Recently, a scientist of Indian origin has proposed that one of the major components found in the herb milk thistle, silibinin can have great therapeutic effects on lung cancer. The name of the scientist claiming such effects of milk thistle is Alpna Tyagi. The research team working under her conducted a study of the herb and found that administration of silibinin has successfully stopped spreading of lung cancer in a mouse. Tissues in a wound-like condition allow cancerous tumors to grow in size and spread. This new study showed that silibinin helps in removing molecular billboards responsible for signaling a wound-like condition, which in turn aids to stop spreading of lung cancer.  Milk thistle extracts have been used for treating ailments related to our gallbladder and liver for thousands  [...]

Majority of the cases of eye cancers are melanomas. In this article we’ll be discussing about the different stages of melanoma of the eye. Melanoma of the eye can be in 4 stages; they are: Stage 1 or small melanoma: In this stage of eye cancer, small melanomas having approximate thickness of 1 to 2.5 mm and maximum width of 10mm appear. Small melanomas of the eye usually do not spread into any other tissue. The 5 year survival rate of patients in stage 1 of eye cancer is 84%. Melanoma of the eye generally does not show up any significant symptom when it is in stage 1. So, the disease mostly gets diagnosed in stage 1 through eye exams. Stage 2 or medium melanoma: In this stage the tumors grow in size and reach a diameter of 10 to 16 mm; the thickness of the tumor remains below 10mm. Even in  [...]

A group of scientists has recently invented a cancer vaccine, which they have named TG4010. According to the scientists, when this vaccine will be administered in combination with chemotherapy, the effects of chemotherapy will increase and as a result progression of advanced stage of non small cell or NSC lung cancer will become much slower than what happens in case of application of only chemotherapy. The findings of this study got published in ‘Lancet Oncology’, a famous medical journal. According to Dr Harit Chaturvedi, who is the head of Max hospital’s surgical oncology department, this invention will appear as a real boon for lung cancer patients of India provided it will be affordable. He mentioned that lung cancer ranks second in the list of most commonly occurring cancer types  [...]

A recent study has shown that an ancient therapy can effectively eliminate one of the most common side effects caused by cancer treatment. According to that study, acupuncture has been able to offer relief from dry mouth in head and neck cancer patients treated with radiation therapy. Dry mouth, a condition medically referred to as xerostomia happens due to lack of production of saliva in one’s mouth. Dr. Lorenzo Cohen, the director of the Integrative Medicine Program of  MD Anderson and also a researcher involved in the study stated that dry mouth although appears to be a benign health complication affects actions like speaking, eating and sleeping significantly. He mentioned that decreased production of saliva or stoppage in saliva production can act as the trigger of microbial growth,  [...]

Scientists have announced that a new vaccine is developed that might help in prolonging lives of individuals suffering from ovarian or breast cancer by up to 15 months. Vaccine although incapable of curing cancer completely has effectively prolonged lives of women receiving it. Majority of the applications of the vaccine were on women who had already undergone some form of cancer treatment like chemotherapy up to a state of exhaustion. This new cancer vaccine is named as PANVAC vaccine; during the trial, the vaccine got administered to patients once in a month. The trial showed that the vaccine assisted the immune system of the patients’ body in identifying proteins generated from the cancer cells. As the body started identifying these cells, it destroyed them more efficiently. Once experimental  [...]

Early detection of any cancer types helps in achieving a better prognosis. The same stands true for esophageal cancer. For diagnosing esophageal cancer at an early stage, you must be aware of the possible signs of the condition. However, depending on the type of esophageal cancer one is suffering from, the symptoms of the disease can vary. Esophageal cancer type is determined based on the location of tumors; doctors ask the patients to get their cancer cells analyzed at the laboratory for identifying the esophageal cancer type they are suffering from. Esophageal cancer can be primarily of two types: Squamous cell esophageal cancer: In this type, the squamous cells i.e. the cells forming the lining of the esophagus get affected by cancer. This is the most commonly diagnosed esophageal cancer  [...]

