Nation Health

Lung cancer

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:00:02 +0000

The uncontrollable growth of lung tissue cells leads to tumors and consequent lung cancer. It is the leading cause of cancer death in men and women between the ages 45 and 70 and exists as two kinds. Primary lung cancer starts in the lungs and secondary lung cancer that starts somewhere else in the body and spreads to the lungs.
Most lung cancer cases are carcinomas or malignant cancer that stems from epithelial cells. Lung carcinoma exist in two types, which are categorized by the size and appearance of malignant cells.
1. Non-small cell lung carcinoma which is once again divided into squamous lung carcinoma, large cell lung carcinoma and adenocarcinoma.
2. Small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) or oat cell carcinoma that consists of anaplastic small cells, and is divided into limited stage and extensive stage disease.
Causes
The main cause for lung cancer is cigarette smoking. However even inhaling of secondhand smoke can lead to lung cancer. Other causes are exposure to occupational chemicals, asbestos and radon, and heredity.
Symptoms
The main symptom of lung cancer are cough, difficulty in swallowing and shortness of breath. In some cases, there may also be emission of blood or bloody mucus while coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, deep breathing or swelling in neck or face. Other symptoms of lung cancer are loss of weight and appetite, recurring respiratory infections, wheezing and difficulty swallowing.
Treatment
Through a positron emission tornography, it is determined if the cancer is localized, and can be treated with surgery. Surgery may be removal of part of a lobe, one lobe, two lobes or the whole lung.
Chemotherapy involves using medicine to kill cancer cells, and is best for treating small cell lung cancer and for controlling the growth and spread of lung cancer.
Radiation therapy is used for treating both non-small cell and small cell lung cancer, for treating patients who don’t want surgery, or in cases where cancer has spread to surrounding organs. While radiation generally shrinks cancer, with chemotherapy, chances of survival from lung cancer is improved.
Latest development
A team of researchers from Stanford and John Hopkins universities have recently investigated the chances of not only shrinking existing cancer tumors, but in stopping the tumor from coming back. Their study shows that the regrowth of SCLC cells can be blocked by a drug that targets growth signals and controls organ development and repair.
With this discovery, they hope to find new SCLC treatment options, increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy and reduce the chance of a cancer relapse.

Live Healthy To Combat Cancer Say Specialists across the Globe

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:50:53 +0000

If you have a healthier diet and a normal enriched lifestyle you wouldn’t have to worry about contracting cancer, say doctors. The WCRF stated that every year around two million cases could be prevented if people learnt to live healthier than what they do now. The team also called on governments of all nations to encourage their citizens on choosing healthier options in life and to have a fit and fine lifestyle that would help them stay far away from the grips of cancer.
In the recent past the number of cancer cases has increased in leaps and bounds and now we have around more than twelve million cases every year. This would be with other cases of chronic ailments as well, such as lung disease, heart and even diabetes to name a few. These are new age challenges which this world is now facing, as told by WCRF.
A recent report which was released by WCRF clearly stated that politicians across the globe need to proclaim the importance of having a healthy lifestyle to their citizens in order to combat the ever growing menace of cancer cases across the world. This would not only be for cancer but for other lifestyle ailments that come along as well, say doctors.
When the heads of the nation get together and educate masses around the globe on cancer and allow the awareness to spread, it would be very helpful on a long term basis, say reports. They should initiate the importance of doing away with excessive smoking and discouraging it altogether. Even the use of too much alcohol, bad diets, and lack of exercises can be contributing factors towards attaining cancer, say experts.
However, in most developing nations this just remains a dream, since taking such action and measures would mean implying high taxes on such commodities, regulating the sale of such products and bringing a stop to advertising such products as well in the market. This would mean, if politicians have to take a stand against tobacco and liquor, they would have to come into conflict with those who manufacture them, which they aren’t ready to do, says a source.
The stakes are very high at the moment, since governments are hardly doing anything to make people aware of the ill effects of having bad diets, smoking too much or drinking a lot as well. Most don’t even know that obesity and consuming too much of alcohol can actually increase the risks of contracting cancer, say specialists. Right from advertising to pricing of goods and commodities, there are various reasons why people choose for cheaper options in life to sustain on, which may or may not be healthy for them in the long run, says a source.
The real issue may not crop up now and make the healthcare officials check for the same in time. It may happen at a later stage when the cases of cancer triples or goes out of hand and the resources for cure would be less or still not found, say doctors.

