Archive for the 'General' Category
February 10th, 2010 by Peter
Wikipedia gives a clear definition of lung cancer.
Lung cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. This growth may lead to metastasis, invasion of adjacent tissue and infiltration beyond the lungs. The vast majority of primary lung cancers are carcinomas of the lung, derived from epithelial cells.
Lung cancer, the most common cause of cancer-related death in men and the second most common in women, is responsible for 1.3 million deaths worldwide annually. The most common symptoms are shortness of breath, coughing (including coughing up blood), and weight loss.
Continue reading ‘What is Lung Cancer?’
August 25th, 2009 by Avatar
Promoters of the alternative no-prick alternative to insulin intake have received another blow with industry leaders announcing their fears of detecting several cases of lung cancer in people who were receiving them under clinical trials. This is another in a long list of blows that the product has received and with many pharmaceuticals pulling the plug on research, the outlook seems bleak for the new diabetes treatment option. Many have been searching for alternative treatments for diabetes who have long been plagued by needles they use for administering the drug to supplement their insulin levels. The products were supposed to take away the pain and fuss of using syringes which is still the preferred method of administration.
June 13th, 2009 by Peter
Researchers have been able to identify the mechanism that allows cancer cells to infect normal cells, tuning them into cancerous ones themselves. This method the cancer cell uses is similar to the way colo-rectal cancer works to spread into the bone marrow and brain which is the main reason for relapse in many cases. The method has long been sought and with the findings comes a better understanding how cancer cells infiltrate cells from other organs without a need for adaptation to take into account the differences in the cells forms and makeup. In other biological systems, cells such as parasitic ones, normally live off one specific host and not another having developed specific functions that allows it to survive one host and not on the other. Cancer cells are known to differ form one organ to the other yet the mechanism that allows them to take over completely normal cells is still under study. A better understanding of which would allow the development of blockers that can interfere with the ability of cells to adapt to their new host cells thus limiting their spread and even controlling and eliminating the disease in the future.
May 11th, 2009 by Peter
The drug has been in the sights of researchers for quite sometime now and was previously being targeted for melanomas, breast and colon cancer. New studies from Shanghai China are studying the possibility of the drug’s use in treating small-cell lung cancers through comparative study of its effects on both healthy and cancerous lung tissue. Studies in the lab on mice have been successful and they are awaiting approval for human studies to study the possibility of it’s use as treatment for lung cancer that continues to be one of the most deadliest forms of cancer the world over. Continue reading ‘Putative Tumor Suppressor TIP30′
April 11th, 2009 by Peter
Researchers in the University of Nottingham, have discovered a gene that has stong counter lung cancer abilities named LIMD1 which is responsible for preventing lung and even other forms of cancer from taking hold. The mechanisms of healthy cells turning into cancerous ones is still quite muddled due to the many forms and shapes of the said disease. They have also discovered that the absence of the said gene is responsible for the manifestation of the disease in human lung tissue. The gene was found missing in lab mouse that had lung cancer present and quite abundant in those that didn’t, which means it can be used to devise effective ways of determining the absence or presence of the disease. Continue reading ‘Anti-Cancer Gene Identified’
March 11th, 2009 by Peter
It used to be a widely accepted fact that smoking is a more than sure way of diagnosing lung cancer but that has been proven to be a very inaccurate way of judging the disease’s existence. Urine is the waste product of the body containing liquid waste as well as hormones and other by-products of the human body’s normal functions. A certain metabolite of hormone named NNAL has been found to be a very accurate way of determining the existence of lung cancer which is produced by the body when the disease is present. Continue reading ‘Urine Test to Detect Lung Cancer’
February 25th, 2009 by editor
Cigarette smoking is a major cause of lung cancer. It also poses a threat to non smokers who inhale the so-called second hand smoke.
If you want to prevent having lung cancer (and other types like mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus), do not smoke-quit smoking cigarettes or tobaccos. If you quit smoking, you will reduce your chances of having cancer. If you are a non-smoker, stay away from smokers so as not to be exposed to the harmful secondhand smoke.
If you suspect that you might have or at risk of having lung cancer, consult your doctor. He can schedule you for a series of screenings and examinations like chest x-rays, blood and sputum tests, CT scans, and tissue biopsy.
Your doctor or health care team can explain whatever the results and the possible treatments and medications available for you.
January 30th, 2009 by Peter
Marine researchers have found a bacteria which lives in the mud of our oceans to have cancer fighting properties off the shores of the Bahamas. Salinispora tropica, which lives in sea sediment has shown promise as treatment for bone marrow cancer called multiple myeloma and solid tumors. The researchers were thrilled at the results of preliminary tests that show the bacteria to be very potent against cancer cells. Discovered in 1991, it was only recently that the bacteria was tested for its possible use as a cancer cure which didn’t prove them wrong. This year alone, an additional 50,000 Americans will be diagnosed with cancer and this gives hope to those who are suffering as the promise of better and more potent treatment options are always welcome. The bacterium was subjected to a battery of dna tests that isolated the workings of the organism, enough for them to isolate and understand better the cancer fighting trait. It is currently under clinical trials for bone marrow cancer and will surely be under testing for the many other forms of the disease that afflicts so many people around the world.
December 30th, 2008 by editor
A cancer cell or two that is, which researchers have found to be the case, what’s interesting is that there is a gene that prevents it from spreading an it’s been found. All of us have some cancer cells that are dormant which is possible with a gene called LIMD1. This gene tells these isolated cancer cells to stay dormant , an absence of which sends them all over the lung or other parts of the body spreading the disease. Studies are now focusing on supplementing the said gene as a form of treatment that might just work to save the many people who die of lung cancer the world over. Screening tests are also being formulated for a deficiency of the gene which adds to the battery of tests that can be done increasing the chances of early detection.
August 12th, 2008 by Peter
Image Source: www.topnews.in
Lung cancer kills more men and women than any other cancer does. It occurs most often in people over age 50 who smoked for many years. Lung cancer can develop when the lungs are damaged by repeatedly inhaling smoke (including second hand smoke which is even worst) or other harmful substances including asbestos, radioactive dust, and radon.
Having a combination of risk factors, such as being a smoker who works with asbestos, greatly increases you risks of developing lung cancer. Symptoms of lung cancer are similar to those of other chest and lung problems: chronic cough; shortness of breath; wheezing; hoarseness; repeated lung infections or pneumonia; pain in the chest wass, shoulders, or back; or coughing uppus- filled of bloody sputum. So beware because there may be no symptoms during the early stages. If you smoke, see your physician about any chronic respiratory symptoms and your risks in getting lung cancer.