Cecum connects our large intestine with small intestine. Majority of the colorectal cancer originates from the end part of the colon, sigmoid colon and rectum. However, some colorectal cancer also begins from the cecum. The signs of cecum carcinoma include the following conditions: Anemia: As the cancerous tumors of cecum get ulcerated and starts bleeding, the patient’s hemoglobin level drops resulting in anemia. The blood loss in cecum carcinoma patients is occult in nature, which means you will not be able to see the bleeding in naked eye. The bleeding can only be diagnosed through examining of a small sample of stool for minute blood traces. Some of the common signs of anemia are: pallor, weakness and fatigue. Appendicitis: The structure of the cecum resembles that of a pouch; it is situated  [...]

Following are the final stages of bone cancer: Stage III: In this stage the cancer tumors starts growing into multiple parts of the affected bone. The bone cancer cells develop migratory abilities in stage III of the disease, which allows these cells to move along the bones crossing the actual tumor. Based on which cells have been affected by cancer, patients in stage III of bone cancer might develop several bony outgrowths in the ailing bones; these outgrowths can result in severe bone and joint pain. In some other patients, stage III of bone cancer can be marked by erosion of the affected bones, which will increase the chance of breaking or fracturing of those bones. Stage IVA: Stage IVA of bone cancer is marked by spreading of the disease into distant organs, particularly the lungs. Cancer  [...]

Retinoblastoma is a cancer affecting our eyes; this eye cancer type is named so as it originates from the retina. This disease is mostly diagnosed in young children; however, in rare cases, adults can also develop the condition. Our retina is made with nerve tissues that sense light entering our eye’s frontal part. Retina performs the role of sending signals to the brain through the optic nerve; in the brain, these signals get interpreted in form of images. Retinoblastoma affects these nerve cells of retina. The condition is caused by occurrence of genetic mutations in the nerve cells of retina; the genetic mutation eventually results in uncontrolled growth and multiplication of the healthy cells. These cells are then accumulated to form tumors. The retinoblastoma cells might spread into  [...]

According to medical experts, tumor markers are basically proteins present in urine or blood of patients suffering from cancer. Doctors recommend certain blood tests for detecting the existence of these markers when the symptoms experienced by the patient indicate occurrence of a cancer type. Some of the tumor markers indicate occurrence of specific cancer types; besides those, there are markers that are linked with several cancer types. Below we have discussed about the 3 common tumor markers associated with cancer. Cancer antigen 125 or CA 125: Blood test for checking the level of CA 125 is recommended if the patient is suspected to be suffering from ovarian cancer. CA 125 test also helps in monitoring how a woman with ovarian, fallopian tube or endometrial cancer is responding to the treatment  [...]

Fine needle aspirations: Fine needle aspirations helps in collecting the smallest specimen for breast biopsy. During fine needle aspirations, the physician will insert a fine needle into the patient’s breast lump and collect a small tissue or a petite quantity of fluid, which will then be analyzed in the laboratory. This procedure is primarily used for diagnosing the breast cysts filled with fluids; so, often instead of tissues the fluid obtained from the cysts plays the role of biopsy specimen. The physician might also take out small specimens with breast cells through fine needle aspirations for conducting further analysis. Large core biopsies: In case of certain breast cancers, the process of analyzing breast lesions requires larger biopsy specimens. In such situations, large core biopsies  [...]

Our lymph system is made up of small masses known as lymph nodes; these lymph nodes are the centers for production and maturation of the white blood cells of WBC. WBC can be of two types, B-cells and T-cells; both these cell types have distinct roles to play in functioning of our immune system. Certain genetic factors might result in abnormally rapid production of the B-cells; this condition can result in occurrence of B-cell lymphoma. The B-cell lymphomas are categorized as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and almost 85% of the non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas in the US are B-cell lymphomas. B-cell lymphomas can be of various types; the classification of this lymphoma type is done based on how the cancer cells appear when viewed through a microscope. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is recognized as the most  [...]