Human Papilloma Virus and Cancers

In recent years, it has become clear that certain types of human cancers have a viral component to their etiology. Cancers due to Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) are most common among these. This has been a study of intense research for number of years. Specific types of HPV genotypes were found to be the causative agents of some common cancers, most notable invasive cervical carcinoma. Apart from this anogenital cancer, HPV’s are also causally associated with other anogenital cancers such as cancers of vulva, vagina, penis and anus. HPV is also responsible for approximately 20-30% of head and neck cancers. Association OF HPV with Cervical cancer The link between HPV and cervical cancer is now established beyond doubts. Many epidemiological, and molecular evidences suggest the causal...

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Ovarian Cancer - Don't Ignore the Warning Signs

Around 1.5 percent of women are likely to develop ovarian cancer at some stage of their life. It is less common than breast cancer but is considered as the most serious and fatal of all gynecological cancers. The reason for this is that the cancer is usually advanced before it is diagnosed, making treatment difficult. The ovaries cannot be easily examined and, because the warning signs are unclear, late diagnosis is common. Because of the lack of screening tests available, it is imperative to know the early symptoms and the possible risk factors. Understanding ovarian cancer The ovaries are two small organs that are a part of the female reproductive system and they are situated each side of the uterus. These ovaries contain germ cells that become eggs which are released when the...

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Information About Various Types of Cancer

The organs and tissues of the body are made up of tiny building blocks called cells. Cancer is a disease of these cells. Cells in different parts of the body may look and work differently but most reproduce themselves in the same way. Cells are constantly becoming old and dying, and new cells are produced to replace them. Normally, cells divide in an orderly and controlled manner. If for some reason the process gets out of control, the cells carry on dividing, developing into a lump which is called a tumour. Cancer is a term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and can invade other tissues. Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems. Brain Cancer A brain tumor is a group or clump of abnormally growing cells that...

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Detect your Cervical Cancer With Pap Test!

Cervical cancer is the cancer of the cervix. It is a disease caused by the abnormal growth and division of cells that forms in the lining of the cervix. It is the second common form of cancer that affects women today. It is very common in middle age women and older. The statistics of cervical cancer in the United States, according to American Cancer Society (ACS), shows that about 11,150 women are diagnosing with this cancer and approximately 3,670 women die from this cancer every year. To understand more about cervical cancer, it is important to note what a cervix is first. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus (womb) that connects the uterus to the vagina (birth canal) in a woman's body. Usually, cervical cancer exhibits no symptoms to detect the presence of cancer in...

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Cancer - One in Two Men and One in Three Women Will Get It. What to Do?

There is nothing that puts more fear in people than a diagnosis of Cancer. Statistically speaking, we now have one in two chances (male) or one in three chances (female) of getting cancer before the end of our life (American Cancer Society statistics for the year 2003). At the beginning of the 20th century, statistics gave us one in 500 chances of getting cancer. All cancers considered, if you have a primary cancer (in one location only) the most optimistic statistics only give you 28% chances of recovery. If you have metastatic cancer (in more than one location) then your chances of recovery are 0.1% or in other words, one chance in one thousand to recover - (statistics from Dr Philip Binzel book "Alive and Well" published by American Media). The news is bleak to say the least....

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Breast Cancer - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Breast cancer is a malignant (cancerous) growth that begins in the tissues of the breast. Over the course of a lifetime, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Breast cancer is a cancer of the breast tissue, which can occur in both women and men. Breast cancer may be one of the oldest known forms of cancer tumors in humans.Worldwide, breast cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer death (after lung cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer, and colon cancer). Breast cancer kills more women in the United States than any cancer except lung cancer. Today, breast cancer, like other forms of cancer, is considered to be a result of damage to DNA. How this mechanism may occur comes from several known or hypothesized factors (such as exposure to ionizing radiation, or...

