Colon Cancer Stages

Colon cancer has five stages, and there are different treatment options for each level. The first stage, known as Stage 0, involves only the lining of the colon, which is also referred to as mucosa. At this stage, polyps, or benign tumors, can be removed when a colonoscopy takes place. Once they are removed, the chance of them recurring does not exist.

Stage I is present when the cancer spreads past the lining to the walls of the colon or rectum. The polyp that has not been treated becomes a tumor, and reaches the wall of the colon or rectum. Treatment options can include a surgical procedure to remove the cancerous part of the colon.

When the cancer reaches tissue that surrounds the colon, but does not reach the lymph nodes, there is a Stage II colon cancer present in the body. When cancer spreads from one part of the body to another like so, it is called metastasis. A resection surgery can be used for treatment at this stage. At this point, the five-year survival rate is dropped at a dramatic rate to 60 percent.

Next, there is Stage III colon cancer. This is when the cancer spreads to reach the lymph nodes, but not to other organs in the body. Treatment must be more aggressive than the earlier stages. This includes a surgical resection of the colon, chemotherapy and medical therapies.

When cancer spreads to other organs along with the lymph nodes, there is a Stage IV cancer of the colon. It can spread to the lungs and liver, among others. Treatment for this stage will include radiation, along with the other mentioned treatments. Recurrent cancer means the cancer comes back after treatment. Checkups are necessary to make sure the cancer does not come back, and to treat it early if it does.

Recognizing Early Colon Cancer Symptoms

Colon cancer occurs in the large intestine and it can be life threatening. More than 100,000 men and women are diagnosed with it in the United States each year. It is very important to be able to identify it early on for the best chance of a full recovery. During the early development of colon cancer the cells are benign in nature.

The longer they are in place the more likely they will become cancerous. For some individuals the cells become cancerous in a couple of months. For others, they may be settling in the colon for years before they are diagnosed or they start to give the person any symptoms to take notice of.

There are some symptoms of colon cancer that people should be well aware of. That way they can seek medical attention as soon as possible for the best treatment options. Many medical professionals like to include a screening at annual check ups as well because not everyone that is diagnosed with colon cancer has symptoms until it has significantly progressed.

One of the most common signs is that your bowels become different. You may become constipated for days, have diarrhea, or get sudden attacks of irritable bowel syndrome. Cramping in the abdominal region before and after you use the bathroom are also quite common. Sometimes developing gas that continues to occur on and off over a period of time can be associated with colon cancer as well.

Blood in the stools can be a sign of many medical problems, so you definitely want to get it looked at. It is also a sign of colon cancer so you don't want to ignore it. Some individuals simply assumed they had hemorrhoids or that there was a red color in their stools due to various supplements they take. Later they discovered they had colon cancer so always get it looked at as a precaution.

Feeling out of energy and ran down no matter how much you rest can be a symptom of colon cancer due to the cells that are developing in your body. Sudden weight loss without any changes in habits has also been reported. Others will end up feeling bloated so they assume they have gained weight. Their clothing will be very uncomfortable and even their feet may swell up and not fit well into their shoes.

A loss of appetite as well as changes in sleep patterns can also be recognized in some patients. They are often associated with the onset of other types of symptoms though that are painful and keep them awake. Becoming more susceptible to common ailments such as the cold or the flu may occur as well. This is because the immune system has been weakened due to the development of the colon cancer cells.

You may notice that simple activities are now almost impossible to complete. Walking around the grocery store may leave you light headed and out of breath. The loss of energy and the lightheadedness are generally the result of anemia. As the cancer cells continue to grow in the colon, they can absorb a large amount of the iron you consume. So you may be thinking your intake of it is high enough but your body is still being deprived of it.

Research indicates that the right colon has more room in it. This means that the cancer cells can grow larger before you start to develop any symptoms of the problem. When the cancer cells are in the left colon though there isn't as much free space. This means that a person will generally feel the pressure sooner and have more severe symptoms associated with the colon cancer.

If you have any of the signs of colon cancer make sure you discuss them with your doctor. The severity and longevity of them will depend on how rapidly the cancer is spreading. It will also depend on where in the colon the cancer is. When it is close to the rectum the symptoms seem to be more intense.

