questions can help clarify your priorities and liberate enormous time, energy, and resources for healing:

  • What is the meaning and purpose of my life?
  • What are my most important goals for the coming year?
  • How do I want to be remembered by those whom I love?

Level Seven: The Nature of Spirit. There is no better time than now to fully honor and embrace your spiritual essence. It is the source not only of the love, joy, and fulfillment that we all seek, but physical healing as well. Explore this through meditation, reflection, prayer, time in nature, and sharing with loved ones. Remember that your body needs love and care, but your mind, heart, and spirit need and deserve these as well.

Copyright 2006 Jeremy R. Geffen

Jeremy R. Geffen, MD, FACP, is a board-certified medical oncologist, a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, and a renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and oncology. He is founder of Geffen Visions International (www.geffenvisions.com) and Director of Integrative Oncology for P4 Healthcare and Caring4Cancer.com. He is also author of the highly acclaimed book The Journey Through Cancer: Healing and Transforming the Whole Person (Three River Press, 2006) and audio program The Seven Levels of Healing.

In 1994, he founded the Geffen Cancer Center and Research Institute in Vero Beach, FL, which he directed until 2003. It was one of the first cancer centers in the United States explicitly designed to provide a working model of truly holistic, comprehensive cancer care for the twenty-first century. Dr. Geffen lectures widely and offers seminars and retreats on the multidimensional aspects of medicine, wellness, and life. He also advises organizations on integrative programs for medicine and healing.

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Holistic Cancer Treatments and Complimentary Medicine

Cancer and Complimentary Medicine

http://howtotreatcancer.com/

 

One thing I’ve noticed since being diagnosed with cancer is the animosity between conventional and alternative approaches to the disease. It can be quite contentious, no doubt because the stakes are so high. The lines are drawn: Western vs. Eastern; big business vs. folk culture; MDs vs. doctors of chiropractic, naturopathy and homeopathy; pharmaceuticals vs. herbs. Both sides in this civil war have their weaknesses and blind spots.

Conventional medicine is misguided when it treats the human body as a machine to be serviced by white-coated mechanics. We are complex creatures who are much more than the sum of our parts. With apologies to Renee Descartes, our minds do influence our bodies in profound ways. The medical establishment is also remiss in not focusing more on prevention as the first line of defense against disease and in not seeing nutrition as a vital part of treatment.

http://www.naturalcancertreatments.com/

Alternative medicine is dangerous whenever it touts exotic cure-alls. There are no magic elixirs that can put everything right, even if they do come from a prehistoric valley in Utah (Dr. Wallach’s colloidal minerals) or from Himalayan-grown amalaki (Zrii), or from the inner leaf of the Aloe Vera plant (Ambrotose). Proper diet is central to maintaining or restoring good health, but not every medical condition can be fixed orally.

Dr. Ralph Moss offers sage advice in his CancerDecisions.com newsletter:

"Cancer is a complex disease. It requires professional help. Regardless of the sometimes uncaring attitude of certain errant members of the medical profession, one should not reject everything that conventional medicine has to offer in favor of a regimen discovered on the Internet. The answer is not simply to construct a do-it-yourself program, but to find expert and sympathetic guidance in the rapidly expanding realm of complementary oncology."

I like the term "complimentary." It is built into the approach of the Memorial Cancer Center where I am a client. (I am not a patient, but more on that in another post.) They proclaim, "By integrating complimentary therapies with traditional medicine, we will take a holistic approach to cancer medicine that addresses patients’ physical, emotional and spiritual needs."

A dose of humility is in order for professionals of every stripe. When it comes to medicine no one has all the answers; everyone is still practicing.

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