Lung cancer

Cancer - lung

Last reviewed: August 24, 2011.

Lung cancer is cancer that starts in the lungs.

The lungs are located in the chest. When you breathe, air goes through your nose, down your windpipe (trachea), and into the lungs, where it spreads through tubes called bronchi. Most lung cancer begins in the cells that line these tubes.

There are two main types of lung cancer:

• Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer.
• Small cell lung cancer makes up about 20% of all lung cancer cases.

If the lung cancer is made up of both types, it is called mixed small cell/large cell cancer.

If the cancer started somewhere else in the body and spread to the lungs, it is called metastatic cancer to the lung.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Lung cancer is the deadliest type of cancer for both men and women. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than of breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined.

Lung cancer is more common in older adults. It is rare in people under age 45.

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer.

The more cigarettes you smoke per day and the earlier you started smoking, the greater your risk for lung cancer. There is no evidence that smoking low-tar cigarettes lowers the risk.

However, lung cancer has occurred in people who have never smoked.

Secondhand smoke (breathing the smoke of others) increases your risk for lung cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 3,000 nonsmoking adults will die each year from lung cancer related to breathing secondhand smoke.

The following may also increase your risk for lung cancer:

• Asbestos
• Exposure to cancer-causing chemicals such as uranium, beryllium, vinyl chloride, nickel chromates, coal products, mustard gas, chloromethyl ethers, gasoline, and diesel exhaust
• Family history of lung cancer
• High levels of air pollution
• High levels of arsenic in drinking water
• Radiation therapy to the lungs
• Radon gas

Symptoms

Early lung cancer may not cause any symptoms.

Symptoms depend on the type of cancer you have, but may include:

• Chest pain
• Cough that doesn't go away
• Coughing up blood
• Fatigue
• Losing weight without trying
• Loss of appetite
• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing

Other symptoms that may also occur with lung cancer, often in the late stages:

• Bone pain or tenderness
• Eyelid drooping
• Facial paralysis
• Hoarseness or changing voice
• Joint pain
• Nail problems
• Shoulder pain
• Swallowing difficulty
• Swelling of the face or arms
• Weakness

These symptoms can also be due to other, less serious conditions, so it is important to talk to your health care provider.

For more information, see:

• Non-small cell lung cancer
• Small cell lung cancer

Signs and tests

Many times, lung cancer is found when an x-ray or CT scan is done for another reason.

For more information about the diagnosis of lung cancer, see:

• Non-small cell lung cancer
• Small cell lung cancer

Treatment

For more information about the treatment of lung cancer, see:

• Non-small cell lung cancer
• Small cell lung cancer

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Prostate cancer

Cancer - prostate; Biopsy - prostate; Prostate biopsy; Gleason score

Last reviewed: September 19, 2011.

Prostate cancer is cancer that starts in the prostate gland. The prostate is a small, walnut-sized structure that makes up part of a man's reproductive system. It wraps around the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Prostate cancer is the most common cause of death from cancer in men over age 75. Prostate cancer is rarely found in men younger than 40.

People who are at higher risk include:

• African-American men, who are also likely to develop cancer at every age
• Men who are older than 60
• Men who have a father or brother with prostate cancer

Other people at risk include:

• Men who have been around agent orange
• Men who use too much alcohol
• Farmers
• Men who eat a diet high in fat, especially animal fat
• Tire plant workers
• Painters
• Men who have been around cadmium

Prostate cancer is less common in people who do not eat meat (vegetarians).

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Multiple Myeloma Cancer

What is multiple myeloma?

Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer. Cancer is a group of many related diseases. Myeloma is a cancer that starts in plasma cells, a type of white blood cell. It's the most common type of plasma cell cancer.

Normal blood cells

Most blood cells develop from cells in the bone marrow called stem cells. Bone marrow is the soft material in the center of most bones.

Stem cells mature into different types of blood cells. Each type has a special job:

• White blood cells help fight infection. There are several types of white blood cells.
• Red blood cells carry oxygen to tissues throughout the body.
• Platelets help form blood clots that control bleeding.

