...ABSTRACT The desperate need for radiotherapy in low and mid-income countries (LMICs) has been well documented. Roughly 60 % of the worldwide incidence of cancer occurs in these regions. 1 However, the focus of several reports has been on how dire the situation is and the magnitude of the problem, leaving most to feel overwhelmed and unsure as to how to help and why to get involved. Knowledge about the causes of cancer, and interventions to prevent and manage the disease is extensive. The struggles that cancer patients and hospitals incur in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) have become a global crisis. Many cancer patients requiring radiotherapy in low and middle income countries lack access to treatment. Despite the obviousness of...
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...5.0 Treatment and prevention of breast cancer 5.1 Prevention is better than cure: 5.1.1 Breastfeeding There are plenty of ways that might help to prevent breast cancer. Firstly, breastfeeding has played a very important part in breast cancer prevention, which is the longer the period of breastfeeding, the higher the protection of the mother and child (Mayoclinic.org, 2015). According to Komen, (2010), breastfeeding for one year might slightly reduce the chances to get breast cancer than those who never breastfed, however, mothers who breastfed for a duration of two years will have a result of twice the benefit of those who breastfed for one year. Besides, a research done by National Cancer Institute (NCI), (n.d.) shows that women who breastfeed have a lower risk to cause breast cancer, which is an overall decreased by 35% risk of breast cancer. Moreover, 5,000 cases of breast cancer can be avoided, if the new mums followed of the recommended instruction that pursue them to breastfeed their children for at least one year (Rochman, 2012). 5.1.2 Consistent medical checkup and keep weight in check Furthermore, a second way to prevent breast cancer is keeping weight in check and consistent medical checkup. According to Mayoclinic.org, (2015), states that overweight or obese women have higher risks to get breast cancer or recurrence than those have a healthy weight. A research prepared by Cancerresearchuk.org, (2012) mentioned that women who have a regular exercise about half...
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...Is Ipilimumab the best solution for the treatment of malignant melanoma? Chloe Walton Malignant melanoma although rare is a form of cancer that without treatment progresses at an extremely fast rate. The development of drugs to try to halt the rapid rate at which malignant melanoma can grow and infect another organ of the body is an on going project by specialists. Dr Alison developed Ipilimumab in 1999 and it was found in the clinical trials that it does, in most cases, exactly what medical professionals have been looking for. However drugs such as ipilimumab come with risks associated with them. This poses the question of whether the benefits outweigh the risks and cost of the drug. Skin and how malignant melanoma develops Skin is the largest organ in our body, responsible for creating a barrier between the outside and our internal organs. The skin is made up of three layers. The first layer is the epidermis, which is made up of mainly keratinocytes; they make micro-layers, which continually grow outwards to compensate for old layers dying and flaking off. Within the epidermis Langerhans cells are contained which alert the immune system to virus’ and bacterium. The next layer is the dermis, which gives the skin its strength due to the elastin and collagen fibres. Also present in the dermis are; blood vessels which allows the skins temperature to be maintained, and nerves which pick up feelings of heat, pain etc. and relay to the brain. The final layer is the...
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...Oral Oncology 50 (2014) 577–586 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Oral Oncology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/oraloncology Review ACR Appropriateness CriteriaÒ thyroid carcinoma Joseph K. Salama a,⇑, Daniel W. Golden b, Sue S. Yom c, Madhur Kumar Garg d, Joshua Lawson e, Mark W. McDonald f, Harry Quon g, John A. Ridge h, Nabil Saba i, Richard V. Smith j, Francis Worden k, Anamaria Reyna Yeung l, Jonathan J. Beitler m a Duke University, Durham, NC, United States University of Chicago Hospital, Chicago, IL, United States University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States d Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, United States e Lexington Medical Center, West Columbia, SC, United States f Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States g Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States h American College of Surgeons, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, United States i American Society of Clinical Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States j American College of Surgeons, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, United States k American Society of Clinical Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States l University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States m Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States b c a r t i c l e i n f o s u m m a r y The ACR Head and Neck Cancer Appropriateness Criteria Committee reviewed relevant medical...
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...In some cases, radiotherapy is not required. Types of radiation therapy include: Breast Radiation Therapy After the lumpectomy, radiation is given to the remaining breast tissue The chest wall radiation therapy This therapy is applied after mastectomy Boosting Breast High-dose radiation therapy is applied to a tumor that has been removed surgically. Breast appearance may change, especially if the patient's breasts are large. Radiation therapy Lymph Radiation directed at the axilla (armpit) and the surrounding area to destroy cancer cells that have reached the lymph nodes. Breast Brachytherapy Scientists at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center showed that patients with early stage breast cancer in the milk ducts that has not spread, it seems to benefit after undergoing breast brachytherapy with a strut-based applicator. This 5-day treatment given to patients after they underwent a lumpectomy. The researchers found that women who received a strut-based breast brachytherapy had a lower recurrence rate, as well as the side effects are fewer and less severe. Side effects from radiation therapy may include fatigue, lymphedema...
