Liver Cancer 101 – Part 2

So we’ll continue with the part 2 in this post. We’ll cover some more facts about the liver cancer.

Symptoms:

•    Weight Loss
•    Appetite Loss
•    Abdominal pain
•    Abdominal fluid
•    Jaundice

Detection of Liver Cancer
 
Liver cancer can be detected in many ways like CT scan, MRI, Blood Tests and Ultrasounds. The blood tests usually focus on checking whether the levels of alpha-fetoprotein are higher or not.

Treatments available for Liver Cancer

The treatment of HCC is unique to different patients. It depends on how fast the tumor grows and what’s the current stage of the tumor. Liver cancer may be cured by surgery, embolization (curing the tumor without surgery) or in the worst case, by a liver transplant. Embolization or tumor ablation may be done either by radiotherapy or by chemotherapy.

When does a liver transplant happen?

Liver cancers usually originate in other parts of the body and eventually spread to the liver. Similarly, the tumours that start in the liver are usually at a very advanced stage when detected. A liver transplant doesn’t cure any of these situations. Liver transplants work only when the cancer is restricted only to the liver, and is small.

Treatments and Prevention for Secondary Liver Cancers

Usually liver cancers are secondary in nature. Which means that before liver cancers are detected, there already is another site or a combination of sites where malignancy is present. In general, despite treatment, patients do not live longer than 1 year after hepatic metastases. Treatments include immunotherapy, chemo and radiotherapy.

Prevention is the best defence when it comes to the liver cancers. Prevention against chronic hepatitis B and C, less alcohol consumption in daily routine, avoiding binge drinking and maintaining general health of liver; are some of the best ways to avoid liver cancers. Regular screening helps in ensuring timely diagnoses and treatment.

Future of Liver Cancers

There are organizations and foundations that support research related to diagnosis, prevention and cure of various liver diseases, including cancers. All such research looks to development of new methods or combined treatments and control of the viral hepatitis infections to ensure reduction in the cases of liver cancers.

At Core Cancer Foundation, we try to stay at the top of the research news and our experts and volunteers are happy to share with you information, should you need it. Do feel free to reach us through our website at www.corecancerfoundation.org .

How to Self – check if you may be showing breast cancer symptoms

Disclaimer: Cancer can be accurately detected only by a trained doctor and / or through proper diagnostic tests. The advice below is merely indicative and extremely preliminary in nature. The absence of below symptoms does not necessary mean the absece of breast cancer. Please consult your doctor for proper diagnosis.

Step 1:
Shoulders straight, arms on hips. Now look in the mirror. Observe your breasts for the following key points :usual size, shape and color. If you see dimpling, puckering, bulging of skin, a changed or inverted nipple position, redness, rash, swelling or soreness; contact your doctor and bring the signs to their attention.

Step 2 :
As you look in the mirror, check out for any fluids oozing out of one or both nipples. Milky, yellow, watery or blood, any fluid oozing out should be brought to the doctor’s notice.

Step 3 :
Lie down and feel your breasts. Using right hand to feel the left breast and vice versa. It needs to be a smooth, firm touch using the fingerpads of the first few fingers. Fingers should be kept together and flat and a circular motion should be used, that is about one quarter in size.  Make sure you cover the entire breast. From side to side, top to bottom, from armpit to the cleavage and from collarbone to the top of the abdomen. Ensure you check for the same symptoms. Use varying pressure and ensure you cover from front to the back of the tissue.

Step 4 :
Check the symptoms when sitting or standing. This can be easier when in shower, because it’s easier when the skin is slippery. Use the same movements as described in step 3.

Remember all these initial home – checks are not foolproof. They need to be brought to your doctor’s notice. Upon recommendation, appropriate mammograms shall need to be done to ascertain the situation with accuracy. For more information, or an awareness camp you can also reach out to NGOs like us. We at Core Cancer Foundation, look forward to supporting you.