Plasma cells are white blood cells that make antibodies. Antibodies are part of the immune system. They work with other parts of the immune system to help protect the body from germs and other harmful substances. Each type ofplasma cell makes a different antibody.

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Lymphoma Cancer

Lymphoma (Hodgkin's Disease and Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma) Overview

Lymphoma is a type of cancer involving cells of the immune system, called lymphocytes. Just as cancer represents many different diseases, lymphoma represents many different cancers oflymphocytes -- about 35 different subtypes, in fact.

Lymphoma is a group of cancers that affect the cells that play a role in the immune system and primarily represents cells involved in the lymphatic system of the body.

• The lymphatic system is part of the immune system. It consists of a network of vessels that carry a fluid called lymph, similar to the way that the network of blood vessels carry blood throughout the body. Lymph contains white blood cells called lymphocytes. Lymphocytes attack a variety of infectious agents as well as many cells in the precancerous stages of development.



• Lymph nodes are small collections of lymph tissue that occur throughout the body. The lymphatic system involves lymphatic channels that connect thousands of lymph nodes scattered throughout the body. Lymph flows through the lymph nodes, as well as through other lymphatic tissues including the spleen, the tonsils, the bone marrow, and the thymus gland.

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Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic carcinoma

Pancreatic cancer; Cancer - pancreas

Pancreatic carcinoma is cancer of the pancreas.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

The pancreas is a large organ located behind the stomach. It makes and releases enzymes into the intestines that help the body absorb foods, especially fats.

Hormones called insulin and glucagon, which help your body control blood sugar levels, are made in special cells in the pancreas called islet cells. Tumors can also occur in these cells, but they are called islet cell tumors.

The exact cause of pancreatic cancer is unknown. It is more common in:

• People with diabetes
• People with long-term inflammation of the pancreas (chronic pancreatitis)
• Smokers

Pancreatic cancer is slightly more common in women than in men. The risk increases with age.

A small number of cases are related to genetic syndromes that are passed down through families.

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Lung cancer

Cancer - lung

Lung cancer is cancer that starts in the lungs.

The lungs are located in the chest. When you breathe, air goes through your nose, down your windpipe (trachea), and into the lungs, where it spreads through tubes called bronchi. Most lung cancer begins in the cells that line these tubes.

There are two main types of lung cancer:

• Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer.
• Small cell lung cancer makes up about 20% of all lung cancer cases.

If the lung cancer is made up of both types, it is called mixed small cell/large cell cancer.

If the cancer started somewhere else in the body and spread to the lungs, it is called metastatic cancer to the lung.

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Liver Cancer

Hepatocellular carcinoma

Primary liver cell carcinoma; Tumor - liver; Liver cancer; Cancer - liver; Hepatoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma is cancer of the liver.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Hepatocellular carcinoma accounts for most liver cancers. This type of cancer occurs more often in men than women. It is usually seen in people age 50 or older. However, the age varies in different parts of the world.

The disease is more common in parts of Africa and Asia than in North or South America and Europe.

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Blood Cancer

What is leukemia?

Leukemia is cancer that starts in the tissue that forms blood. To understand cancer, it helps to know how normal blood cells form.

Normal Blood Cells

Most blood cells develop from cells in the bone marrow called stem cells. Bone marrow is the soft material in the center of most bones.

Stem cells mature into different kinds of blood cells. Each kind has a special job:

White blood cells help fight infection. There are several types of white blood cells.

Red blood cells carry oxygen to tissues throughout the body.

Platelets help form blood clots that control bleeding.

White blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets are made from stem cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old or get damaged, they die, and new cells take their place.

The picture below shows how stem cells can mature into different types of white blood cells. First, a stem cell matures into either a myeloid stem cell or a lymphoid stem cell:

• A myeloid stem cell matures into a myeloid blast. The blast can form a red blood cell, platelets, or one of several types of white blood cells.
• A lymphoid stem cell matures into a lymphoid blast. The blast can form one of several types of white blood cells, such as B cells or T cells.
  

