Cancer is evitable. It can happen to anyone and does not discriminate. In 2014, more than 1.5 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed, and almost 600,000 people died of cancer in the United States (CDC, 2017). The human body is made up of trillions of cells, and with cancer, it can start anywhere in the human body. As normal cells grow and divide to form new healthy cells needed by the body, cancer cells break this orderly process. Abnormal cancer cells create their own pattern, growing and dividing uncontrollably, and may form growths known as tumors (National Cancer Institute, 2015). Malignant tumors are cancerous and if left untreated, can be life threatening. A diagnosis of cancer can be such an overwhelming and stressful time for patients …show more content…
Diagnosis of cancer involves a comprehensive evaluation of a patient’s history and physical assessment along with a series of tests. Physical examination consists of examining the body for lumps that may indicate tumor, or changes in skin color, or enlargement of organ (Mayo Clinic, 2017). Diagnostic tests also include laboratory testing of blood, urine or other bodily fluids. Cancerous cells produce tumor markers, usually made up of proteins, that are produced at much higher levels that are found in patients with cancer (National Cancer Institute, 2015). Imaging tests can also help medical practitioners and specialists to locate the cancer in the body. Imaging procedures such as computerized axial tomography (CT) scan, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Ultrasound, positron emission tomography (PET) scan and x-rays that take detailed images of the organs can show cancer cells and tumors, as well. In most cases, doctors perform a biopsy to confirm a cancer diagnosis. A biopsy is a procedure wherein a tissue sample is removed and examined under a microscope. At Hoag Breast Care Center in Newport Beach, California, the standard of care is minimally invasive needle biopsy. Biologic markers, histologic tumor grade, and lymphovascular invasion are provided with detailed information using minimally invasive needle biopsies (Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, 2009). Many non-invasive diagnostic exploration procedures …show more content…
There are many staging systems, but the most useful staging system is the TNM system introduced by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC). This staging system is based on the extent of the tumor (T), the extent of spread to the lymph nodes (N), and presence of metastasis (M) (2017). In most cancer types, TNM designation is widely used. The location and pattern of spread of a tumor is described including tumor size, extent of local growth, lymph node and organ involvement, and presence of distant metastases (Banasik, 2010). The staging of cancer useful in determining treatment options and the chances for a cure (Mayo Clinic, 2017). After the TNM values are determined, they are assigned to an overall stage, assigned in Roman numeral from I to IV, where stage IV is the highest grade which means the cancer is more advanced than in stage 0 or I (American Cancer Society, 2017). Stage 0 is a very early stage of cancer, which has not spread. Stage I refers to the next higher level but often have good prognosis. As the level is getting higher to stages II, III and IV, the prognosis is not usually favorable. This means, the higher the stage of cancer, the more invasive the cancer has
There are several test that can be performed to diagnose Kaposi Sarcoma including: physical exams, chest x-rays, and biopsies. For physical exams doctors will exam the body to check for general signs of health. This includes checking the skin and lymph nodes for sighs of disease, like lumps. A chest x-ray is done of the organs and bones of the chest, to look for Kaposi Sarcoma in the lungs. A biopsy is the removal of cells or tissue so it can be viewed through a microscope to be checked for cancer. An endoscopy or bronchoscopy may be done to check for Kaposi sarcoma lesions in the gastrointestinal tract or lungs.
Radiological studies including CT and MRI play an integral role in establishing the extent of local invasion, whether lymph nodes are involved and to help stage the disease by detecting metastases. Lungs, liver and bone are the most common sites for metastatic spread.
Surgery is the oldest type of treatment for cancer. In its earlier use, surgery was not as successful as it is today. This was due to the difficulties involved with the anesthesias, excessive blood loss, respiratory distress, and a number of other complications. Tumors were removed, but metastases had formed, and the cancer returned quickly. In modern day surgery, namely laser surgery, these difficulties do not occur as readily. There are four basic ways to use surgery. One way is a diagnostic biopsy. This is a technique that involves removing part of the tumor, in order to test for malignancy. Another technique is surgery that removes the primary tumor. A third technique is removal of lymphatic tumors and metastases, which can help reduce the recurrence of cancer. The fourth technique is a combination of surgeries to detect and treat a malignant or benign tissue mass (1).
I have chosen to write about the constellation Cancer (The Crab). I chose Cancer because it is one of only a handful of constellations that I am actually able to identify in the night sky. Cancer is one of the twelve Zodiac constellations; people whose birthdays fall between June 21st and July 22nd have Cancer as their sign. Cancer is the Latin word for crab, and despite the fact that the constellation looks more like a lobster then a crab, it is still referred to as a crab. The constellation is visible from the northern hemisphere from late winter to early spring.