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Stomach Cancer – Causes of Stomach Cancer

Stomach cancer is more readily treated when caught early. Unfortunately, by the time stomach cancer causes symptoms, it's often at an advanced stage and may have spread beyond the stomach. Yet there is encouraging news. You can reduce your risk of stomach cancer by making a few changes in your lifestyle. It is hard to diagnose stomach cancer in its early stages. Indigestion and stomach discomfort can be symptoms of early cancer, but other problems can cause the same symptoms. In advanced cases, there may be blood in your stool, vomiting, unexplained weight loss, jaundice or trouble swallowing. Stomach cancer is more common in developing nations, while becoming less common in Western countries including Australia. At present, stomach cancer is still the fourth most common cause of...

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Information on Breast Cancer

The breasts sit on the chest muscles that cover the ribs. Each breast is made of 15 to 20 lobes. Lobes contain many smaller lobules. Lobules contain groups of tiny glands that can produce milk. Milk flows from the lobules through thin tubes called ducts to the nipple. The nipple is in the center of a dark area of skin called the areola. Fat fills the spaces between the lobules and ducts. Breast cancer incidence is much higher in industrialised Western countries, whether in Europe or North America, than in developing countries. North American women have the highest incidence of breast cancer in the world. Among women in the U.S., breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second-most common cause of cancer death (after lung cancer). Women in the U.S. have a 1 in 8 (12.5%) lifetime...

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Cancer Bands

In 2004, the Lance Armstrong Foundation created the Livestrong cancer band. This was when these bracelets really became popular. The bracelets are used and worn to raise support and money for cancer research. The Lance Armstrong Foundation was established in 1997 back when cyclist Lance Armstrong was able to overcome cancer. The foundations mission is to inspire as well as empower people affected with cancer together with their families and friends. Today, these cancer bands are created for almost every type of cancer. These cancer bands are definitely a great way to support the research for cancer in hopes to find a cure. Cancer Bands was created in order to inform people of these cancer bands as well as inform them about the many types of cancer. It is said that cancer is the...

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Cancer Awareness Ribbon Pins

Most people are familiar with the pink cancer awareness ribbons that symbolize breast cancer, it seems that these pink beauties are everywhere. But, did you know that there are many other kinds them out there that represent different kinds of cancer that affect women all around the world? You might have seen one or two different colored pins and not even known what they meant. Here are some of the other colors of cancer awareness ribbons so you will know what they mean the next time that you see them: Teal This color of cancer awareness ribbons are for ovarian cancer. While this cancer isn't as prevalent as breast cancer, its numbers are, unfortunately, on the rise. So, when you see a teal cancer awareness ribbon or pin, you will know what they stand for. Peach This color of cancer...

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Early Detection Of Any Disease Is The Key So What Are The First Symptoms Of Lung Cancer?

Much research work has been dedicated to find out the first symptoms of lung cancer. Cancer is that painful disease that needs no introduction and cancer of the lung is one of its most common forms. It is said that early detection of cancer is the key to its prevention. Extensive research works conducted at Mesothelioma research clinics have uncovered some symptoms of lung cancer closely linked with the disease. Lung Cancer Symptoms People addicted to tobacco and those who are constantly exposed to the ill effects of asbestos are more susceptible to lung cancer. Ignorance about the symptoms of lung cancer may lead to a full-fledged blown up case. Be on alert if you are having cough most of the time. This is one of the first symptoms. A related symptom may be a change in the nature...

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Four Tips for Organizing Your Breast Cancer Journey

The breast cancer journey is filled with decisions, doctor visits, tests, treatments, medications, side effects, and stress. Below are some tips to help a woman newly diagnosed with breast cancer take control of this overwhelming experience. Four Tips for Organizing Your Journey 1. Request copies of all your cancer treatment records and set up a personal medical file. Your file may include lab tests, pathology reports, x-ray results, prescription regimen, and follow-up care instructions. Over time, it’s easy to forget when you were treated, who treated you, and what kind of drugs you were given. 2. Buy a journal to organize your thoughts, take notes, and document your experience. Some days you may feel like writing in your journal and other days you won’t. Don’t worry about the...

