Facts About Colorectal Cancer

/
Facts About Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is cancer of the colon or the rectum. The colon is also known as the large intestine and the rectum sits at the bottom of the colon, connecting the colon and the anus. Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in men and women in the United States. For 2015, the American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 93,090 new cases of colon cancer and 39,610 new cases of rectal cancer. 

Read More

A Cancer You Can Prevent

/
A Cancer You Can Prevent

We're going to say it, "Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen." Skin cancer is one of the types of cancers that patients can really cut their risk factors for. There are many types of skin cancers, and although not as aggressive as melanoma, this type should be understood. Three words: Basal Cell Carcinoma. This is a cancer that grows on parts of your skin that get a lot of sun. As long as it's caught early, it's perfectly curable. 

Read More

Endometrial Cancer: What You Need to Know

/
Endometrial Cancer: What You Need to Know

Endometrial cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the lining of the uterus.  The uterus is a female organ located in the pelvis.  This organ is hollow and pear-shaped, and is actually where a baby or fetus grows and develops when a woman is pregnant.  Endometrial cancer occurs when the lining of the uterus, known as the endometrium, sees abnormal changes.  These changes start in the top layer or surface cells of the lining and progress from there.  Currently, endometrial cancer is the most common female reproductive organ cancer.

Read More

New Hormone Therapy Could Slow Half of all Breast Cancers

/
New Hormone Therapy Could Slow Half of all Breast Cancers

Researchers are currently exploring the potential treatment where adding a low-cost hormone therapy to breast cancer treatment regimen could slow tumor growth in about half of women, according to a new study, released in Nature from the University of Cambridge. After treating cancer with progesterone in combination with the hormonal drug Tamoxifen. Found that tumors were half the size of those treated with just tamoxifen alone. Strong case for a clinical trial to investigate the potential benefit of adding progesterone to drugs that target the estrogen receptor.

Read More

New Lock-And-Key Technology Promises Rapid Cancer Testing for Developing World

/
New Lock-And-Key Technology Promises Rapid Cancer Testing for Developing World

Diagnosis of cancer is one of the biggest challenges in modern medicine. Early detection saves lives and increases chance of survival. Diagnosis in developing countries even more difficult as basic lab infrastructure may be unavailable. On average, 70% of people in developing countries do not get diagnosed until a late stage, when treatment is no longer effective. This statistic drives the need for simple and accurate diagnostic technology. Research in early cancer diagnosis has focused on biomarkers.

Read More

Understanding Multiple Myeloma

/
Understanding Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma is a rare type of cancer that starts in the plasma cells, which are a type of white blood cell. Healthy plasma cells are found in the bone marrow and help the body fight infections by producing antibodies that identify and destroy foreign substances that can harm the body. Plasma cells are essential for the body’s immune system. The immune system is mainly made up of lymphocytes. The two main types of lymphocytes are T cells and B cells. When an infection occurs in the body, B cells react by developing into plasma cells. 

Read More

What is laryngeal cancer?

/
What is laryngeal cancer?

Laryngeal cancer starts in the lower part of the throat, also known as the larynx. The larynx has vocal cords and is responsible for helping us speak. It is otherwise known as the voice box. It also helps keep things out of the trachea like fluid and food and helps air get in and out of the lungs. Depending on where in the larynx the cancer is present, treatment options may vary. The larynx has three main parts: the supraglottis, the glottis, and the subglottis. The supraglottis is the area above the vocal cords; the glottis in the area that contains the vocal cords; and the subglottis is the area below the vocal cords.

Read More

Can your tattoos cause a mistaken cancer diagnosis?

/
Can your tattoos cause a mistaken cancer diagnosis?

In our culture, tattoos have become quite the norm.  Whether small and discrete, or full sleeves that are hard not to notice, tattoos have become a common form of self-expression.  But what if your tattoos give you a false positive diagnosis for metastatic cancer?  For one California woman, this nightmare became a reality in 2012 during a PET scan that was meant to stage the severity of her cervical cancer diagnosis. 