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...Introduction For about 30 years, researchers developed prognostic scores and searched for prognostic factors to predict outcomes for cancer patients. Each scoring system may help with treatment decision making and includes different tumor and patient parameters. Combs et al. [1] published the first prognostic score for re-irradiation in recurrent glioma including patient age, histology and the time between first and second radiotherapy (RT) as key factors. One of the main difficulties in establishing and validating a score is the fact of patient heterogeneity, such as various histologies, time intervals between primary and secondary RT, different target volume concepts, and different time points during the course of the disease. To validate the “Combs Prognostic Score” efficacy we recently analysed the significance using a different, independent and relatively homogeneous patient cohort [2]. Results showed that the “Combs...
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...Topic: Benefits of Proton Therapy Outline Format: Topical Benefits of Proton Therapy in Cancer Patients Cancer remains the second most common cause of death in the US, accounting for nearly one of every four deaths. About 13 million Americans have cancer and more than 1 million are diagnosed every year. Although there are different treatments available that kills cancer, proton therapy provides a better quality of life during and after cancer treatment than others. Today I am here to inform you on the benefits of proton therapy in cancer patients. Proton therapy is a type of radiation treatment that uses a focused, high-energy proton beam to kill cancer cells with precision and accuracy. This way the surrounding healthy tissues are not damaged and the patient lives life to the fullest while recovering faster and having minimal to zero side effects. Proton therapy will play a crucial role in the future of cancer treatment. It is the most advanced cancer radiation treatment available till date. In a December 2008 article written by Glennda Chui published in symmetrymagazine.org, Chui quotes Dr. James Slater, in charge of radiation medicine at Loma Linda (home to the U.S.’s first hospital-based proton therapy cancer treatment center), that, “working with protons, that this was really the way to go—that X-rays had been brought to their limits and we needed a new particle.” Today I will discuss three benefits of proton therapy in cancer patients; treatment of harder to reach tumor...
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...CNS (Central Nervous System) Cancer I. Anatomy The central nervous system (CNS) is made up by the brain and spinal cord. This complex system controls both things that we intentionally think about and do, like walking and talking, and essential body functions that occur without specific thought on our part, such as breathing and digesting food. The CNS is also involved with the five senses of seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling, as well as emotions, thoughts, and memory. The brain is a soft, spongy organ that is made up of nerve cells and tissue. It is divided into three major sections: the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brainstem. The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain, and is divided into two halves, called the right and left hemispheres. The right hemisphere controls the left side of the body and the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body. Each hemisphere is further divided into sections called lobes. There are four lobes in each hemisphere: the frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal, and each lobe is responsible for certain functions. A brain tumor is a mass of abnormal cells that is growing in or around the brain. It develops when abnormal cells multiply for unknown reasons. Benign and malignant are terms used to describe brain tumors. Benign brain tumors are usually slow growing and have distinct borders and a normal appearance under a microscope. Malignant tumors are considered brain cancer. They tend to invade healthy...
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...pains.[1] The most common cause is long-term exposure to tobacco smoke,[2] which causes 80–90% of lung cancers.[1] Nonsmokers account for 10–15% of lung cancer cases,[3] and these cases are often attributed to a combination of genetic factors,[4] and exposure to; radon gas,[4] asbestos,[5] and air pollution[4] including second-hand smoke.[6][7] Lung cancer may be seen on chest radiographs and computed tomography (CT) scans. The diagnosis is confirmed by biopsy[8] which is usually performed by bronchoscopy or CT-guidance. Treatment and long-term outcomes depend on the type of cancer, the stage (degree of spread), and the person's overall health, measured by performance status. Common treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. NSCLC is sometimes treated with surgery, whereas SCLC usually responds better to chemotherapy and...
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...Cindy Le A&P 211 June 9, 2014 Case Study #3 1. In the NoPain drug trials, phase I clinical trials did not have a placebo group because different phases are testing different aspects of the drugs. Phase I was meant to first screen the drug safety for human subjects. In phase II, the research was meant to see who would benefit from taking the drug, the benefits realized, and best administrative routes of the drug. 2. MedPharm could not reduce their test group to only 50 volunteers during phase II and phase III because they need a larger group to be able to distinguish factors such what kinds of people would benefit from the drug or test the different age groups. By having a large sample group, this will allow for higher degree of statistical confidence is the drug’s ability to work in a wide range of cancer patients. 3. The NoPain medication should be classified as a palliative treatment because it is aimed at alleviating pain in cancer patients. 4. Based on reading this article, I would tell Mae that the pill that she takes to control her blood pressure and diabetes is expensive because it has gone through a long and expensive process to make sure that the drug she is taking is safe and effective. I would tell her about the years dedicated to research as well as the millions/billions of dollars spent on paying volunteers, chemist, doctors and researchers to ensure the safety of the pill she is taking today. 5. To sterilize my cotton swabs I would use an autoclave...