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Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is an uncontrolled growth of breast cells. To better understand breast cancer, it helps to understand how any cancer can develop.

Cancer occurs as a result of mutations, or abnormal changes, in the genes responsible for regulating the growth of cells and keeping them healthy. The genes are in each cell’s nucleus, which acts as the “control room” of each cell. Normally, the cells in our bodies replace themselves through an orderly process of cell growth: healthy new cells take over as old ones die out. But over time, mutations can “turn on” certain genes and “turn off” others in a cell. That changed cell gains the ability to keep dividing without control or order, producing more cells just like it and forming a tumor.

A tumor can be benign (not dangerous to health) or malignant (has the potential to be dangerous). Benign tumors are not considered cancerous: their cells are close to normal in appearance, they grow slowly, and they do not invade nearby tissues or spread to other parts of the body. Malignant tumors are cancerous. Left unchecked, malignant cells eventually can spread beyond the original tumor to other parts of the body.

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This are some of general cancer that we usually know in our enviroment. They are:

Breast

Cervical

Colon & Rectal (Colorectal)

Leukemia

Liver

Lung

Lymphoma

Multiple Myeloma

Pancreatic

Prostate


Check it out guys :)!

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What Is Cancer?

WHAT IS CANCER?

At its heart, cancer is the result of uncontrolled cell growth. Our bodies are composed of trillions of cells, all working together. In cancer, one of those cells stops paying attention to the normal signals that tell cells to grow, stop growing or even to die. Cancer cells still share many of the same needs and properties of normal cells but they become independent of the controls that make our body function smoothly. The process by which a normal cell changes into one that behaves so abnormally can take a long time and is often triggered by outside influences.The next few sections describe the differences between normal and cancer cells and outline the steps leading to the creation of a cancer cell from a normal cell.

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KELOID

What is a keloid?

Keloids can be considered to be "scars that don't know when to stop." A keloid, sometimes referred to as a keloid scar, is a tough heaped-up scar that rises quite abruptly above the rest of the skin. It usually has a smooth top and a pink or purple color. Keloids are irregularly shaped and tend to enlarge progressively. Unlike scars, keloids do not subside over time.

What is the difference between a keloid and a hypertrophic scar?

After the skin is injured, the healing process usually leaves a flat scar. Sometimes the scar is hypertrophic, or thickened, but confined to the margin of the wound. Hypertrophic scars tend to be redder and may subside by themselves (a process which can take one year or more). Treatment, such as injections of cortisone (steroids), can speed this process.
Keloids, by contrast, may start sometime after the injury and extend beyond the wound site. This tendency to migrate into surrounding areas that weren't injured originally distinguishes keloids from hypertrophic scars. Keloids typically appear following surgery or injury, but they can also appear spontaneously or as a result of some slight inflammation, such as an acne pimple on the chest (even one that wasn't scratched or otherwise irritated). Other minor injuries that can trigger keloids are burns and piercings.

What are keloid symptoms and signs?

Keloids are raised and look shiny and dome-shaped, ranging in color from pink to red. Some keloids become quite large and unsightly. Aside from causing potential cosmetic problems, these exuberant scars tend to be itchy, tender, or even painful to the touch.

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Phototoxicity and photoallergy.

Source

Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, USA.

Abstract

Photosensitivity may be phototoxic or photoallergic. Phototoxicity is much more common. There are 2 types of phototoxicity: photodynamic, which requires oxygen, and nonphotodynamic, which does not. Reactions induced by porphyrin molecules, coal tar derivatives, and many drugs are photodynamic. The reaction induced by psoralens, for the most part, is nonphotodynamic. Acute phototoxic reactions are characterized by erythema and edema followed by hyperpigmentation. Long-term ultraviolet phototoxicity results in chronic sun damage and skin cancer formation. Also, certain chemicals such as psoralen molecules and coal tar are photocarcinogenic. Phototoxic reactions to certain drugs produce unusual clinical patterns, that is lichenoid eruptions, dyschromia, photo-onycholysis, and pseudoporphyria. Photoallergy is an uncommon acquired altered reactivity dependent on an immediate antibody or a delayed cell mediated reaction. Solar urticaria is an example of the former, whereas photoallergy to exogenous chemicals is an example of the latter. Photoallergy to systemic drugs does occur but is difficult to characterize. The action spectrum for photoreactions to exogenous agents usually at least includes the ultraviolet A rays for both phototoxicity and photoallergy.

