Healthy Tips

Symptoms of colon cancer do not appear in all the patients when the disease is in an early stage but only after it has advanced in gravity. This is why doctors recommend that after a certain age people should ask for screenings regularly.

Colorectal cancer can give a lot of symptoms but they all match other diseases too like: inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulosis, and irritable bowel syndrome. All these diseases can be treated but they first must be diagnosed in order to apply a right treatment.

Patients come at the hospital because they are constipated, or have diarrhea for more than a week. Sometimes people observe that their stool is much thinner than before and that it comes with blood. They might be feeling abdominal pain, cramps, and bloating. Most of the patients loose a lot of weight in a short period of time and they feel that they have not defecated sufficiently.

Cancer determines cells to divide in an uncontrollable way. Generally the cells of the body divide only when needed, like when they grow old and other cells need to be produced in order to replace them or when they are in a small amount and the body needs more of them. Because the cells are produced in an increased number, a mass of unknown tissue will form, known as a tumor (this tumor can be benign or malign). Doctors believe that this type of cancer is developing from polyps situated in the large intestine. These polyps are considered to be benign but left untreated for years they can transform in malign tumors.

There are several types of polyps: adenomas, which can become cancerous but are easily removed during a colonoscopy; inflammatory polyps which appear after an ulcerative colitis and can also become cancerous and hyperplasic polyps which rarely transform into cancer.

If the cancer passes to a next stage it can affect the local lymph nodes and then get into the blood stream and affect other organs giving metastases.

The colorectal cancer can affect old people as well as young people but most of the cases are recorded at those aged over 50. There are several factors that increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer: those who have a family history of colon cancer or other type of cancer is at risk; those who drink alcohol and follow an improper diet can develop this disease. Also, people who suffer of Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, diabetes, and familial adenomatous polyposis are exposed at a greater risk than others. There is a type of nonpolyposis colorectal cancer syndrome which also occurs in the same family members but now people who are at risk can be identified through genetic screening.

Those who have adopted western diets, are obese, are smoking and also follow a diet that is rich in proteins and fats and low in fiber are at risk to develop colorectal cancer.

For greater resources on colon cancer or especially about colon cancer symptoms please visit this link http://www.colon-cancer-center.com/colon-cancer-symptoms.htm

Where the disease has not metastasized, the five-year survival rate for women suffering from breast cancer is about 86%. That percentage means that 86% of women who develop breast cancer live for at least five years after diagnosis. The good news is that depending on the stage it is discovered, the survival rate can be even higher than the overall average.

As with most cancers, breast cancer, develops in stages. T, N, M and 0-IV are common ways to categorize the different stages. T depicts tumor size, N signifies a spread to lymph nodes and M describes distant metastasis. When a primary tumor spreads to another area/s and forms more tumors, it has metastasized.

A tumor is noted as TX when it defies assessment. Should there be no sign of cancer, the term T0 is used. If one of the following forms is suspected – DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), LCIS (lobular carcinoma in situ) or Paget’s disease (where the nipple and/or areola is cancerous) – Tis is used.

Stage 0 indicates that the cancer is in its earliest stage. Stage 1 means that the tumors are less than 2cm long and the cancerous cells have not spread. A tumor that is 2-5cm in diameter is classified as Stage II, and a tumor larger than 5cm is considered Stage III. When a tumor has attached to the chest wall and spread to the lymph nodes it is considered to be Stage IV.

Today, due to medical advances, many breast cancers are diagnosed and treated during the early stages.

When treatment is given to patients who are at Stage 0 or 1, the survival rates are almost 100%. And yes, men can develop breast cancer, though at a far lower rate of 1/133 when compared to women. The survival rate for those with Stage II cancer is between 81%-92%. At Stage III the rate lowers to 67%, and then drops substantially to 20% at Stage IV.

Despite being a serious condition, breast cancer is now rarely life threatening. Women who have advanced stages of cancer have been known to live for more than seven years. As technology and medicine advance, survival rates increase. Even later stage cancer survival rates are rising as medical and treatment methods improve.

A fairly new method of diagnosing cancer is the QM-MSP (quantitative multiplex methylation-specific PCR) method. Discovered in 2001, it uses fluid from the breast and tests the chemicals contained in the fluid. The chemical analysis undertaken during this test allows cancer to be detected with 86% reliability, and cancer clumps with as little as 50 cells can found. Treatment given in the early stages is highly effective, and new methods like this allow cancer to be diagnosed at the earliest possible stage.

Treatments are also improving, with hormone therapy, targeted radiation and molecule specific drugs now readily available.

