Cancer | Medical health care information

Bowel cancer and relevant treatment

Definition of bowel cancer

Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK; around 35,000 people are diagnosed with it each year. It can occur at any age but is most common in people over the age of 60.

Bowel cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in the bowel. These abnormal cells grow and divide faster than normal cells. Bowel cancer usually develops from an existing growth on the inner lining of the bowel or rectum. These growths are called polyps. Many people have polyps, the majority of which are benign (not cancer). However as polyps are an early warning sign for bowel cancer, they need to be removed.

If left untreated, some polyps may become larger and the cells within the polyp may change to become malignant (cancer). When this happens the cancer often ulcerates and bleeds, or may cause a blockage of the bowel. Over time, the cancer is likely to spread through the bowel wall to the blood vessels and lymph nodes, and even to distant organs, especially the liver.

Bowel cancer diagram

Signs of bowel cancer?

Because early cancers often cause no symptoms, screening of symptom-free individuals is being considered. About 85 per cent of people with bowel cancer are currently not diagnosed until the cancer has penetrated through the bowel wall or spread to Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Bowel cancer, Cancer

New approaches to Polycythaemia (raised red cell count)

Definition of polycythaemia

One is recognized to have the disease of polycythaemia, also called erythrocytosis, if he or she has got many red blood cells.

Red cells are part of our body. Their functions: producing the majority of blood cells; carry the oxygen all through our body, so they are also called haemoglobin.

The red cells were produced to have a flexible shape, allowing them to go through freely even the smallest of the blood vessels.

The amount of red cells depends on sex and age. Usually babies Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Cancer, Erythrocytosis, Polycythaemia, Raised red cell count

Successful treatment Prostate cancer

Definition of prostate cancer

Prostate is a disease that strikes mostly the men of about 45 years old. It involves the prostate gland, which is a small gland about the size of a walnut, positioned just beneath the bladder, and is responsible for producing fluids that nourish and protect sperm.

Since the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder) passes through the centre of the prostate gland, any growth within the gland will cause pressure on the urethra, causing difficulties in passing urine.

The disease is the commonest male cancer in the UK. Around 32,000 men in this country are diagnosed each year. Sadly, approximately 10,000 British men die of prostate cancer every year, so it is a disease that needs to be taken very seriously. Because we do not routinely screen for prostate cancer in the UK, the disease is very often detected only when it has spread away from the prostate gland to other parts of the body.

Common signs of prostate cancer

Early prostate cancer usually causes no symptoms. Often it is diagnosed during the workup for an elevated PSA noticed during a routine checkup. Sometimes, however, prostate cancer does cause symptoms, often similar to those of diseases such as benign prostatic hypertrophy. These include frequent urination, increased urination at night, difficulty starting and maintaining a steady stream of urine, blood in the urine, and painful urination. Prostate cancer is associated with Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Cancer, prostate cancer

Chronic leukaemia or blood cancer

Definition of chronic leukaemia

As the name suggests, leukaemia means many white cells are produced in the blood.
In fact, the white cells play a part in our immune system, and they can be divided into various sorts according to their roles in recognizing and coping with foreign substance such as bacteria and viruses and other kinds of foreign protein as well.

All of the blood cells originate in the bone marrow and leukaemia (blood cancer) is a disease where the bone marrow produces large numbers of abnormal white cells. This means that the normal marrow is pushed into smaller and smaller areas. This results in fewer normal cells being produced and gives rise to some of the symptoms.

No one knows the exact cause the leukaemia.

Common symptoms of chronic leukaemia

It is possible to have chronic leukaemia for months or even years without knowing it.

The symptoms are varied, but many people notice:
• tiredness (due to anaemia)
• bruising easily (often without having had any blow or fall) Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Blood cancer, Cancer, Chronic leukaemia

Discovery of thrombocytopenia (reduced platelet count)

Definition of thrombocytopenia

Thrombocytopenia is also called reduced platelet count medically. Thrombocytopenia is such a situation that platelets are produced from the bone marrow slower than the speed they are lost.

Thrombocytopenia may be caused by
• a failure of platelet production
• an increased rate of removal from blood.

About platelets

Platelets are tiny cells that circulate in the blood and whose function is to take part in the clotting process.

Inside each platelet are many granules, containing compounds that enhance the ability of platelets to stick to each other and also to the surface of a damaged blood vessel wall.

The platelet count in the circulating blood is normally between Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Cancer, Reduced platelet count, Thrombocytopenia