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LIPOMA

Lipoma

What is a lipoma?

A lipoma is a growth of fat cells in a thin, fibrous capsule usually found just below the skin. Lipomas are found most often on the torso, neck, upper thighs, upper arms, and armpits, but they can occur almost anywhere in the body. One or more lipomas may be present at the same time. Lipomas are the most common noncancerous soft tissue growth.

What causes a lipoma?

The cause of lipomas is not completely understood, but the tendency to develop them is inherited. A minor injury may trigger the growth. Being overweight does not cause lipomas.

What are the symptoms of a lipoma?

Lipomas usually:

• Are small [0.4 in. (1 cm) to 1.2 in. (3 cm)] and felt just under the skin.
• Are movable and have a soft, rubbery consistency.
• Do not cause pain.
• Remain the same size over years or grow very slowly.

Often the most bothersome symptom is the location or increased size that makes the lipoma noticeable by others.

How are lipomas diagnosed?

A lipoma can usually be diagnosed by its appearance alone, but your health professional may want to remove it to make sure the growth is noncancerous.

How are lipomas treated?

Lipomas do not generally require treatment. Because lipomas are not cancerous growths and cannot become cancerous, they do not need to be removed. There is no known treatment to prevent lipomas or affect their growth.
A lipoma may be surgically removed if symptoms develop, such as if the lipoma:

• Becomes painful or tender.
• Becomes infected or inflamed repeatedly.
• Drains foul-smelling discharge.
• Interferes with movement or function.
• Increases in size.
• Becomes unsightly or bothersome.

Most lipomas can be removed in the doctor's office or outpatient surgery center. The doctor injects a local anesthetic around the lipoma, makes an incision in the skin, removes the growth, and closes the incision with stitches (sutures). If the lipoma is in an area of the body that cannot be easily reached through a simple incision in the skin, the lipoma may need to be removed in the operating room under general anesthesia.

Who is affected by lipomas?

Lipomas occur in all age groups but most often appear in middle age. Single lipomas occur with equal frequency in men and women. Multiple lipomas occur more frequently in men.

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HIVES AND ANGIODEMA

Hives and Your Skin

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Urticaria, also known as hives, is an outbreak of swollen, pale red bumps or plaques (wheals) on the skin that appear suddenly -- either as a result of the body's adverse reaction to certain allergens, or for unknown reasons.
Hives usually cause itching, but may also burn or sting. They can appear anywhere on the body, including the face, lips, tongue, throat, or ears. Hives vary in size (from a pencil eraser to a dinner plate), and may join together to form larger areas known as plaques. They can last for hours, or up to one day before fading.

What Causes Hives and Angioedema?