FDA has some news on tobacco uses and risks

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:49:08 +0000

The NIH together with the USFDA today announced that it would conduct a large scale joint study. This would be pertaining to the use of tobacco and to also monitor and keep in check what behaviors are exhibited and how it would impact the health of many around, especially when stricter regulations on tobacco use has been put across by the government these days.
Sources say that the initiative taken by the two giants to safeguard public health and interest is now known as “Tobacco Control Act National Longitudinal Study of Tobacco Users”. This is a one of its kind study initiative being processed on a very large scale by both the NIH and the FDA. Experts with NIH are told to coordinate heart and soul on the study being conducted with the USFDA, so that the results could be more accurate and sooner released to the public as well, says a source.
This is a study as many research scientists say would be a boon in overcoming and disarming one of the biggest worries of the twenty first century, smoking. By conducting such research, the FDA would now be able to understand the causes of tobacco related issues and deaths caused by tobacco as well. The study would also show the path on how one could effectively bring down the use of tobacco amongst the masses and provide additional security for the upcoming generation and the present one as well, says a source with NIH and FDA.
More than half a million cases have been studied on the use of tobacco and its products by the FDA and the NIH respectively. The age groups monitored were those above the age of 12 and more says a source. An examination was made to understand why people are susceptible to the use of tobacco and the examination would try and understand the health issues and the behavioral patterns emerging from the same, says a source. This would also take into account the cessation and even the relapses that people undergo with tobacco regulations doled out by government agencies across the nation.
The FDA and the NIH together would also want to understand what kind of changes would come on to those who are ardent users of tobacco and the products involved, says a source with USFDA and NIH. They even want to study the attitudinal issues and the health issues across large ethnic groups, ages, and genders as well, say the officials with the project.
Sources say, since the advent of government regulation on tobacco use, the rate of smokers in numbers have dropped since the 60’s. it was estimated that more than sixty five million between the age of twelve and above during those days smoked and used tobacco products as compared to what we have today, in 2011, says a source. There is nothing to be overjoyed about, since even today tobacco related deaths are a big burden on the government and healthcare centers, it is said that most death related cases are of tobacco and the diseases it brings to mankind at large.

More Carcinogens To Worry About

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:43:46 +0000

The 12th Report on Carcinogens released by US Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) on 10 June 2011 reveals 8 more carcinogenic substances to worry about.

Two Are Already Known

Two of these are already known, i.e. Aristolochic acids that are found in herbal products for treatment of arthritis, inflammation and gout. There was a warning about this compound in 2001 by the FDA, but herbal products continued to be sold and bought over the Internet.

Aristolochic acids have been found to cause high rates of upper urinary and bladder cancer. They are found in herbal products, because these are compounds normally found in certain plant species used for medicinal purposes.

The second known carcinogen is formaldehyde. This was listed in the 2nd Report on Carcinogens of USDHHS. Exposure to this compound is known to cause rare cancers such as cancer of upper part throat, sino-nasal and white blood cancer. This compound is used in mortuaries, laboratories and even some hair products.

6 More Added

The 6 carcinogens added in the 12th report are:

1. Captafol – this is a fungicide used normally for treating fungal diseases on vegetables, fruits, grass, and ornamental plants. Banned in the USA 1999, it continues to affect health.

2. Cobalt-Tungsten carbide – whether in powder of metal form this compound is known to cause lung cancer. This is normally used while making grinding tools or water-resistant products, as well as gas drilling/ mining equipment.

3. Glass wool – the glass wool that are bio-persistent and capable of entering the respiratory track are known to cause lung cancer.

4. o-Nitrotoluene - this is a compound used in dyes for cotton, paper, silk and leather. It is also used in manufacturing ammunition, rubber chemicals, petrochemicals, and agricultural chemicals among others.

5. Riddelliine – this is a compound often found in herbal tea, foods and even honey that have used Senecio plants’ extracts. This compound is known to cause cancer of blood.

6. Styrene – this is a compound used in the manufacturing process of plastic, pipes, rubber, insulation, automobile parts, food containers, among others. However, the highest exposure to this compound is through cigarette smoking.

The list of these 8 carcinogens was prepared by National Institute of Environmental Health Science under the National Toxicology Program , which was established for this purpose in 1978. Director of NTP Office of the Report on Carcinogens, Dr Ruth Lunn said, “The strength of this report lies in the rigorous scientific review process”.

Erectile dysfunction and priapism

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:40:03 +0000

Priapism (name taken from a Greek word which represent a god with abnormally long and permanent erectile), Priapism is a type of medications which is used for penis to reach erection but it is considered harmful and painful beside it’s major problem which is that penis can’t get back to its original flaccid state despite the absence of stimulating factors for four hours period.

Types of Priapism

Low flow: in this type usually blood can’t return properly from the organ(penis) to the body.
High flow: in this type the vascular blood system circuit is short partway along the organ.

The treatment differs between these two types, but both are considered emergent situations that needs to be medically treated, and is recommended to be treated as fast as possible to have effective recovery and no further complications.

Reasons and causes for the problem
Causes hasn’t been understand well, but they usually related to factors concerning nerve and vascular system, it is stated that Priapism is a death leading medicine beside all the haematological complications and side effects it can cause such as sickle-cell disease, other disease as leukemia, thalassemia and Fabry’s disease, and neurologic disorders such as spinal cord lesions and spinal cord traumm also some new research says that priapism can raise the level of the biochemical adenosine that lead to the condition, since it make the blood vessels expand and let the blood flow into the penis.

Priapism can be found in advanced cases of rabies.
Also can be caused as a reaction to certain medicine, commonly are intra-cavernous injections for treatment of erectile dysfunction (papaverine, alprostadil).
Priapism is stated to happen as a result of bites from spider such as Brazilian wandering spider and black widow spider.

Complications of priapism

Priapism can cause a type of ischemia which may also in some cases evolve to gangrene that will usually require penis imputation.
Also can lead to the blood vessels of the penis to be damaged and cause deterioration to the penis or can result impotence.

Treatments for priapism
Medical intervention should be done in cases of erection for more than 4 hours and if the patient has sickle cell the first step of tretment in that case is to make blood exchange transfusion not deal with it surgically, in case of regular patient oral pseudoephedrine may be beneficial .