So, we have been talking about breast cancer for a while now, the risk factors that predispose women to the disease, the symptoms to look out for on self-breast examination and the different types of breast cancers and their presentation. Today, we would be looking at a breast cancer case under our management and the treatment course so far.
Colorectal cancer is a type of cancer found in the colon or rectum. It is also referred to as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer. The colon and rectum are in the lower portion of the digestive system. The colon is the large intestine and the rectum is the channel connecting the colon to the anus. The American Cancer Society predicts that 1 in 23 men and 1 in 25 women will develop colorectal cancer in their lifetime. Colorectal cancer remains the third most common cancer in the United States of America and is the second most common cause of deaths due to cancer.
So, it has been a period of enlightening us about Ovarian cancer as we celebrated World Ovarian Cancer day a few days ago. We trust you have been telling friends and loved ones on the need to know about ovarian cancer and prompt help seeking behavior whenever there is a significant index of suspicion.
We have had an overview of ovarian cancer, its risk factors, symptoms, types and diagnosis. Today, we take a look at its prevention, treatment options available and the survival rate.
Treatment
There are a variety of treatment options available to tackle ovarian cancer and help patients return to their normal day-to-day activities. However, the choice of treatment options is dependent on quite a number of factors comprising:
- Level of cancer progression (stage and grade)
- Type of ovarian cancer
- Age of patient affected
- General wellbeing of patient
- Cost of treatment and affordability
- Patients’ choice of treatment after considering the different treatment options.
The different treatment options include:
- Chemotherapy: This involves the use of drugs to kill rapidly proliferating cancer cells. The drugs could be administered orally or parenterally i.e. through intravenous means. In some cases, the drugs are delivered via intraperitoneal chemotherapy, directly to the abdomen to target the region affected by cancer cells. The effects of chemotherapy could be widespread as it tends to affect the body generally. Chemotherapy can be used before surgery and it is often administered after surgery to eradicate any residual cancerous cells.
- Surgery: this is the mainstay of ovarian cancer treatment. It is directed at excision of cancer tumors from affected sites in the body. However, the extent of the surgical procedure is dependent on the stage of cancer progression. For cancer in the very early stages which is yet to spread beyond an ovary, the ovary in question and fallopian tube is removed preserving the patient’s ability to conceive and give birth to children.
In cases where both ovaries are affected with no surrounding tissue anomaly, both ovaries alongside the fallopian tubes are removed leaving the uterus (womb). Patients in this category who are still of child bearing age and still have interest in having children have their eggs frozen and preserved for future fertilization. Patients who are well beyond child bearing age and have no plans to bear any more children often have their uterus, accompanying lymph nodes and surrounding tissues removed.
Please note that even with surgery, chemotherapy is often administered before and/or after surgery.
- Targeted therapy: this form of therapy is poised at reducing side effects by aiming for specific functions that promote cancer growth. They come as a resort after previous cancer treatment options explored seem to have failed. Medical physicians collect sample cancer cells from patients and conduct research to know their vulnerability and choice of drugs the cancer cells are susceptible to. Extensive clinical researches are still ongoing on targeted therapy.
- Radiotherapy: this employs the use of radiations specifically X-rays to kill cancer cells. It has been found to be helpful in advanced ovarian cancer cases.
- Immunotherapy: The immune system of the body is known to help fight and mount defense against all disease inducing processes in the human body system. Boosting the immune system helps the body fight against cancer. Vaccination helps introduce substances into the body system that help identify and fight cancer producing cells.
- Support: This involves all measures employed by the medical team, family and loved ones of the patient to help reduce pain, improve the patient’s illness experience and quality of life while the patient is undergoing other forms of treatments. The place of support cannot be overemphasized as it gives the patient psychological strength to overcome the disease.
Prevention
Ovarian cancer has no known fail proof way of prevention. However, a number of measures have been found to help reduce risk of developing the disease. They include:
- Breastfeeding
- Pregnancy
- Use of birth control medications.
A lot of patients have been known to survive ovarian cancer, however survival depends on the type and the stage of the cancer at presentation. The type of cancer is what no one has power over, but the stage at presentation, yes you do have power over that, the earlier you seek help, the better your chances at defeating the disease. Please, save a life today by encouraging people around you on the need to seek help when anything unusual is noticed about their body.
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Yay! It is World Ovarian cancer day and another opportunity to increase the awareness of this disease in order to improve our general understanding, and help our women of all ages easily recognize the disease pattern, its manifestation and their help seeking behavior with regards to the disease. This is all geared towards improving survival rate and life expectancy of our women.
It is a few days to World Ovarian Cancer day which is the 8th of May annually, availing us the opportunity to create more awareness to all of our audience on what Ovarian cancer is all about. Today, we take a look at what Ovarian cancer is, its risk factors and the symptoms it often presents with.
So, we have been talking about breast cancer for a while now, the risk factors that predispose women to the disease, the symptoms to look out for on self-breast examination and the different types of breast cancers and their presentation. Today, we would be looking at a breast cancer case under our management and the treatment course so far.
Last time out, we talked about how important it is to know the health status of your breast in order to aid early discovery of any breast cancer and put us in a vantage position to fight and defeat cancer. Sequel to this, questions have popped up on why some cancer cases resolve easily and some do not, rather they have been known to deteriorate and taken lives fatefully.
The breasts are very important part of the female body, as it is a powerful representation of motherhood, vitality and beauty. Little wonder it has been a matter of interest in medicine and feminine cosmetology. These precious jewels are without an iota of doubt deserving all the attention they get. Yet, In Nigeria, the risk of breast cancer in women has gradually appreciated from about 24.5 million in 1990 to 40 million in 2010 and were predicted to increase beyond 50 million in 2020.
Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the cells of the cervix, the cervix is a hollow cavity that connects the lower part of a woman’s uterus to her vagina.
Cervical cancer ranks fourth among most common cancers found in women. In 2018, an estimated 570,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide and about 311,000 (55%) of the women died from the disease according to WHO. The statistics alone emphasizes the need for attention to be paid to prevention by undergoing screening tests for early detection and treatment.
Since its founding in 1933, one of the main objectives of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) is to convene global leaders in cancer control—from treatment centers, researchers, patient groups, organizations carrying out diagnostics, screening and prevention programmes—to better fight cancer together. This also remains a core priority for the organization in these surreal times as we adapt to the COVID‐19 pandemic. COVID‐19 has presented huge challenges for cancer professionals, patients and cancer societies, globally. In 2020, a questionnaire‐based survey was conducted by UICC amongst 1200 members in 172 countries to better understand and assess the impact of the pandemic
MYTH: Breast cancer always causes a lump you can feel.
FACT: Breast cancer might not cause a lump, especially when it first develops.
People are sometimes under the impression that breast cancer always causes a lump that can be felt during a self-exam. They might use this as a reason to skip mammograms, thinking they’ll be able to feel any change that might indicate a problem. However, breast cancer doesn’t always cause a lump. By the time it does, the cancer might have already moved beyond the breast into the lymph nodes. Although performing breast self-exams is certainly a good idea, it isn’t a substitute for regular screening with mammography.
Unless people experience breast cancer in their own lives, or they’re close to someone who does, they might not be able to separate myth from fact when it comes to this disease: who gets it and why, for example, or what treatment involves. True, breast cancer is one of the better-known and more-talked-about cancers, but there are still so many misconceptions out there