Blood Cancer - Causes and Treatment

Blood is a part of the body. Blood has different components sch as red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma. The red blood cells (RBC), platelets also called monocytes because it is belong to the "myeloid" group and other white blood cells belong to the "lymphoid" group. Lymphoid cells are affected. Disease progresses quickly. This is most common among children. Blood cancer or Leukemia is actually a group of diseases, each of which impede with the normal functioning of blood cells and progressively weaken the system. Leukemia is classified as either Acute or Chronic. Blood and urine samples may also be tested for various substances, called tumor markers, which may indicate cancer.

Causes

A weakened immune system - this may be a result of drugs that suppress the immune system (such as those used for organ transplants), high doses of radiation (such as in radiotherapy for another cancer), or diseases that affect the immune system (such as HIV).

Contact with a chemical called benzene, one of the chemicals in petrol and a solvent used in the rubber and plastics industry.

Genetic disorders like Fanconi anemia, Schwachman-Diamond syndrome and Down syndrome.

Treatment

In radio immunotherapy, an immunotoxin--a hybrid molecule formed by coupling an antibody molecule to a toxin--is injected into the patient. The antibody locks onto a signature protein the cancerous cells express and delivers the toxic dose to the cancer cells. Because the treatment is precision-guided, adverse effects to the rest of the body are minimized. Preliminary results with the new drug are extremely promising--completely eradicating the human cancer cells grafted to mice.

Your doctor may prescribe medications, sometimes called "growth factors," that encourage your body to produce more blood cells. Medications are also used to prevent low blood cell counts in people who have a high probability of experiencing complications of cancer treatment. Medications have benefits and risks, so talk to your doctor about the possible side effects of drugs used to boost blood cell counts.

Most people feel confused and overwhelmed when they are told they have leukaemia. It's a very distressing time both for them and their families. An important part of cancer treatment is learning how to talk about how you are feeling, and getting support with the physical and emotional symptoms you are experiencing.

For more advanced cancer, you can receive extra support, known as palliative care. Doctors and nurses based in hospitals, hospices and pain clinics specialize in providing the support you need, and can also visit you at home.

Many everyday activities put you at risk of cuts and scrapes. A low platelet count makes even minor abrasions serious. A low white blood cell count can turn a small cut into a starting point for a serious infection. Use an electric shaver rather than a razor to avoid nicks. Ask someone else to cut up food in the kitchen. Be gentle when brushing your teeth and blowing your nose.

Biological therapy uses special immune system cells and proteins to stimulate the body's immune system to kill cancer cells. Biological agents such as interferons, interleukins, monoclonal antibodies, tumor necrosis factors and colony-stimulating factors are natural substances found in the body that help alter the way the immune system reacts to cancer. Researchers are now able to create reproductions of some of these biological agents in laboratories, imitating the natural immune agents. These agents are used to augment the anti-tumor immune response of the patient.

Prevent Leukemia Lymphoma Cancer

The leukemia lymphoma cancer at times also called as only leukemia can be categorized as disease that involves an unusual exercise and the massive build up in the number of the white blood cells in the blood or the bone marrow. It is mainly assorted in the critical or the chronic category.

Some of the most popular initial symptoms include extensive damage to the bone marrow that is owed to the upsurge of the white blood cells which precipitates into a privation of platelets, meaning that the patients of leukemia bruise very easy and bleed immoderately. Further the patients' immune system becomes feeble and the continuing deficiency of the red blood cells eventually lead to anemia. Inflated gums and tonsils, severe headaches, a magnified liver and spleen make up the other symptoms.

Despite the lack of a primary authentic cause for this disease; still the main reasons that are believed to attribute overall are viral infections, hereditary factors and several types of chemicals and radiations. Physical mutations and anemia are also the dominant contributors. Different causes need to be investigated for the discovery of prevention methods of this disease. On visibility they should be dealt with immediately in accordance with the nature of the cancer. Blood tests and white blood cells count are taken for the diagnosis.

The decision for treatment following diagnosis is made in accordance with the symptoms of the individual patients. Common treatments include induction chemotherapy, bone marrow transplants and several other maintenance treatments that aim at curing the patients.

Other than that several ongoing researches regarding the criteria, causes, diagnosis and treatments are being carried out presently. The concentration of these studies is aimed at methods for both treatment and the improvement of life.