Cancer is the term used to describe a group of diseases consisting of hundreds of ailments and although there exists so many different types of cancer, they all begin in a similar way. The body is made up of over a trillion cells, and cancer is the uncontrolled growth of malfunctioning cells in the body (Dawson, 1996). “Normal body cells grow, divide, and die in an orderly fashion. During the early years of a person’s life, normal cells divide faster to allow the person to grow. After the person becomes an adult, most cells divide only to replace worn-out or dying cells or to repair injuries” (American Cancer Society, 2012).
In addition to an endoscopy, a biopsy may be recommended. During a biopsy, a small piece of tissue is removed from an inflamed area. This piece of tissue is then examined in pathology in order to determine whether either disease is present or not.
Breast cancer is the top cancer in women both in the developed and the developing countries [133] and it is one of the major reasons for the increase in mortality among middle aged women especially in developed countries [58]. If it is detected and diagnosed in early stages of development, it will increase the possibility of successful treatment and chances for complete recovery of the patient. Mammography screening programs have reduced mortality rates by 30-70% [111]. In mammography images, ...
Cancer staging “…describes the severity of a person’s cancer based on the size and/or extent (reach) of the original (primary) tumor and whether or not cancer has spread in the body.” Staging allows doctors and other medical professionals to accurately understand how far along the patient is in the illness and what treatment, medication, and c...
According to “Medical News Today” cancer is a disease that is caused by an over growth of anomalous cells on one or more lungs. Cells often go up the air pipes which can cause difficulty to breath. Due to the over production of cells the tissue cells often begin to over produce; which results in tumors. There are two types of tumors: malignant and benign. Malignant tumors are the more dangerous of the two due to its invasive nature; which makes it cancerous. While benign is not invasive in other words non-cancerous. This is why cancer spreads to multiple areas and can be sometimes very difficult to fight. Cancer cells are abnormal not only because of their evasive nature, but also because of its irregular life cycle. Rather than expire like a regular cell, they continuously grow and duplicate which causes the disease to spread. This makes cell abnormal in shape and other qualities; known as a sickle cell. Due to the large growth and reproduction rate of the cells this makes the spreading of the cancer more rapid. Each cancer has specific symptom, for lung cancer the sympto...
Once cancer of the prostate has been found, tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread from the prostate to tissues around it, or to other parts of the body. This is called “staging.” It is very important to know the stage if the disease to plan for the treatment. The following stages are used for prostate cancer:
Stage IIB can also be detected in three ways. If there is a tumor between two and five centimeters present with small groups of breast cancer cells sizes varying between .2 millimeters and 2 millimeters found in the lymph nodes. The second way that IIB can be found is if there is a tumor of those same dimensions found, but this time present with cancer cells that have spread to two to three axillary lymph nodes or to lymph nodes near the breastbone. The last way can be described as a tumor larger than five centimeters but has not spread to the axillary lymph nodes.
Each stage is characterized by an A, B, or C letter, depending on the degree to which the symptoms present themselves. The differences in each stage are as follows: stage 1 is when the cancer is either found in one ovary or both, stage 2 the tumor is found in one or both ovaries and extends to other pelvic structures, stage 3 the cancer has spread beyond the pelvis to the lining of the abdomen or to the lymph nodes and finally in stage 4 the cancer has spread to other organs in the body including the liver or lungs (Ovarian Cancer National Alliance). Cancer is “staged” by taking a sample of the infected tissue surgically and sending it to a lab for examination. Staging is crucial in order for medical professionals to determine which course of treatment would be the most effective for the given patient. If misdiagnosed, an entire area affected by this disease could potentially be missed and left untreated.
Annette could not take that as a final answer and told her that she would not just leave it and should get a second opinion and have another test run. The patient went back and requested a more thorough test be completed, she got the results back and everything was clear and her primary care physician assured her she was fine. Initially she would perform the exams as learned in school, but now after finding something abnormal, she now does a more thorough check, especially on patients with a previous history of cancer. This incident solidified her belief in early detection and proper documentation.
According to Essentials of Human Disease and Conditions textbook, “The most important prognostic factors are age at diagnosis, size of the primary tumor, and the presence of tissue invasion or metastases. (American Cancer Society, 2012)
Cancer develops when cells in a part of the body begin to grow out of