Hives and angioedema form when, in response to histamine, blood plasma leaks out of small blood vessels in the skin. Histamine is a chemical released from specialized cells along the skin's blood vessels.
Allergic reactions, chemicals in certain foods, insect stings, sunlight exposure, or medications can all cause histamine release. It's often impossible to find out exactly why hives have formed.
There are several different types of hives, including:
Acute urticaria: Hives lasting less than six weeks. The most common causes are certain foods, medications, or infections. Insect bites and internal disease may also be responsible.
The most common foods that cause hives are nuts, chocolate, fish, tomatoes, eggs, fresh berries, and milk. Fresh foods cause hives more often than cooked foods. Certain food additives and preservatives may also be to blame.
Drugs that can cause hives and angioedema include aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, high blood pressure drugs (ACE inhibitors), or painkillers such as codeine.
Chronic urticaria and angioedema: Hives lasting more than six weeks. The cause of this type of hives is usually more difficult to identify than those causing acute urticaria. For most people with chronic urticaria, the cause is impossible to determine.
Chronic urticaria and angioedema can affect other internal organs such as the lungs, muscles, and gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms include muscle soreness, shortness of breath, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Physical urticaria: Hives caused by direct physical stimulation of the skin -- for example, cold, heat, sun exposure, vibration, pressure, sweating, and exercise. The hives usually occur right where the skin was stimulated and rarely appear elsewhere. Most of the hives appear within one hour after exposure.
Dermatographism: This is a common form of physical urticaria where hives form after firmly stroking or scratching the skin. These hives can also occur along with other forms of urticaria.

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Heat rash

Symptoms

Heat rash

Adults usually develop heat rash in folds of skin and wherever clothing causes friction. In infants, the rash is mainly found on the neck, shoulders and chest, but it can also occur in the armpits, elbow creases and groin.

There are three types of miliaria, which are classified according to where the sweat ducts are blocked. Signs and symptoms for each type vary.

Miliaria crystallina
The mildest form of heat rash affects the sweat ducts in the topmost layer of skin. Miliaria crystallina is marked by:

• Clear, fluid-filled blisters and bumps (papules) that break easily

The blisters that occur with miliaria crystallina aren't itchy or painful. This type of heat rash usually clears on its own but can come back if hot, humid weather persists. And though it's common in newborns, adults can develop it, too.

Miliaria rubra
Occurring deeper in the outer layer of skin (epidermis), miliaria rubra is sometimes called prickly heat. Adults usually develop miliaria rubra after they're exposed to hot, humid weather or if they're confined to bed rest. Infants usually develop this type of heat rash between the first and third weeks of life. Signs and symptoms typically include:

• Red bumps

• Itchy or prickly feeling in the affected area

• Little or no sweating in the affected areas (anhidrosis)

Occasionally, miliaria rubra vesicles become pustular and then are called miliaria pustulosa.

Miliaria profunda
A less common form of heat rash, miliaria profunda occurs mainly in adults who have had repeat bouts of miliaria rubra. It affects the dermis, a deeper layer of skin, and appears soon after exercise or any activity that causes sweating. Signs and symptoms may include:

• Firm, flesh-colored lesions that resemble goose bumps

• A lack of perspiration, which may lead to symptoms of heat exhaustion, such as dizziness, nausea and a rapid pulse

When to see a doctor
Heat rash usually heals on its own and doesn't require medical care. See your doctor if you or your child has symptoms that last longer than a few days, the rash seems to be getting worse, or there are signs of infection, such as:

• Increased pain, swelling, redness or warmth around the affected area

• Pus draining from the lesions

• Swollen lymph nodes in the armpit, neck or groin

• A fever or chills

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Scabies

Sarcoptes scabiei

Scabies is an easily spread skin disease caused by a very small species of mite.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Scabies is found worldwide among people of all groups and ages. It is spread by direct contact with infected people, and less often by sharing clothing or bedding. Sometimes whole families are affected.
Outbreaks of scabies are more common in nursing homes, nursing facilities, and child care centers.
The mites that cause scabies burrow into the skin and deposit their eggs, forming a burrow that looks like a pencil mark. Eggs mature in 21 days. The itchy rash is an allergic response to the mite.
Scabies is spread by skin-to-skin contact with another person who has scabies.
Pets and animals cannot spread human scabies. It is also not very likely for scabies to be spread by:

• A swimming pool
• Contact with the towels, bedding, and clothing of someone who has scabies, unless the person has what is called "crusted scabies"

Symptoms

• Itching, especially at night
• Rashes, especially between the fingers
• Sores (abrasions) on the skin from scratching and digging
• Thin, pencil-mark lines on the skin

Mites may be more widespread on a baby's skin, causing pimples over the trunk, or small blisters over the palms and soles.