Abnormal Ovarian Cysts - Types, Causes and Treatments

Abnormal ovarian cysts are very different from functional cysts since they have resulted from abnormal cell growth. However, that need not mean that they are all cancerous as most of them are simple benign growths. And none knows for sure what has caused them to grow. However, abnormal ovarian cysts that include cystadenoma cyst, dermoid cyst, endometrioma cyst or Chocolate cyst and 'polycystic ovarian cyst' are believed to occur due to imbalance of 'female hormones (estrogen and progesterone) and a multitude of other direct and indirect reasons. In many women, these cysts have remained all through their lives without the host being aware of their presence. But in some rare cases, they may burst, needing immediate surgical interference.

Cystadenoma cysts

These abnormal ovarian cysts develop from cells on the outer surface of the ovaries and can grow to a very large size. Mucinous Cystadenoma cysts take the form of biggest tumours in women often weighing approximately 328 lb or around 149 kg, These cysts reportedly occur at an early age and the cyst turned tumour happens to be unilateral and are often found attached to the ovary by a stem. As there is a rare chance of these cysts or tumours turning malignant, they may be classified historically and treated accordingly. Falling under the category of asymptomatic cysts, they may be found in the form of large abdominal mass during a routine check up of a person complaining abdominal pain and associated distressing condition.

Dermoid cyst or teratomas

As a fairly bizarre phenomenon, Dermoid cysts, clinically termed as 'cystic teratoma' are classed more as tumours than cysts. In fact, they are solid structures filled with pieces of bone, hair, teeth and skin, as well as hair follicles, pockets of blood, sebum and in some cases 'thyroid tissue'. Though they are normally benign, the rarely occurring malignant dermoid cyst usually develops as 'squamous cell carcinoma' in adults. Incidentally, a Pilonidal cyst often resembles dermoid cyst in several ways, the most significant resemblance concern the presence of Germ Cell Tumour. In case of any evasive surgery care must be taken so that there is no spillage while the opinion of an oncologist will be helpful.

Periorbital Dermoid Cysts

Even the kids are not spared of Dermoid cysts - often kids get them close to the eyebrow's lateral aspect and they feel like rubber. When the cysts are seen, medical practitioners sometimes keep them under observation and at other times they are surgically removed. However when they are meddled with, the cysts may lead to an inflammation. And even after treatment, the cyst may make a comeback, particularly if the entire growth has not been removed. But the problem is, the complete cyst can often be difficult to remove with surgery, particularly when it is a 'Dumbbell Configuration', in which, it needs to be cut along the suture line of the skull.

Endometrial cysts or Chocolate cysts

Endometriosis is a medical terminology that indicates a condition when the endometrium or the lining of the womb begins to grow in parts of the body other than the womb. These endometrial patches also forms on the ovaries, creating cysts popularly known as Chocolate cysts as they are invariably filled with chocolate coloured pre-stored blood. During the menstrual period every month, these endometrial patches of tissues that have been encapsulated in cyst will also bleed, but since there is no outlet for bleeding, the cyst go on getting larger in size and eventually may burst.

Polycystic ovarian cyst

Cysts forming from small egg follicles causing ovaries to get thickened and enlarged, often accompanied by hormonal imbalance in women are known as polycystic ovarian cyst that grow in numbers.

Holistic approach as plausible cure

Since OTC medications and prescription drugs can hardly solve the problem of abnormal ovarian cysts in your body and surgical removal of the cyst involves many factors that may not prove beneficial, a holistic approach towards a plausible cure seems to be the best answer. You need also to remember that the surgical removal of a cyst is not foolproof since a recurrence can never be ruled out.

The holistic approach to the cure is more practical too as the cyst formation involves a multitude of factors starting from hormonal imbalance to psychological trauma. Besides, the holistic approach will add newer dimension towards the treatment that includes change of food habits, change of lifestyle and appropriate physical exercise, topics hitherto unheard of as right line of treatment for abnormal ovarian cysts.

Ovarian cysts can happen from many contributing factors. And since holistic medicines treat the body as a whole, they are often more effective.

Mary Parker is a medical researcher, certified nutritionist, health consultant and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, "Ovarian Cysts No More- The Secrets Of Curing Ovarian Cysts Holistically". Mary has written dozens of holistic health articles and has been featured in ezines and print magazines, as well as on hundreds of websites worldwide.