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Breast Cancer Signs And Steps To Take

Breast cancer can strike at any age. Therefore, knowing the breast cancer signs and symptoms is very important, in addition to the actions you should take to catch cancer early in its course. Only your doctor can determine for certain whether any signs or symptoms you are experiencing are being caused by cancer. It is imperative to contact your physician immediately in the event you discover any of these signs. A lump, one which does not feel like the surrounding tissue, is often the first of several breast cancer signs. This is why it's important to do a regular self exam, because early detection is important. If you pay attention to breast cancer signs, you can have any symptoms investigated early on, and the sooner you are diagnosed, the more likely you are to triumph over this...

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What to do before You Have Breast Cancer Symptoms

Breast cancer is a major health concern and you need to know if you have breast cancer symptoms or signs. Women including men have breast cancer as I wrote in my last newsletter. According to the recent survey worldwide, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer after lung cancer and the fifth most common cause of cancer death in the world. Breast cancer is by far the most common cancer among women. The number of cases worldwide has significantly increased since the 1970s, a phenomenon partly blamed on the way that we eat and the pollution that exists in the water, air, and food. The other big factor in cancer is the thoughts that we have. Toxins and chemical pollution cause acid and free radicals in our body and so do negative thoughts. It is these acids and free...

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Hearing Voices

Perhaps, one form of illness where telling a story of the body is most evident is in respect to mental health. Yesterday’s ruling by the High Court’s Court of Protection, that a 69 year old lady with severe schizophrenia must receive the medical treatment for a prolapsed womb, which she has been strongly refusing and protesting against, reveals the battle that one person’s voice can hold. Is it pathology to not fight the presence of pathology in the body? The High Court overruled this lady’s wishes because their position viewed the lady as being overruled by something other than herself. In this respect, is our modern take on mental health, or pathology for that matter, any different from perceptions that our scientific traditions have long abandoned? Aside from the ethical debate,...

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Hippocrates Prize for Poetry and Medicine: Call For Applications

The “Hippocrates Prize for Poetry and Medicine”, is now accepting applications for the 2011 entry and invites both national and international submissions. Established in 2009, the competition represents the growing body of poetry that is being included in a variety of prestigious medical journals. An article published in the Lancet this year discusses the relevance of poetry for the physician and as a medium for recording our reflections on Medicine. The role of medicine through societies and histories has always been integral to respective meanings of life and human experience. Contemporary medicine, however, is of an unprecedented nature. Technological advancements coupled with the development of different languages about the human body, such as molecular biology or neuroscience,...

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‘The Other Side of the Fence’ by Michael Corbo

Medical student Michael Corbo reflects on what he’s learnt from being a patient. I am sitting on a green chair in the waiting room. I have been sitting here for hours, but it feels like it has been days. I keep looking at the clock on the wall beside me. The room is filled with people, but all I can hear is the resounding ‘tick tock’ coming from my right side. A thousand beads of sweat start to develop on my forehead, one for every thought racing through my mind. “Michael Corbo!” My heart stops. “The doctor is ready for you now.” I follow the nurse’s lead to the end of the hall where we stop at Operating Room (OR) #7. The air in the OR is cold and crisp. I get on the table and lie down with my face towards the ceiling. Cold sweat begins to drip down my forehead. It is clear that I am...

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In Sickness and In Health : The Sharing of Pain in Namibia

Between a doctor and a patient, there is a very special and unique relationship contained in an exclusive realm. The connection is formed from the presenting of an illness and the sick are drawn to the healing. The healer in turn aspires to release the sick from their symptoms and pain. Our wonder of medicine sometimes overlooks the elements that symbolize the very nature of our human condition of this shared relationship – recognition, empathy, compassion of the Other. One example of the act of healing from Namibia however reveals the true essence of the human to human connection and the role of medicine in how we experience our world. In the desert, distances away from the familiarities of the West, two women sit opposite each...

