Life-threatening malignancies in one or both breasts is termed as breast cancer. Breast cancer can be both noninvasive, the one that does not spread and invasive which has high chances of spreading.

Ductal carcinoma and Lobular carcinoma are both noninvasive, if left untreated it can develop in to invasive. Infiltrating ductal carcinoma and infiltrating lobular carcinoma which spreads in the wall of the duct and the wall of a lobules respectively.

History of breast cancer can be traced back to 1600 B.C. it is considered as one of the oldest known tumors. In Papyrus writing tumors or ulcers of the breast and its cure were mentioned. For very long time there was no cure for the condition. Then in 1749-1806 the Scottish surgeon Benjamin Bell and the French surgeon Jean Louis Petit were the first one to remove the affected breast tissue, and underlying chest muscle.

There are different stages through which carcinoma of breast occurs. They are: 1. Onset of the carcinogenic cells. 2. Cancer is either 1- 2 inches long and spread to lymph nodes only. 3.Cancer has spread to tissues near the breast. 4. Cancer has spread to other organs of the body.

The ways in which you can kick off the breast cancer are: 1. Surgery: Depending on the stage and onset of the cancer, removal of lymph is necessary to remove the cancer cells. This process is termed as lumpectomy. In advance cases the removal of entire breast will only help the situation and it is termed as mastectomy. 2. Systemic therapy uses medication to treat the damaged cancer cells in the body. Immune therapy, chemotherapy and hormonal therapy are the types of systemic therapy. Chemotherapy are used before and after surgery.

Neo-adjuvant type of chemotherapy is given before surgery for reducing the size of the tumor. Adjuvant chemotherapy is suggested after surgery to reduce the recurrence. Chemotherapy has many side effect. The hormonal treatments include tamoxifen and Aromatase inhibitors are specially given to pre menopausal and postmenopausal women to decrease the level of estrogen in their body. 3. Radiation therapy involves high powered gamma rays or x-rays that precisely work on the target the area that needs treatment. These rays are effective in destroying the cancer cells and prevent recur from the place where the tumor was removed. The main purpose of this therapy is to prevent recur. Radiation therapy is done by linear Accelerator. Radiation therapy is usually done after surgery of breast cancer and an essential treatment for breast conserving therapy.

With all these therapies and self confidence anything and every problem can be chopped off.

Keith Londrie
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/breast-cancer-information-62787.html

Lung cancer is the result of malignant cells forming in the tissues of the lung, usually in the cells lining the air passages. The cells in our bodies are constantly dividing and reproducing. Usually, there’s an orderly pattern to this reproduction as cells develop and specialize to meet particular needs. Occasionally, however, a cell becomes damaged. There’s a mutation in its DNA, and rather than maturing and dying as is normal, it continues to reproduce unchecked. In essence, this is cancer – uncontrolled reproduction and growth of abnormal cells in the body.

Most lung cancers are believed to start in the epithelial lining of the lungs – the linings of the large and small airways that perform the task of extracting oxygen from the air. Because of this, lung cancer is sometimes called bronchogenic carcinoma – cancer arising from the bronchia. A smaller percentage of lung cancers begin in the pleura – the thin tissue sac that surrounds the lungs. These cancers are called mesothelioma. The most common form of mesothelioma is linked to asbestos exposure.

Cancer of the lungs is one of the deadliest forms of cancer. While it may take a period of years to develop, the cancer often goes undetected until late in the process. In addition, it tends to metastasize (migrate to other parts of the body) early, which leaves fewer opportunities to fight the mutated cells with surgery or radiation. Once the lung cancer does metastasize, it quickly spreads to the most vulnerable and important organs of the body, particularly the adrenal glands, the liver, the brain and the bones.

There are two primary forms of lung cancer – Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). Small Cell Lung Cancer is less common, though far more deadly. It’s directly linked to cigarette smoking – less than 1% of SCLC is diagnosed in non-smokers. It’s also extremely aggressive and fast-moving, metastasizing rapidly to other organs, and often undiscovered until it’s already widespread.

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, on the other hand, is far more common, accounting for nearly 80% of all diagnosed lung cancers. There are three main types of non-small cell lung cancer, generally characterized by the size, shape, and chemical composition of the cells that form the cancer:

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (also referred to as Epidermoid Carcinoma): accounts for around 25% – 30% of all lung cancers, and is associated with a history of smoking. This cancer is nearly always found in the central chest area, near the bronchus.

Adenocarcinoma (also referred to as Bronchioloalveolar Carcinoma): accounts for around 40% of all lung cancers, and is found in the external region of the lung. Treatment for this form of lung cancer often leads to a more successful outcome than that of other lung cancers.

Large-Cell Undifferentiated Carcinoma: accounting for only 10% – 15% of lung cancers, this form may show up in any area of the lung. It tends to spread quickly, and often results in a poor prognosis.

It’s also possible for lung cancer to be a combination of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer types.

There are other, less common types of lung cancer. For instance, bronchial carcinoids are small tumors often found in people under 40 years of age. They tend to grow slowly, and be amenable to treatment. Carcinoid tumors account for approximately 5% of lung tumors. Some are non-cancerous. The others are generally slow-growing and can be successfully treated with surgery.

Finally, some cancers discovered in the lungs aren’t lung cancers at all. Since the lungs are prone to metastatic cancers from other sites, it’s not uncommon for tumors from other primary cancers to find their way to the lungs. When this occurs, the tumors are often discovered in the peripheral tissues of the lungs rather than in the central tissues.

Please note that the information provided in this article is for information purposes only. It should not be used during a medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of lung cancer. Such situations should always involve the expertise of a physician or health care provider.

David Silva
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/understanding-the-viciousness-of-lung-cancer-79396.html

Every year, 250,000 Americans are diagnosed with a form of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma. What exactly is SCC?

Duration : 3 min 10 sec

Read the rest of this entry

Technorati Tags: skin cancer

This is the first book that discusses subjects of diagnosis, therapy, therapy assessment, and prognosis of breast cancer in one single volume.
Cancer killed 6.7 million people around the world in 2002 and this figure is expected to rise to 10.1 million in 2020. Approximately, 189,510 new cases of breast cancer were reported in 2007 in the United States, and 40,910 died in the same year.
Focusing on Breast Carcinoma, this first volume in the series Methods of Cancer Diagnosis, Therapy and Prognosis brings together 56 leading scientists from around the world to deliver a comprehensive treatise on all aspects of breast cancer, including diagnosis, treatments and prognosis. Scientists and clinicians have contributed state of the art chapters on their respective areas of expertise providing the reader a whole field view of breast cancer management.
This fully illustrated volume:
* Presents a constructive evaluation of commonly used methods for elucidating primary and secondary cancer initiation, progression, relapse, and metastasis.
* Highlights methods of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment assessment including various imaging modalities such as ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, immunohistochemistry and histochemistry.
* Discusses detailed therapeutic protocols, including both their benefits and side-effects.
* Discusses examples of breast cancer treatments includingchemotherapy, radiation, chemoradiation, surgery, hormonal – and immunotherapy
* Details the molecular processes that lead to the development and proliferation of cancer cells
* Includes recent major advances in cancer diagnosis and therapy assessment
Professor Hayat has summarized the problems associated with the complexities of research publications and has been successful in editinga must-read volume for oncologists, cancer researchers, medical teachers and students of cancer biology.

Read the rest of this entry

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of all cancers. Learn more about BCC.

Duration : 3 min 10 sec

Read the rest of this entry

Technorati Tags: skin cancer