What treatments are available for breast cancer

You need to see a doctor if you notice changes in your breast. Not all breast cancers or breast cancer patients are alike, therefore treatment will vary with the individual.An individual's chance for recovery depends upon a number of factors such as:

• The stage of the cancer (whether it is just in the breast or has spread to other parts of the body)
• The type of breast cancer
• The certain characteristics of the cancer cells
• Your age and weight
• Menopausal status
• Overall state of health

Treatments for early breast cancer can include limpectomy (limited surgery which removes the cancer but not the entire breast) followed by radiation therapy, or breast reconstruction after mastectomy (surgical removal of the breast.) Additional treatment may include chemotherapy or hormone therapy. Biological therapy (using the body's own immune system to fight cancer) and bone marrow transplantation are new methods that are currently being tested in clinical trials. Often, two or more methods are used in combination.An individual with breast cancer should fully review all of the options with a physician before deciding upon the proper treatment program.Once breast cancer has been found, more test are conducted to see if the cancer has spread from the breast to other parts of the body. The spreading of cancer in this manner is called metastasis. Doctors need to know the stage of the disease - how large the tumor is, and if there are cancer cells beyond the breast - to plan the proper treatment.

Listed below are the basic stages of breast cancer:

STAGE I - The cancer is no wider than 2 centimeters (about 1 inch) and has not spread outside the breast.

Stage II - The tumor is more than 2 cm but less than 5 cm in the greatest dimension.

Stage III - Tumor is more than 5 cm in the greatest dimension.

Stage IV- Tumor of any size with growth extending to the chest wall or skin.

Even after an individual has been treated for breast cancer, it is possible for the cancer to come back (recur). However in most cases, the cancer can be treated, but usually cannot be cured, once the breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

Stages of cancer of the lip and oral cavity

Stages of mouth cancer and lip cancer are indicated using Roman numerals from I to IV, with I being the smallest and IV the largest or most advanced.

* Stage I - the tumor is under 1 inch in diameter (2 cm) and has not reached nearby lymph nodes.

* Stage II - the tumor is over 1 inch in diameter (2 cm) but less than 2 inches (4 cm) and has not reached nearby lymph nodes.

* Stage III - any of the three possibilities below:
o The tumor is over 2 inches (4 cm) in diameter.
o The tumor has spread to just one nearby lymph node on the same side of the neck as the tumor.
o The cancer in the lymph node is no more than 3cm.

* Stage IV - any of the possibilities below:
o The cancer has reached tissues around the oral cavity and lip. Nearby lymph nodes may or may not contain cancer.
o The cancer has spread to 2 or more lymph nodes on the same side of the neck as the tumor.
o The cancer has spread to lymph nodes on the other side of the neck.
o Lymph nodes on either side have a tumor that measures over 6 cm.
o The cancer has spread further, to other parts of the body.

The TNM staging method

This is another method of staging mouth cancers. T describes the tumor, N describes the lymph node(s), and M describes metastasis (distant spread). X means there is no data to make an assessment.

* TX - not possible to assess primary tumor.
* T0 - there is no evidence of a primary tumor.
* Tis - carcinoma in situ (cancer only in the place where it began; it has not spread).
* T1 - tumor 2 cm maximum measurement in greatest dimension.
* T2 - tumor over 2 cm and 4 cm maximum in greatest dimension.
* T3 - tumor over 4 cm in greatest dimension. In the case of lip cancer, tumor invades adjacent structures, such as cortical bone, deep muscle of tongue, maxillary sinus, and skin.
* T4 - In the cases of oral cavity cancer, tumor invades adjacent structures, such as cortical bone, deep muscle of tongue, maxillary sinus, and skin.

* NX - nearby lymph nodes cannot be assessed.
* N0 - nearby lymph nodes have no cancer.
* N1 - cancer in one nearby lymph node on same side of neck. Maximum 3 cm in greatest dimension.
* N2
o N2a - cancer has spread to one lymph node on same side of neck, no more than 6 cm in greatest dimension.
o N2b - Cancer has spread to 2 or more lymph nodes; none are greater than 6 cm in greatest dimension.
o N2c - Cancer has spread to lymph nodes on either side of the neck, or both sides of the neck, no bigger than 6 cm in greatest dimension.
* N3 - cancer has spread to a lymph node and is over 6 cm in greatest dimension.

* MX - distant metastasis (spread) cannot be assessed.
* M0 - no distant metastasis.
* M1 - distant metastasis.

Therefore if a patient is described as T2N1M0, it means:

There is a primary tumor between 2 cm and 4 cm, it has spread (metastasized) to one single lymph node on one side, that node is less than 3 cm in size, there is no distant metastasis.

What is Lung Cancer?

Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by out-of-control cell growth, and lung cancer occurs when this uncontrolled cell growth begins in one or both lungs. Rather than developing into healthy, normal lung tissue, these abnormal cells continue dividing and form lumps or masses of tissue called tumors. Tumors interfere with the main function of the lung, which is to provide the bloodstream with oxygen to be carried to the entire body. If a tumor stays in one spot and demonstrates limited growth, it is generally considered to be benign.

More dangerous, or malignant, tumors form when the cancer cells migrate to other parts of the body through the blood or lymph system. When a tumor successfully spreads to other parts of the body and grows, invading and destroying other healthy tissues, it is said to have metastasized. This process itself is called metastasis, and the result is a more serious condition that is very difficult to treat.

Lung cancer is called "primary" if the cancer originates in the lungs and "secondary" if it originates elsewhere in the body but has metastasized to the lungs. These two types are considered different cancers from diagnostic and treatment perspectives.

In 2007, about 15% of all cancer diagnoses and 29% of all cancer deaths were due to lung cancer. It is the number one cause of death from cancer every year and the second most diagnosed after breast and prostate cancers (for women and men, respectively). Lung cancer is usually found in older persons because it develops over a long period of time.

What Is Pancreatic Cancer?-Part 2

Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by out-of-control cell growth, and pancreatic cancer occurs when this uncontrolled cell growth begins in the pancreas. Rather than developing into healthy, normal pancreas tissue, these abnormal cells continue dividing and form lumps or masses of tissue called tumors. Tumors then interfere with the main functions of the pancreas. If a tumor stays in one spot and demonstrates limited growth, it is generally considered to be benign.

More dangerous, or malignant, tumors form when the cancer cells migrate to other parts of the body through the blood or lymph systems. When a tumor successfully spreads to other parts of the body and grows, invading and destroying other healthy tissues, it is said to have metastasized. This process itself is called metastasis, and the result is a more serious condition that is very difficult to treat.

In the United States each year, over 30,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Europe sees more than 60,000 diagnoses each year. Because pancreatic cancer is usually diagnosed late into its development, the five-year survival rate after diagnosis is less than 5%.