One of our own - A survivor story

My journey with breast cancer began in 2015. I was shattered, shaken, worried, and numb. I had a young child; I had ageing parents and a very loving husband. I had thought I was healthy at 38 and had a lot to look forward to in life. Would I be leaving all this behind?

Initial panic dissipated into fervent search for further diagnosis, doctors and treatments. The search led to confusion; so many myths, claims of what’s the right and not the right way of treating the ailment. My family and I were emotionally overwhelmed too.

We didn’t want someone who would treat only the cancer, we wanted someone who would treat me holistically. A bunch of professionals who would ensure not just the surgery, radiation and chemo, but also the counseling, therapy, preventive treatment further and much more. I needed holistic professional support.

I needed not just good treating doctor but also a good coordinating doctor. Someone who would help me make sense of my mammograms, X-rays, CTs and other diagnostic reports. Doctors who would share information with my family and me and help us make a good decision, rather than deciding for us. I was lucky I found a facility that miraculously fit the bill.

My doctors and other care members listened to us. We were lucky to have them sit down with us and plan my treatment in a way that suited ‘my’ needs rather than a cookie cut model. They were not just diligent but also compassionate. They connected us with support groups, through which we found more people like us. We figured out how to ask for support from friends and family. For some time, our careers, finances, family and emotions were all in an upheaval which we couldn’t have dealt with without this amazing support.

I was supported not just by my medical oncologist, but also my dietician, therapist, naturopathic consultant and the nursing staff. They were qualified, understanding, and gentle and yet fought my cancer alongside me. They made me feel my family and I were truly not alone in our battle! If not for them, my journey would have been very difficult.

After I got cured, I realized I had to give back to the community. That is when I associated with Core Cancer Foundation and started volunteering against this menace we call cancer. Giving back to the community as I worked closely with them is what finally gave me closure. Today, I’m healthy, happy, with my family in the US, but my heart remains in India, where we together fought cancer!

Liver Cancer 101

What causes liver cancer

Many factors. Liver filters blood from all parts of the body and hence cancer cells from anywhere can reach liver and start growing. Often cancers related to the gastro-intestinal tract lead to liver cancers. It is also surmised that the ability of liver to regenerate is in some ways linked to liver cancers.

Classification of Liver Cancers

Liver can have many types of tumors. Only some of these tumors are cancerous in nature. Hence, the most basic classification of the tumors is whether liver tumors are benign or malignant. Benign tumors are relatively harmless while the malignant tumors are capable of spreading beyond the liver and are serious.

Some facts about benign liver tumors

Hemangioma is the most common benign tumor found in liver. It begins in the fetal stages and is nothing but an abnormal growth of blood vessels. It is estimated that more than 10 % of the normal population has this situation any way. There are no symptoms, no treatments unless one of the tumors may enlarge and bleed. Surgical removal is performed in such cases.

Similarly, Hepatic Adenomas and Focal Nodular Hyperplasia are benign tumors of liver cells.  Most do not have symptoms but FNH can be difficult to differentiate from liver cancers. Adenomas occur more in women and seem to be triggerd in some cases by pregnancy or birth control pills.

Some facts about Malignant liver tumors

HCC or the hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type and can have different growth patterns. It is particularly dangerous as it may spread to other parts of the body in later stages. Liver cancer has also been observed to develop in more than one site and then multiple timorous growths. This pattern is common in people with liver cirrhosis.

Liver cancer can also originate in bile ducts and is called cholangiocarcinoma. Often liver cancers originate elsewhere and then metastacize in liver. They are considered wither as secondary liver cancers or cancer metastases. In fact the secondary liver cancers have 30 % higher prevalence than the primary liver cancers.

Risk Factors Associated With Liver Cancer

Liver cancer is rare in absence of chronic liver diseases. The exact reasons behind liver cancer are not known but it is commonly observed that men are more prone to it than women for reasons still unknown. Cirrhosis, certain types of inherited liver diseases and viral infections of the liver can also lead to greater chances of liver cancer. Alcohol, obesity, steroids and tobacco use are also among causes that increase the probability of liver cancers.

