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Showing posts from October, 2021

Know cancer 7 warning signs and symptoms!

When any deadly disease such as cancer attacks a person’s body, it may respond and tell something is not right through a series of signs and symptoms. These general clues can help to spot a disease at the earliest and thus further prevents its complications.  If you notice some unusual signs and symptoms , you should reach your doctor immediately. Here is a list of 7 warning signs and symptoms of cancer which may warrant a visit to your healthcare provider.  1. Lumps: It can be defined as a localized area of swelling which is often painless. It can occur in soft tissues, lymph nodes, breast or genital areas. Any hard immovable lump that is not tender, is growing rapidly and also persists for longer than a few weeks can be an early sign of cancer.  2. Changes in skin: Any unusual changes in skin such as moles, freckles or warts that may change in size, color, or shape can mark the occurrence of skin cancer. You should consider ABCDE checklist about the skin changes: Asymmetry: One ha

Cancer Immunotherapy: Widening horizons of cancer treatment

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For years, it has been known that the immune system plays a crucial role in destroying mutated cells and fighting against infections. However, mutated cells may surpass the immune system destruction in some scenarios, leading to tumours and cancerous growth. So here comes cancer immunotherapy in action. Cancer immunotherapy is the most rapidly advancing treatment option that enhances the immune system's ability to recognize and attack mutated cancer cells in the body. It also helps produce additional components such as cytokines which boosts your body's natural ability to fight against cancer cells.  There are various types of immunotherapies, at present, which may work in different ways such as: Immune checkpoint inhibitors: It includes drugs that inhibit cancer cells from activating the immune system (immune checkpoints) and increase the body's defence to destroy cancer cells. Examples are nivolumab, ipilimumab, avelumab etc. FDA has approved most of the immune checkpoint

Get to know important things about cancer chemotherapy!

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You must have heard about cancer chemotherapy and might have a lot of queries about this treatment option. The word ‘chemotherapy’ is commonly used for medicines and drugs to treat any infectious disease. However, this term is commonly associated with cancer treatment.  Chemotherapy is widely used for controlling cancer, reducing its symptoms and curing it in some cases.  It works by blocking the growth and multiplication of cancer cells in the body, thus avoiding its spread from one specific location to other parts of the body (metastasis). It can also destroy cancer cells which have spread to distant locations.  It can either be used as a monotherapy or in combination with other therapies such as surgery, radiotherapy, and hormone therapy. It constitutes: Traditional or standard chemotherapy which uses anticancer drugs to destroy cancer cells Neoadjuvant chemotherapy which is used prior surgery or radiation therapy to shrink cancer cells or tumors Adjuvant chemotherapy which is use

Living with cancer? Discover 7 essential cancer treatments!

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  Patients should be aware of various cancer treatments and their effectiveness, after a cancer diagnosis . Knowing about possible treatment options for your specific type may help to cope and fight against cancer. The treatments of cancer vary for every patient and are strictly dependent on some specific factors such as health status of the patient, type, location stage and spread of the disease. Most of the cancer treatments such as surgery are focused on killing or removing cancerous cells from the body (primary treatment), reduce the chances of recurrence of cancer (adjuvant treatment) and relieve the side effects associated with cancer and its treatment (palliative treatment).  Advances in cancer research have evolved various novel treatments which boost the body’s defense system against cancer. The major types of cancer treatments available are:  Surgery: It is the most commonly used treatment and usually employed in about 60% of the patients with cancer. There are various types