Breast cancer is no longer the death sentence it used to be. Although the disease is still a matter of serious concern, the chances of survival are high and treatments are now less invasive.

Stages of Breast Cancer

It is imperative for a doctor to know the stage of your breast cancer to ensure the right treatment. Breast cancer is a complicated disease with a number of risk factors attached to it. There are different stages of breast cancer which are explained below:

Stage 0:

Stage 0 is the stage of non-invasive breast cancer. In this stage, the cancer cells do not spread to other areas. Examples of Stage 0 are LCIS and DCIS.

Stage 1:

In Stage 1 the cancer spreads out to other areas and is called invasive breast cancer. In this case:

- The tumor measures up to 2 cm

- No lymph nodes are involved

Stage 2:

Stage 2 is also about invasive breast cancer with the following conditions:

- The tumor measures up to at least 2 centimeters to 5 cm.

- The cancer spreads to the lymph nodes under the arm on the same side as the breast cancer.

The affected lymph nodes do not attach to one another or to the surrounding tissues. This is a sign that the cancer has not moved to the next stage yet.

Stage 3:

Stage 3 is further classified into two categories known as 3A and 3B.

- Stage 3A:
Stage 3A is about invasive breast cancer in which the conditions are:
– The tumor is larger than 5 cm

- No significant participation of lymph nodes is observed. In this stage of breast cancer the nodes attach to each other or the surrounding tissues.

- Stage 3B:
Stage 3B is about invasive breast cancer in which a tumor irrespective of its size spreads out to the breast skin, chest wall or to the internal mammary lymph nodes. Inflammatory breast cancer is in Stage 3B. it is a rare breast cancer but is very dangerous and aggressive. Inflammatory breast cancer is distinguished from normal breast cancer by its redness on the breast. This redness gives a warm or inflammatory feeling. During this stage one might experience puffiness and ridges on the skin.

Stage 4:

Stage 4 is about invasive breast cancer having the following conditions:

- The tumor spreads beyond the breast, underarm and internal mammary lymph nodes

- The tumor spreads to the base of the neck, above the collarbone (area known as supraclavicular), lungs, liver, bones or the brain.

Colon cancer is the type of cancer that usually has no symptoms. If colon cancer symptoms do appear in a person, it will be a little too late, because he/ she is probably in a very advanced stage of colon cancer. This is the reason why, most of the doctors recommend screening at least one a year.

Colon cancer has five stages. Each colon cancer stage actually shows how far the cancer has spread. There are many ways to diagnose a colon cancer case, even in its most advanced stage. Colonoscopy, barium enema and even a digital rectum exam can tell a doctor if indeed you are suffering from colon cancer or polyps.

First stage in colon cancer is stage 0. In this colon cancer stage you can think of yourself as a very lucky person, because it can be cured. In this colon cancer stage, the disease has not spread beyond your colon or rectum. Treatment in this case is surgery. The part of your colon that has been affected will be removed. If you have a larger tumor, a resection might be the proper treatment for your colon cancer case.

The second colon cancer stage is known as stage 1. In this case, the cancer has not spread beyond the colon, but the cancer has grown through a few layers of your colon. Resection is the used treatments is this colon cancer stage. No further treatment is necessary.

Stage 2 is the next step in colon cancer. This time the disease has gone through the walls of your colon and affected the nearest tissues. In this colon cancer stage, the lymph nodes have not been reached yet. Resection is the only known treatment if you find yourself in this colon cancer stage. However, the rate of recurrence is very big in this case, so your doctor might also use radiation therapy. Chemotherapy can also be used in this colon cancer stage.

Next is stage 3 colon cancer. This is thought as an advanced stage. The lymph nodes are now affected by the disease. Other parts of your body have not been yet affected when suffering from stage 3 colon cancer. Sectional surgery is the right treatment at this point. Chemotherapy is then used to reduce recurrence. Radiation therapy can also be used in this colon cancer stage.

The last and most serious colon cancer stage is 4. In this case, the disease has reached as far as the lungs, ovaries and liver. When you have reached the stage, surgery is only used to relive the symptoms or prevent any further complications. In this case, the colon cancer can not be cured or even removed through surgery.

For more resource on different colon cancer subjects please click this link http://www.colon-cancer-center.com. You can also find valuable information about colon cancer or even about colon cancer symptoms

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 are two … limited stage and extended stage. Here’s a quick overview to give you an idea of the differences between the various stages:

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Stage I: The cancer is confined to the lungs. This stage obviously offers the best prognosis. Lung cancer caught in this stage has better than a 49% five year survival rate.