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’21st Century Medicine, Aristotle And The Church’ by Dr. Andrew R. J. Tillyard

I recently attended the funeral of the local parish priest and this led me to consider many of the similarities between what I do in medicine and the role of the ‘Parish Priest’ as well as the ‘misrepresentation’ of 21st medicine. I work in intensive care, a setting of immense emotional stress for patients and relatives, and not infrequently for staff as well. Intensive care can appear more like the cockpit of an aeroplane – full of machines that bleep and flash as they keep patients alive. This, however, can belie the true meaning of what we do. There is an evolving mis-interpretation of what medicine is: that good medicine in the 21st century is skill based technical wizardry, where ‘good’ doctors are people, who can diagnose, treat and cure using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI’s),...

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‘Comics & Medicine: The Sequential Art of Illness’: Conference, Chicago, 9-11 June 2011

This second international interdisciplinary conference* aims explore the past, present, and possible future of comics in the context of the healthcare experience.  Programs in medical humanities have long touted the benefits of reading literature and studying visual art in the medical setting, but the use of comics in healthcare practice and education is relatively new.  The melding of text and image has much to offer all members of the healthcare team, including patients and families.  As such, a subgenre of graphic narrative known as graphic medicine is emerging as a field of interest to both scholars and creators of comics. We are pleased to confirm two important keynote speakers: David Small, author of ‘Stitches’ and Phoebe Gloeckner, author of ‘A Child’s Life’ We...

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The Genie in the Syringe

Throughout the Christmas season, pantomime performances are one of the UK’s most favoured traditions. The pantomime has a long history with a genesis in Ancient Greek times. In our modern era, pantomimes are often adapted to feature contemporary twists and understandings about the unique and special meanings which have structured certain folk tales with a strength to survive the centuries. In parallel, modern medicine has its roots in Ancient Greece and has seen many transitions and contemporary adaptations in the knowledge we possess about the human body. Separated by worlds of fantasy and of reality, I have been struck by how the fables of pantomimes and the facts of medicine collide much closely than one would initially imagine. “Aladdin” and “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” are...

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Stories of the Land

Having recently visited some of the most modern hospitals in the world, I have been struck by the style of their architecture. There seems to be a changing face of medicine, whereby the expressions of the building housing the body of medicine mirror certain conceptualizations of the human body. I began to wonder how does this affect our experience of ourselves in both health and illness. From the compartmentalized, sterile structures of cosmopolitan cities to the shacks of mountainside shamans, what are the similiarities and differences to be found? I have visited hospitals all over the world. I have seen the breeze block clinics hidden in the folds of the mountains of Lesotho, where the Basotho people shield Nature’s elements with huge blankets, cast around themselves like...

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“Newspeak (PART TWO): British Art Now is doubleplusgood!” by Dr Jane R Moore

A few weeks ago I visited the new exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery with my group of 4th year King’s College Medical Students. Visits to galleries, museums and art installations are an integral part of the ‘The Good Doctor’ Special Study Module but I hadn’t included the Saatchi Gallery before.  Modern conceptual art is challenging and I was uncertain how this visit would help in our exploration of medical matters. I need not have worried; our visit was enjoyable, reassuringly accessible and it was easy to make links to the theme of goodness in contemporary medical practice. Newspeak Two on display in the large bright rooms at the Saatchi Gallery, King’s Road, London continues the showcase of contemporary British Art started in June 2010 with Newspeak One.  All the original...

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Oncologist Sam Guglani wonders what medical care really means

Care infuses medicine. Well, the word ‘care’ infuses the language of medicine – Healthcare, Intensive Care, Palliative Care, Standard care, Standard of care, Best supportive care, Care Quality Commission. But what actually is medical care?Good medical care perhaps primarily describes the quality delivery of evidence-based therapeutic interventions, for example drugs, operations, scans, anaesthetics, and the organisation of services to permit these. It must also necessarily refer to the judgments around such interventions, that is to say the ethical consideration towards appropriate medicine. A skilfully performed pneumonectomy may not reflect good medical care in a patient dying from advanced lung cancer, for example. It seems reasonable then, to suggest that good medical care ...

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