One of the most common forms of kidney cancer, renal cell carcinoma or renal cancer is mostly observed in adults. The cause of this cancer is not known. However, there are certain risk factors that make a person more susceptible to renal cancer. These include smoking, obesity, hypertension, and family history of cancer. People on long-term dialysis for the treatment of chronic kidney failure may also develop renal cell carcinoma. Prolonged exposure to certain substances such as cadmium can also lead to renal cancer. Once the tumors start developing, the initial symptoms start manifesting. One can observe blood in the urine. There can be a constant pain in the back or side. Some may experience a loss of appetite with unexplained weight loss. There can be a constant feeling of fatigue and intermittent fever. The count of red blood cells also decreases leading to anemia. Early diagnosis of these symptoms can help to start treatment earlier. There are multiple treatment options available. Here are some of the treatments and procedures usually recommended for renal cancer. Nephrectomy : This surgical procedure involves the removal of the entire affected kidney, a part of the healthy tissues, nearby lymph nodes, and adrenal gland.

According to the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, approximately 5% of the citizens are at risk of developing colon cancer in their lifetime. With the high incidence of colon cancer, the U.S. Preventive Task Force (USPTF) has recommended screening for the condition at regular intervals starting at the age of 50 and until 75. After 75, it is optional and individuals can stop once they are 80 years of age or above. This screening is more important for those who fall in the risk-prone age category. Screening has resulted in the reduction of a number of deaths in the last few years as colorectal polyps are removed before they can become malignant. A few of the screening methods recommended by USPTF are: High-sensitivity fecal occult blood tests (FOBT): This test checks for blood in feces that cannot be seen by the eye. Doing a test every 2 years after the age of 50 reduces the percentage of death by 33%. Even if no other screening test is done, the FOBT should be done annually. Stool DNA test: The only stool test approved by the FDA, this detects blood in the fecal matter and also detects DNA biomarkers in the three genes which come from the lining of the colon and the rectum.

When diagnosed with cervical cancer, treatment should be decided at the earliest. The stage of cancer should be determined to consider the best possible options. Examinations to determine the stage may consist of imaging tests such as X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and a complete pelvic examination of the cervix, vagina, uterus, and ovaries. A cystoscopy and anoscopy are done as well to check whether cancer has spread to those areas. Once the stage is determined treatment can be planned. As various aspects of a patient’s health are considered in terms of treatment, the teams treating cervical cancer are multidisciplinary, consisting of different specialists who work together to make the best possible decisions based on your age, health and the stage of the illness. The team will have a gynecologist, a radiation oncologist, and a medical oncologist. Consult with them and clear all your doubts before proceeding. Seek a second opinion when in doubt. A basic understanding of the various treatments can help us be better informed. Surgery Early stages of cervical cancer can be treated with minimally invasive surgery. Cryosurgery or laser surgery, both of which can be done in the doctor’s clinic, are procedures which kill the cancer cells in the cervix.

The most common thyroid cancer, i.e., papillary thyroid cancer, has a very encouraging prognosis. This may be due to facts that first time diagnoses were early enough to address the cancers easily and recurrent incidences were easy to cure. It is also possible that most papillary thyroid cancers were small and were unlikely to spread and grow into dangerous, malignant forms. There is another perspective that supports the opinion that smallest papillary cancers would never have grown or spread even if they were not treated as per today’s treatment protocols. It has been observed from autopsy studies that about a third of patients who died from other causes have had some form of thyroid cancer without causing them any harm during their lifetime. For cancers, the standard measurements for survival are the 5- and 10-year survival rates. The numbers show the percentage of patients who have survived past these timelines against people who do not have thyroid cancer. Prognosis for cancers has been studied and data survival rates are constantly updated. The American Cancer Society maintains a database named SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) that collates all information that is useful and can project survival rates. For thyroid cancers, the survival rates have been published based on data collected between 2008 and 2014 when thyroid cancer was first diagnosed.

Cancer that grows in the tissue of any gland such as the prostate gland is known as adenocarcinoma. This is the type of cancer that forms most of the cases of prostate cancer. Based on how fast cancer grows in the prostate gland is how the cancer is categorized. Prostate cancer can be basically categorized into two main types – aggressive or fast-growing and non-aggressive or slow growing. As the name suggests with non-aggressive cancer the rate of growth is very slow or it simply doesn’t grow at all. Whereas with aggressive cancer, the growth is quite rapid and cancer may also spread to other parts of the body such as the bones, which can prove to be quite dangerous. The type of cell that the cancer started in tells you what type of prostate cancer you might have. Some of the types of prostate cancer are as follows: Acinar adenocarcinoma This type of cancer is formed in the gland cells that line the prostate cancer. This is the most common type of prostate cancer found and it is commonly found that nearly everyone who has prostate cancer has this type. Ductal adenocarcinoma This cancer starts in the cells that line the ducts of the prostate gland.