• In young children, the head, neck, shoulders, palms, and soles are involved.
• In older children and adults, the hands, wrists, genitals, and abdomen are involved.

Signs and tests

Examination of the skin shows signs of scabies. Tests include an examination under the microscope of skin scrapings taken from a burrow to look for the mites. A skin biopsy can also be done.

Treatment

Prescription medicated creams are commonly used to treat scabies infections. The most commonly used cream is permethrin 5%. Other creams include benzyl benzoate, sulfur in petrolatum, and crotamiton. Lindane is rarely used because of its side effects.
Creams are applied all over the body. The whole family or sexual partners of infected people should be treated, even if they do not have symptoms. Creams are applied as a one-time treatment or they may be repeated in 1 week.
Wash underwear, towels, and sleepwear in hot water. Vacuum the carpets and upholstered furniture.
For difficult cases, some health care providers may also prescribe medication taken by mouth to kill the scabies mites. Ivermectin is a pill that may be used.
Itching may continue for 2 weeks or more after treatment begins, but it will disappear if you follow your health care provider's treatment plan. You can reduce itching with cool soaks and calamine lotion. Your doctor may also recommend an oral antihistamine.

Expectations (prognosis)

Most cases of scabies can be cured without any long-term problems. A severe case with a lot of scaling or crusting may be a sign that the person has a disease such as HIV.

Complications

Intense scratching can cause a secondary skin infection, such as impetigo.

Calling your health care provider

Call your health care provider if:

• You have symptoms of scabies
• A person you have been in close contact with has been diagnosed with scabies

Prevention

Avoid contact with infected persons.

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Body lice

Lice - body; Pediculosis; Vagabond's disease

Body lice are tiny parasites (Pediculus humanus corporis) that spread through close contact with other people.
There are three types of lice:

• Body lice
• Head lice
• Pubic lice

This article focuses on body lice.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Lice feed on human blood and live in the seams and folds of clothing for up to 1 month. They lay their eggs and deposit waste matter on the skin and clothing.
You can catch body lice if you come in direct contact with someone who has lice, or with infected clothing, towels, or bedding.
Body lice are bigger than other types of lice.
You are more likely to get body lice if you have poor hygiene or live in close (overcrowded) conditions. Infestation is unlikely to last on anyone who bathes regularly, and who has at least weekly access to freshly laundered clothing and bedding. Placing clothes in a hot dryer helps kill any lice on clothing.
If the lice fall off of a person, they die within about 5 - 7 days at room temperature.

Symptoms

Lice causes severe itching. It is usually worse around your waist, under the arms, near your bra strap, or anywhere clothing is tighter and closer to the body.
You may have red bumps on the skin. The bumps may scab or become crusty after scratching.
Skin around the waist or groin may become thickened or change color if the lice has been there a long time.

Signs and tests

Your doctor can usually diagnose this condition by looking at your skin and clothing.

• Full-grown lice are the size of a sesame seed, have six legs, and are tan to greyish-white.
• Nits are lice eggs. They will most often be seen in the clothing of someone with lice, most commonly around the waist and in the armpits.

Persons with body lice should also be checked for head and pubic lice.

Treatment

Body lice mainly live in clothing. Destroy or carefully wash infected clothing in hot water (at least 130 degrees F), then machine dry using a hot cycle.
Your doctor may also recommend a prescription cream or wash containing permethrin, malathione, or benzyl alcohol.
However, hygiene and washing clothes, bedding, and towels are most important and are usually enough.

Expectations (prognosis)

With effective treatment, the lice can be completely destroyed.

Complications

Scratching can make your skin more likely to become infected. Rarely, lice may carry uncommon diseases, such as trench fever. Because body lice is contagious, other family members may want to be treated.

Calling your health care provider

Call your health care provider if you have lice in your clothing or persistent itchiness.

Prevention

Good personal hygiene and effective treatment of infected persons will prevent lice from spreading to others.

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