In this two – part article on Liver cancer, Core Cancer Foundation will bring you more information in the next article. Till then, stay safe !

The effects of smoking on the respiratory system

As one inhales smoke, one takes in their body, substances that can damage one’s lungs. In time, the lungs are no more able to filter the toxins in the smoke. They lose their ability to filter the inhales air. Since coughing is not fully capable of removing all toxins, hence these poisonous components remain trapped in the lungs.


As the chemicals in the cigarette smoke interfere with the body’s method of air filtration; simultaneously the smoke also irritates the lungs and causes them to overproduce mucus. The tiny hair – like structures in the airway called cilia are also paralyzed. Since cilia are responsible for cleaning the airway, their paralysis causes the deposition of mucus as well as toxins, thus causing lung congestion.

The extra mucus over years causes high probability in smokers to suffer from chronic bronchitis and the 'smoker's cough'. Smokers thus damage their lungs and fall victim to a higher risk of colds, flu and respiratory infections.

Chronic Bronchitis causes the inflammation of the lining of the lung tubes. In time, such issues can actually develop into much aggravated COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary diseases). In a layman’s language, all diseases that lead to difficulty in breathing over a long term fall into this bracket. Of course, one cannot even dare forget the high risk of lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the most common form of cancer caused by smoking. Over 80% of lung cancer patients are attributed to smoking.

Similarly, chronic and long term exposure of the lungs to smoke destroys the normal structure of the human lungs. This includes the breaking down of air sacs, loss of the elasticity and thus collapse of the walls of the smaller passages within lungs.

The resultant loss of the lung tissue reduces the surface area that facilitates the transfer of oxygen to the blood from the air. The lung capacity decreases, and results into a condition called emphysema develops and the air sacs of the lungs are destroyed. As such emphysema is common in all long-term / regular smokers, but the severity usually depends on the number of cigarettes and the duration of addiction of individual smokers.

While the damage to the lung tissue is irreversible, emphysema can still be prevented by not smoking, ensuring all chest infections are properly treated and avoiding all irritants o lungs. However, withdrawal from tobacco products is often seen to cause temporary respiratory pain and congestion as the lungs start clearing out.

Similarly, cigarette smoke is also well – known to be a trigger of asthma. People that suffer from asthma, their air passages are inflamed and thus become very sensitive. Such people when exposed to cigarette smoke, suffer from an asthma attack as the sensitive airways narrow down and cause extreme shortage of breath.

Smoking affects not just the smoker themselves, but also people who are exposed to the secondhand smoke. The children whose parents are smokers, often suffer from asthma attacks, wheezing and coughing more than children of parents who don’t smoke. Such children also have a higher rate of pneumonia, ear infections and bronchitis.

Like all wise people, at Core Cancer Foundation, our experts believe that prevention is better than cure. We strongly recommend that you either don’t smoke at all or else quit at the earliest. After all, even you wouldn’t want to suffer

दो मिनट का मज़ा

ज़िन्दगी भर की सज़ा

Effects of Smoking on Integumentary, Reproductive and Digestive Systems

While it may not seem obvious, smoking can lead to a lot of hazardous effects on almost all organ systems of the human body.

Skin, Nails and Hair

To begin with, let's look at the effects of smoking on the skin, nails and hair. The skin for instance is one of the human organs which shows some of the very obvious signs of addction to smoking. The components in tobacco smoke are actually capable of changing the structure of your skin.

Smoke causes wrinkles, premature aging as well as skin discoloration. The fingernails as well as the skin close to the fingers can show yellow stains from long durations of holding cigarettes. A lot of times, yellow or brown stains can develop on the teeth of smokers. One of the major tell-tale signs of active as well as passive smoking is the smell of tobacco held by the human hair, long after putting out the cigarette or leaving the smoking area.

Sexuality and Reproductive System

Sexuality of the human beings is one of the very important aspects of human interaction. As we already know, smoking can cause restricted blood flow. It can thus cause erectile dysfunctioning (inability of a man to get an erection). Similarly it can cause early menopause in women who smoke. It also increases the risk of cervical cancer in women.