Read More

Warning Signs of Lung Cancer

/
Warning Signs of Lung Cancer

As with all cancers, if diagnosed early lung cancer can be more effectively treated and cured.  Yearly, lung cancer kills almost 1.5 million people – but with early diagnosis there is a 50% higher chance of survival over those who are not diagnosed until the disease has spread, or metastasized, beyond the lungs. 

Read More

Signs and Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer

/
Signs and Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer occurs in the pancreas. In the U.S. in 2015, it’s estimated that about 48,960 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and about 40,560 people will die of pancreatic cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Pancreatic cancer accounts for about 3 percent of all cancer cases, and about 7 percent of cancer deaths.

Read More

Promise Seen in Pancreatic Cancer through Immunotherapy

/
Promise Seen in Pancreatic Cancer through Immunotherapy

Pancreatic cancer advances have been making recent news, largely through the revolution that is personalized medicine, specifically immunotherapy. The statistics on pancreatic cancer are grim. Almost 50,000 people will be diagnosed in the US this year, with more than 40,000 dying from the disease. There exists no effective screening method. The disease is asymptomatic early on and spreads rapidly to other organs.

Read More

What you should know about pancreatic cancer

/
What you should know about pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer the most deadly type of any common cancer. It is hard to catch early. In the U.S. in 2015, it is estimated that about 48,960 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and about 40,560 people will die of pancreatic cancer. The disease accounts for about 3 percent of all cancer cases, and about 7 percent of cancer deaths. The average lifetime risk of developing pancreatic cancer is about 1 in 67.

Read More

Hidden Cancer Agents in Your Home

/
Hidden Cancer Agents in Your Home

Is cancer hiding in your home? Many findings over the last decade have revealed hidden cancer agents contained in the chemicals present in household products. Here are 10 products you need to think twice about keeping around.

Read More

Men get breast cancer too

/
Men get breast cancer too

Most people think breast cancer is a woman’s disease. However, men can get breast cancer too. Breast cancer is much less common in men than it is in women. Older men are most likely to develop breast cancer. However, men of any age can get the disease.

Read More

Lymphoma: Hodgkin vs. Non-Hodgkin

/
Lymphoma: Hodgkin vs. Non-Hodgkin

Lymphoma: Hodgkin vs. Non-HodgkinLymphoma is a type of cancer that begins in the lymphocytes (white blood cells). There are two types of lymphomas: Hodgkin lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Hodgkin lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma differ in the way that they behave, spread, and respond to treatment.

Read More

Multiple Myeloma: A Rare Cancer

/
Multiple Myeloma: A Rare Cancer

Multiple myeloma is a rare type of cancer that starts in the plasma cells, which are a type of white blood cell. Healthy plasma cells are found in the bone marrow and help the body fight infections by producing antibodies that identify and destroy foreign substances that can harm the body.

Read More

What is stomach cancer?

/
What is stomach cancer?

Stomach cancer is also known as gastric cancer. The stomach is located beneath the ribs and in the upper middle portion of the abdomen. The stomach hold food after consumption, and also helps to break it down and digest it. Adenocarcinoma, which is cancer that begins in the lining of the stomach, is the most common type of stomach cancer.

Read More

Understanding Head and Neck Cancer

/
Understanding Head and Neck Cancer

ead and neck cancers usually begin in the squamous cells inside the mouth, the nose, and throat. These types of cancers of the head and neck are usually referred to as squamous cell carcinomas. They can also start in the salivary glands, but this is much less common. 

Read More

What is gallbladder cancer?

/
What is gallbladder cancer?

Gallbladder cancer starts in the gallbladder. The gallbladder is an organ that lies beneath the liver, on the right upper abdomen. The gallbladder is responsible for storing bile, which is produced by the liver to help digest fat. Gallbladder cancer is pretty uncommon.

Read More

Finding a Donor: Bone Marrow Transplants

/
Finding a Donor: Bone Marrow Transplants

Leukemia is a complex disease and is a random killer. The disease can strike anyone at any time, making many people at risk. One of the most prominent treatments for leukemia is a bone marrow transplant. How common is this? Here's what you need to know. 

Read More