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.

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 lymph nodes or elsewhere. Cure is nevertheless still possible. The earliest symptom is often bleeding from the back passage. Later changes include loss of the normal form of bowel motions sometimes followed by diarrhoea.

Constipation can also occur. If the growth starts to block the bowel then colicky lower abdominal pain (ie coming in waves each of which lasts for a few minutes) can develop. If the bowel becomes completely obstructed, severe abdominal pain and vomiting occurs, followed by complete constipation. This obstruction is a surgical emergency requiring immediate admission to hospital, since the bowel is at risk of becoming gangrenous if the obstruction is not relieved.

In the proximal colon, the lumen (the space inside) is larger (about 4 or 5cm in diameter) and less likely to become obstructed. Cancers of this part of the colon, including the caecum, tend to show themselves very subtly as iron-deficiency anaemia, due to loss of small amounts of blood over a long period of time. The anaemia can lead to symptoms of pallor, shortness of breath or simply tiredness.

Cancers of the rectum typically cause rectal bleeding, which can easily be mistaken for bleeding haemorrhoids (piles). Other symptoms include the feeling that you haven't fully emptied your bowel accompanied by a need to frequently empty the bowel. Loss of appetite and weight loss tend to be late features in bowel cancer.

Best treatment for owel cancer

The type of treatment you have will depend on whether or not the cancer has spread or is at risk of spreading. Although nearly all treatments have side effects, most can be effectively managed. Ask your doctor to explain what side effects to expect and how best to manage these.
Treatments for bowel cancer include:
•    Surgery
•    Chemotherapy
•    Radiation therapy

Surgery

Surgery is the usual treatment for bowel cancer. It involves removing the cancer as well as surrounding tissue to make sure no part of the cancer is left behind. Usually the bowel can be joined together again to restore normal function. If for some reason it cannot be rejoined, an artificial opening (colostomy) for faecal waste is made in the wall of the abdomen. A temporary colostomy can usually be reversed in a few weeks. Less than 5 per cent of people need a permanent colostomy.

Bowel surgery is a major operation with an average hospital stay of 5 to 10 days followed by a recovering period of 4 to 6 weeks. For very early bowel cancers there is usually no need for additional radiotherapy or chemotherapy. For those with larger tumours or whose cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, the best results are often achieved by combining surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer drugs to help destroy cancer cells that may have spread to other areas of your body, but cannot be detected. Chemotherapy after surgery can be an effective treatment to reduce the chance of the cancer coming back. It is usually injected into a vein in the arm. There are other ways of having chemotherapy including tablet form.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy uses x-rays to destroy cancer cells. It is used prior to surgery for cancer in the rectum to reduce the tumour size to make surgery easier. It is also used to decrease the chance of cancer returning at the site. Radiation therapy after surgery is less common nowadays and timing of treatment is different for each individual. Chemotherapy may be used in addition to radiation therapy.

Complementary therapies

Complementary therapies can work alongside medical treatments and some have been shown to improve quality of life or reduce pain. There is no evidence that these therapies can cure or prevent cancer. It is important to remember that some of these therapies have not been tested for side effects, may work against other medical treatments and may be expensive. Let your doctor know about all complementary therapies you are thinking of using.

Related posts

• No related posts.

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 have more red cells than adults and men have more than women.

Problems caused by polycythaemia

The main problem caused by polycythaemia is that the high number of red cells increases the blood's 'thickness' (viscosity). Blood flow to organs is reduced and, rarely, blood clots can form.

•    If there is no increase in red cells, but they are more concentrated, this is known as apparent erythrocytosis.
•    If there is an actual increase in red blood cells, you have absolute erythrocytosis

Symptoms of polycythaemia

There are many symptoms that can be a feature of increased blood thickness but these are often rather vague. They include:
•    a ruddy complexion
•    headache
•    blurred vision or patchy loss of vision
•    confusion
•    in extreme cases, stroke or coma.
The risk of clotting (thrombosis) increases if you have other risk factors for blood vessel disease such as previous clot, high blood pressure or diabetes.

Treatment involved for Polycythaemia

Generally, treatment is directed towards the underlying cause of the polycythaemia. If it's not possible to cure the underlying disease, your doctor will decide whether you need specific treatment to reduce your red cell count.
Polycythaemia is treated by removing blood (venesection) at varying intervals until a satisfactory level of haematocrit (blood thickness) is obtained.

In patients with heart disease or a history of fainting, fluid is returned at the same time so that the circulating blood volume remains relatively constant.

Don’t lose heart on hearing the cause of your diagnosed polycythaemia is unknown. You will have to continue controlling and monitoring carefully the disease. It may turn out to have a significant find in medicine which declares itself later, and requires treatment.

Related posts

• No related posts.

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 urinary dysfunction as the prostate gland surrounds the prostatic urethra. Changes within the gland therefore directly affect urinary function. Because the vas deferens deposits seminal fluid into the prostatic urethra, and secretions from the prostate gland itself are included in semen content, prostate cancer may also cause problems with sexual function and performance, such as difficulty achieving erection or painful ejaculation.

Advanced prostate cancer can spread to other parts of the body and this may cause additional symptoms. The most common symptom is bone pain, often in the vertebrae (bones of the spine), pelvis or ribs. Spread of cancer into other bones such as the femur is usually to the proximal part of the bone. Prostate cancer in the spine can also compress the spinal cord, causing leg weakness and urinary and fecal incontinence.