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...What Is Cervical Cancer? What Causes Cervical Cancer? Cervical cancer, or cancer of the cervix, is cancer of the entrance to the uterus (womb). The cervix is the narrow part of the lower uterus, often referred to as the neck of the womb. Cervical cancer occurs most commonly in women over the age of 30. The American Cancer Society estimates that 11,270 diagnoses of cervical cancer will be made by the end of 2009 in the USA. Over 4,000 women in the USA die from cervical cancer each year. The National Health Service (NHS), UK, says that over 3,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year in the UK. Cervical cancer caused 941 deaths in the UK in 2007. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) at least 200,000 women worldwide die of cervical cancer each year. WHO adds that if the HPV vaccine is administered globally, hundreds of thousands of lives each year could eventually be saved. Cancer research UK reported that the rate of women diagnosed with the cervical cancer in the UK has halved from 16 per 100,000 in 1988 to 8 per 100,000 according to the latest figures - the NHS (National Health Service) Cervical Screening Programme began in 1988. What is the cervix? The cervix, or the neck of the womb, and the womb are both parts of a female reproductive system. The female reproductive system consists of: Vagina Womb (uterus), which includes the cervix Ovaries Women have two ovaries, one on either side of the lower abdomen (pelvis). Each month...
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...metastasis is the lung, however other sites have been described such as brain, bone, liver, and regional lymph nodes.(1, 6, 13) A contiguous neck dissection should be performed for both diagnostic staging and therapeutic purpose. Pre-operative testing such as MRI and 18F-α-methyl tyro¬sine positron emission tomography may assist in differentiating benign from malignant regions and thus avoid excess resection, functional loss and poor facial cosmetic outcome. Non-operative treatment such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy need to be considered in cases of locally advanced or metastatic disease deemed not suitable for surgical resection. There may be a particular role for pre-operative radiotherapy in decreasing the tumour size and possibly treating some rapidly growing tumours before a radical resection. There is a potential benefit for adjuvant radiotherapy for close/positive margins or in tumours with nodal metastases; however, there is limited evidence to support radio sensitivity. Radiotherapy...
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...this holistic approach to healing is found useful for the treatment of many conditions, such as asthma, migraine, insomnia and stress. Reflexology, acupuncture, massage and reiki are some popular examples of holistic complementary therapies. Complementary therapies fall into four main types of therapy; 1. Hands on, body manipulation therapies like acupuncture. 2. Energy based therapies like reiki There are many different complementary therapies which can be used to treat an individual who has to undergo a lot of different orthodox treatments. For example, people who may suffer from lung cancer would have to undergo different treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, people who have stroke would have to have different orthodox treatments with different complementary therapies which would benefit them....
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...Table of Figures Table 1. Cancer-related deaths from 1990-1998 7 Figure 1. Rate* of prostate cancer deaths, 1990-1998 8 Figure 2. Rate* of female breast cancer deaths, 1990-1998. 9 The most consistent finding, over decades of research, is the strong association between tobacco use and cancers of many sites. Hundreds of epidemiologic studies have confirmed this association. Further support comes from the fact that lung cancer death rates in the United States have mirrored smoking patterns, with increases in smoking followed by dramatic increases in lung cancer death rates and, more recently, decreases in smoking followed by decreases in lung cancer death rates in men. Additional examples of modifiable cancer risk factors include alcohol consumption (associated with increased risk of oral, esophageal, breast, and other cancers), physical inactivity (associated with increased risk of colon, breast, and possibly other cancers), and obesity (associated with colon, breast, endometrial, and possibly other cancers). Observational evidence shows associations between amount of alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, and obesity and increased incidence of certain cancers. More research is needed to determine whether these associations are causal and thus whether avoiding these behaviors would actually reduce cancer incidence. Other lifestyle and environmental factors known to affect cancer risk (either beneficially or detrimentally) include certain sexual and reproductive...
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...Cancer Control Knowledge into Action WHO Guide for Effective Programmes Diagnosis and Treatment Cancer Control Knowledge into Action WHO Guide for Effective Programmes Diagnosis and Treatment WHO Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Diagnosis and Treatment. (Cancer control : knowledge into action : WHO guide for effective programmes ; module 4.) 1. Neoplasms – diagnosis. 2. Neoplasms – therapy. 3. Early detection. 4. National health programs. 5. Guidelines. I.World Health Organization. II.Series. ISBN 978 92 4 154740 6 (NLM classification: QZ 241) © World Health Organization 2008 All rights reserved. Publications of the World Health Organization can be obtained from WHO Press, World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland (tel.: +41 22 791 3264; fax: +41 22 791 4857; e-mail: bookorders@who.int). Requests for permission to reproduce or translate WHO publications – whether for sale or for noncommercial distribution – should be addressed to WHO Press, at the above address (fax: +41 22 791 4806; e-mail: permissions@who.int). The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Dotted lines on maps represent approximate border lines for which there may...
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