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Stage II: The cancer is confined to lung tissue and the lymph nodes within the lungs, the recovery rate is 40-50%

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Stage II: The tumors have spread from the lungs, but are confined to the chest area. Larger, more invasive tumors are generally diagnosed as belonging to this stage.

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Stage IV: The cancer has spread away from the chest and invaded other parts of the body such as the liver, adrenal glands, bone, brain, and/or other sites.

Small Cell Lung Cancer Limited Stage: The cancer is confined to the chest area, and has not spread outside the point of origin.

Small Cell Lung Cancer Extended Stage: The cancer has spread beyond the chest to other parts of the body.

The treatment recommended by your doctor will take into account the stage of the lung cancer, as well as the size and location of the tumors and your general overall health. Of course, you’ll have input into how aggressively the cancer should be pursued and all that entails. More and more oncologists are coming to accept that the prognosis of a patient with lung cancer — as it is with any cancer patient — is profoundly affected by the patient’s attitude and decision making.

Determining the breast cancer stages is important since it enables the patient and doctor to identify the treatment necessary for one’s condition. Also, it is essential in assessing the risk of the given condition and what lifestyle changes the patient can do to improve their health.

Identifying A Breast Cancer’s Stage

When talking about breast cancer stages, it is aimed at describing the extent of the cancer in the body. So, if you ask how a breast cancer is staged, doctors often start to classify whether it is invasive or non-invasive. Other factors considered are the tumor size, number of nymph modes involved, and what other parts of the body it has managed to affect.

Determining a cancer’s stage is helpful during prognosis and deciding on a treatment option.

To determine the stage, a few standard procedures are done by the doctor on a patient. They undergo physical exam and biopsy to acquire the data needed by the doctor for the diagnosis.

If needed, further tests are also conducted such as imaging tests that include x-ray, bone scans, mammograms for the breasts, CT scans, positron emission tomography (PET), and magentic resonance imaging.

What Are the Breast Cancer Stages?

Now that the importance of determining the different breast cancer stages have been clarified, as well as the methods used to identify them, it is now time to move on to discussing each of the stages. Take note of the features and extent of the cancer in each of the stages:

Breast Cancer Stage 0

This stage renders the case of breast cancer to be non-invasive. At this point of the breast cancer, cancer or non-cancerous cells cannot be detected yet.

The abnormal cells are still at the stage wherein they try to spread out within the specific part of the breast where the cells are rooted. Also, they can try to expand on the neighboring tissues as the cancerous cells continue to grow.

Breast Cancer Stage I

Once the breast cancer enters this stage, it is now categorized as an invasive type of breast cancer. Meaning, the cancer cells have now worked their way towards the neighboring tissues. Stage I breast cancer also exhibit the following characteristics:

•    The cancerous tumor has reached the size of 2 centimeters.
•    No lymph modes are affected.

Breast Cancer Stage II

For this particular stage of breast cancer, it is also known as an invasive type of cancer and is broken down into two more categories:

1) Stage IIA

Even in this particular stage, the conditions can be different:

•    A tumor does not exist in the breast but cancerous cells are detected in the lymph nodes.
•    A tumor could exist but measures less than 2 centimeters;
•    The tumor has expanded beyond 2 centimeters but less than 5 centimeters without reaching the lymph nodes.

2) Stage IIB

This invasive level of the cancer are recognized as either one of the following:

•    The tumor exceeds 2 centimeters in size but less than 5 centimeters, while also reaching the lymph nodes.
•    The tumor is more than 5 centimeters in size but has not yet reached the axillary lymph nodes.

Breast Cancer Stage III

1) Stage IIIA

In this stage, the tumor could either be detected or not. Aside from the axillary lymph nodes, cancer can also stick to other structures outside of the lymph nodes and become clumped together.

2) Stage IIIB

In this stage, the tumor can grow in size and affect other areas of the body outside of the actual breast, whether th chest wall or skin of the breast. This is the stage wherein inflammatory breast cancer takes place.

3) Stage IIIC

In some cases, sign of breast cancer might not be detectable yet. However, the tumor could already be spreading towards the breast skin, chest wall, and below your collarbone.

Breast Cancer Stage IV

In this level, the cancerous cells have managed to spread to various organs of the body. Therefore, the cancer is no longer restricted on the breast and lymph nodes, which signifies the initial diagnosis of breast cancer. The reason why diagnosis is done only during this stage is because cancerous cells were not detected while still within the breast.

Recognizing breast cancer stages does more than just identifying treatment options, but also enables doctors and patients to understand the developmental pattern of the disease.