Best treatment for prostate cancer

If prostate cancer has been detected in the biopsy specimens, you now have several difficult choices to make with regard to treatment. The way the disease is treated depends on many factors, including your age and the size and grade of your cancer.

The biopsy specimen is often given a score between 1 and 10, known as a Gleason grade, with a score of two representing the least aggressive form of the disease and a score of 10 the most aggressive cancer.

Very often, the lower-grade cancers can be left alone and will not grow significantly or spread. However, higher-grade cancers (particularly those over a Gleason grade of seven or more) will often be treated with either surgery or radiotherapy.

Another important factor is whether the cancer is fully contained within the prostate gland or whether it has spread to other parts of the body.

Related posts

• What cause Prostate cancer ? (0)
• What is prostate cancer? How to prevent prostate cancer? (0)

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)
•    repeated infections
•    enlarged lymph glands
•    weight loss
•    night sweats
•    fever

Concept of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is one of four main types of leukemia. About 15,110 new cases of CLL will be diagnosed in 2008. About 90,179 people are living with CLL. More people are living with CLL than any other type of leukemia.  Most people with CLL are at least 50 years old.
CLL starts with a change to a single cell called a lymphocyte. Over time, the CLL cells multiply and replace normal lymphocytes in the marrow and lymph nodes. The high number of CLL cells in the marrow may crowd out normal blood-forming cells, and CLL cells are not able to  fight infection like normal lymphocytes do.

Signs of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

In addition to the symptoms mentioned above which are common to all forms of leukaemia, specific signs of the disease are:
•    painless enlargement of the lymph glands especially in the neck, armpits and groin.
•    lymph glands in deeper parts of the body may need special scans for diagnosis.
•    sometimes an enlarged spleen (located in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen) may cause discomfort or pain.

Approved treatments for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
Treatment is not always required and the patient may just be followed up as an outpatient on a regular basis, sometimes for many years, with no need for further action.

Older people with early stage CLL have a normal life expectancy. Treatment in the form of chemotherapy will be required for those who are unwell or who have many enlarged lymph glands, or who become significantly anaemic.

Chemotherapy is usually given in the form of tablets (usually a medicine called chlorambucil (Leukeran)). Other chemotherapy drugs such as fludarabine (Fludara) (may be used in late stage disease. General bone marrow production of blood cells can occur in more advanced CLL (bone marrow failure) in which steroid treatment with prednisolone (eg Deltacortril) usually allows the bone marrow to recover. Milder degrees of bone marrow failure might adequately be controlled by periodic blood transfusion.

X-ray treatment (radiotherapy) can be given locally, to swollen lymph nodes, or in small repeated doses to the whole body. Infections are more common in people with CLL and need to be diagnosed early and treated vigorously.

Sometimes the spleen, which is also part of the body’s immune system swells up so much in CLL that it gives rise to pain, or it causes a type of anaemia to develop in which the red cells of the blood (oxygen-carrying cells) become fragile, leading to further anaemia. These problems may justify the surgical removal of the spleen.

Bone marrow transplantation may be suitable for the patients with an age less than 45 and who have an aggressive form of the disease.

Related posts

• Treat acute leukaemia in advance (0)

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 150 and 400 million per millilitre of blood. Newborn babies have a slightly lower level, but are normally within the adult range by three months of age.

Many factors can influence an individual's platelet count including exercise and racial origin. The average life span of a platelet in the blood is 10 days.

Danger that thrombocytopenia brings with

The main effect of a reduced platelet count is an increased risk of bleeding, but this rarely occurs until there are less than 80-100 million platelets per ml.

There is not a close relationship between the number of platelets and the severity of bleeding, but there is an increasing risk of haemorrhage if platelet numbers fall or if platelet function is impaired (for example by aspirin, which reduces the 'stickiness' of the platelets).

There is a particularly high risk of spontaneous bleeding once the platelet count drops below 10 million per ml. The bleeding is usually seen on the skin in the form of tiny pin-prick haemorrhages (purpura), or bruises (ecchymoses) following minor trauma.

Bleeding from the nose and the gums is also quite common. More serious haemorrhage can occur at the back of the eye (retina), sometimes threatening sight.

The most serious complication, which is potentially fatal, is spontaneous bleeding inside the head (intracranial) or from the lining of the gut (gastrointestinal).

Suggested treatment for thrombocytopenia

Treatment of thrombocytopenia varies according to the cause. If thrombocytopenia is drug-induced, then removal of the offending agents should correct the condition.

Corticosteroids may be used to increase platelet production. Lithium carbonate or folate may also be used to stimulate the bone marrow production of platelets. Platelet transfusions may be used to stop episodic abnormal bleeding caused by a low platelet count. However, if platelet destruction results from an immune disorder, platelet infusions may have only a minimal effect and may be reserved for life-threatening bleeding.

Splenectomy may be necessary to correct thrombocytopenia caused by platelet destruction. A splenectomy should significantly reduce platelet destruction because the spleen acts as the primary site of platelet removal and antibody production.

Patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) may require high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin. Patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) will probably require large-volume plasmapheresis (plasma exchange).

Related posts

• No related posts.