Both men and women smokers have a higher risk of infertility as well as difficulty in achieving orgasms. Smoking also leads to more complications in pregnancy. Some of these dire consequences may include premature babies, placental problems, or even miscarriage. 

It is not just active smoing that causes harful effects to pregnant mothers. Even second hand smoke can cause low birth weight in babies, if a pregnant mother is exposed to it. Not to say that the risk of low birth weight is far higher in the babies that are born to mothers who smoke during their pregnancy. Such babies can also suffer from birth defects, SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), ear infections and asthma attacks.

It’s not just the adults that suffer from hazards of smoking, but even newborns as well as unborn babies that suffer from the second hand smoke.

Gastro Vascular / Digestive System

 

Oral problems are frequently found in smokers. They are highly prone to multiple medical conditions of the oral cavity that can range from gingivitis (gum inflammation) or infection (periodontitis) to even the cancer of esophagus, larynx, throat or mouth. There’s an even higher probability of tooth loss, bad breath and tooth decay.

 

When it comes to cancers, it doesn’t stop at the oral / buccal cavity or the entrance of the gastro-intestinal tract. Smokers have an increased risk of pancreatic and kidney cancers too. Contrary to the popular belief, even cigar smokers who do not inhale have a higher risk of mouth cancer.

 

 

Smoking has an effect on insulin. It increases the chances of insulin resistance, thus causing an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Smoker diabetics tend to develop complications at a faster rate. Smoking can also suppress appetite and thus causing malnutrition.

 

This month’s series of articles are intended to highlight upon how smoking causes not just the lungs and moth to be harmed but almost all organ systems of the human body. This is despite the fact that we haven’t even taken into account various other forms of tobacco consumption yet. At Core Cancer Foundation, we will continue to bring to you information regarding cancers, smoking, tobacco and how to stay safe. Do share your inputs with us!

 

Smoking and Your Cardiovascular System

As many other side effects as smoking may have, it affects not just the respiratory system. The components in cigarettes and tobacco are responsible for damaging multiple other organ systems equally well.

In this small article let’s talk more about how smoking can damage the entire cardio vascular system of the human body. Smoking is hazardous as we know already, specially for the harmful component called nicotine. Nicotine does not only alters the state of the mind, but it also gives a boost to the blood sugar level the minute it hits one’s body. Such a boost to the blood sugars fades after a little while as it is artificially induced due to nicotine and then leaves one feeling extremely tired. The sense of tiredness makes one crave for another boost in the sugar levels and accordingly, more nicotine; thus the addiction.

Similarly, nicotine is also responsible for vascular constriction. It causes blood vessels to get tightened and thus the flow of blood is restricted in the body. Commonly known as peripheral artery disease, this can lead to multiple other medical conditions. Smoking also raises blood pressure along with lowering the levels of good cholesterol. As a result, the arteries can get stretches and there can be a buildup of bad cholesterol (thus causing Artherosclerosis). Not just this, but it can also lead to causing of blood clots to be formed.

The increased blood clots and the weakening of the blood vessels in the human brains increases the risk of a stroke to a smoker. Similarly any smokers that undergo a bypass surgery for their heart are at an increased risk of coronary heart diseases recurring. Similarly, smokers also face a higher risk of leukemia (blood cancer) in the longer run.

So effectively it is not just the heart, but also the blood vessels, and the blood itself that get affected by smoking. The entire cardio vascular system of a smoker is at a highly increased level of risk as that compared of a non smoker. However, the nonsmokers are not entirely safe either.
While non smokers may not directly get affected by the chemicals in cigarettes, they are still exposed to second hand smoke. This breathing of the second hand smoke leads to an immediate effect on their cardiovascular system. This exposure increases the risk of a heart attack, a stroke and coronary heart disease even though they are not smoking.

At Core cancer foundation, we understand the risks of smoking. We understand the difficulties in quitting and hence we work towards the empowerment of those who want to prevent these diseases from happening to them. Together, we aspire to work with you and we’re just a click away!