Hodgkin’s lymphoma – cancer of the lymphatic system

Hodgkin’s disease — also known as Hodgkin’s lymphoma — is a cancer of the lymphatic system, which is part of your immune system.

In Hodgkin’s disease, cells in the lymphatic system grow abnormally and may spread beyond the lymphatic system. As Hodgkin’s disease progresses, it compromises your body’s ability to fight infection.

Hodgkin’s disease is one of two common types of cancers of the lymphatic system. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the other type, is far more common. Hodgkin’s disease is named after the British physician Thomas Hodgkin, who first described the disease in 1832 and noted characteristics that distinguish it from other lymphomas.

Advances in diagnosis, staging and treatment of Hodgkin’s disease have helped to make this once uniformly fatal disease highly treatable with the potential for full recovery.

Symptoms

Many initial signs and symptoms may be similar to those of the flu, such as fever, fatigue and night sweats. Eventually, tumors develop.

Hodgkin’s disease symptoms may include: Read the rest »

Breast cancer – Invasive lobular carcinoma

Invasive lobular carcinoma is a type of breast cancer that begins in the milk-producing glands (lobules) and then invades surrounding tissues. About 20,000 women are diagnosed with this type of breast cancer each year in the United States. Invasive lobular carcinoma makes up about 15 percent to 20 percent of all breast cancers.

Compared to the more common form of invasive breast cancer — invasive ductal carcinoma — invasive lobular carcinoma is less likely to show up on a mammogram. Although invasive lobular carcinoma tends to be larger at diagnosis, it generally has a more favorable outlook than does invasive ductal carcinoma.

Symptoms

Rather than forming a distinct lump you can feel, invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) may simply feel like a thickened area in your breast. Lobular carcinoma cells tend to break out of the lobule in single file, then invade surrounding breast tissue in a web-like manner. The affected area may have a different textural feel from normal breast tissue, but it is unlikely to be a discrete mass.

As a result, an invasive lobular carcinoma might become fairly large — about 3/4 inch (2 centimeters) to about 2 inches (5 centimeters) or bigger — before any signs or symptoms appear. These might include: Read the rest »

Link between carbohydrate intake and esophageal cancer

There may be a link between rising rates of carbohydrate intake and obesity and the increasing number of esophageal cancer cases in the United States, a new study says.

Researchers noted that cases of esophageal cancer increased from 300,000 in 1973 to 2.1 million in 2001, which closely mirrors increases in carbohydrate intake and obesity over the same time.

Obesity is a major risk factor for many types of cancer, and a diet high in calories from refined carbohydrates is a common contributor to obesity, the researchers noted. They also said no other studied nutrients were found to correlate with esophageal cancer rates.

The causes of esophageal cancer are largely unknown, and despite recent advances, patients with this type of cancer have a poor prognosis. The five-year survival rate is less than 20 percent.

Anemia Drugs for Cancer Patients Increase Death Risk

Drugs designed to fight fatigue and other symptoms associated with cancer treatment-related anemia may do more harm than good, especially if given in the wrong doses.
The drugs — erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) — increase the risk of death by 10 percent and the risk of blood clots known as venous thromboembolisms (VTE) by 57 percent, according to a review published in the Feb. 27

ESAs — erythropoietin (Epogen, Procrit) and darbepoetin (Aranesp) — work by stimulating the bone marrow to produce new red blood cells, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. They are used to treat anemia caused by chemotherapy and to treat anemia in people with chronic kidney disease who are on dialysis.

This isn’t the first time health experts have raised concerns about these medications. In kidney patients, past research has found that if these drugs are used to raise hemoglobin levels above 12 grams per deciliter of blood, the risk of death increases. And past cancer research has suggested that the drugs may be associated with more rapid tumor growth and an increased risk of death.

Due to these concerns, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year had the drugs’ manufacturers add a “black box” warning to the medications. The warning indicates that the medications should be used at the lowest possible doses to avoid risks such as blood clots, heart attacks, stroke, congestive heart failure, increased tumor growth and an increased risk of death. The FDA also recommended that the medications be prescribed at the lowest doses possible because trials generally indicated an increased risk when blood levels were raised above 12 grams per deciliter.

However, not everyone is convinced that these drugs do more harm than good.

The new study included 51 phase 3 clinical trials completed between 1985 and 2005. Survival was evaluated in 13,613 people with cancer, and the risk of VTE was evaluated in 8,172 people with cancer. The type of cancer varied widely from study to study.

The risk of VTE increased 57 percent in people taking ESAs, and the risk of mortality increased 10 percent in people on these medications.

Skin cancer symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment

Skin cancer — the abnormal growth of skin cells — most often develops on skin exposed to the sun. But this common form of cancer can also occur on areas of the skin not ordinarily exposed to sunlight.

There are three major types of skin cancer — basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Basal cell carcinomas and most squamous cell carcinomas are slow growing and highly treatable, especially if found early. Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. It affects deeper layers of the skin and has the greatest potential to spread to other tissues in the body. Squamous cell carcinoma also can spread internally.

All three types of skin cancer are on the rise — but most skin cancers can be prevented by limiting or avoiding exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and by paying attention to suspicious changes in your skin. If caught early enough, most skin cancers can be successfully treated.

Symptoms

Skin cancer develops primarily on areas of sun-exposed skin, including the scalp, face, lips, ears, neck, chest, arms and hands, and on the legs in women. But it can also form on areas that rarely see the light of day — the palms, spaces between the toes and the genital area. Skin cancer affects people of all skin tones, including those with darker complexions.

A cancerous skin lesion can appear suddenly or develop slowly. Its appearance depends on the type of cancer.

Basal cell carcinoma
This is the most common skin cancer. It’s also the most easily treated and the least likely to spread. Basal cell carcinoma usually appears as one of the following:

• A pearly or waxy bump on your face, ears or neck
• A flat, flesh-colored or brown scar-like lesion on your chest or back

Squamous cell carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma is easily treated if detected early, but it’s slightly more apt to spread than is basal cell carcinoma. Most often, squamous cell carcinoma appears as one of the following:

• A firm, red nodule on your face, lips, ears, neck, hands or arms
• A flat lesion with a scaly, crusted surface on your face, ears, neck, hands or arms

Melanoma
Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer and the one responsible for most skin cancer deaths. Melanoma can develop in otherwise normal skin or in an existing mole that turns malignant. Although it can occur anywhere on the body, melanoma appears most often on the upper back or face in both men and women.

Warning signs of melanoma include: Read the rest »