All Living with cancer Articles

Sep. 2 -- The fanny pack on Kathleen Silvey's waist goes with her mountain biking and hiking. It's been to rock and country concerts. But inside the carryall is not a pair of sunglasses, car keys or cash. It holds a chemotherapy pump that pushes poisons to the deadly tumors in her abdomen. The rare cancer that has plagued Silvey for 3 1/2 years is expected to kill her. But the Read more...

For years, cancer patients have complained about the memory loss and attention problems they experience while undergoing chemotherapy. A new animal study from West Virginia University's School of Medicine suggests there may be a way to prevent those memory-related side effects -- often called "chemo-brain." WVU researchers have discovered that injections of a powerful Read more...

Return to Disease Management Main PageThis is a comprehensive reference guide to more than 100 health and medical conditions. From lifestyle changes to medications, each report features practical information on managing a disease or condition. Each report has been physician-reviewed to ensure medical accuracy and timeliness.This information is provided to supplement the care provided by your Read more...

by Steven Bratman, MD Policosanol is a mixture of related waxy substances manufactured from sugarcane, wheat germ, or beeswax. Sugarcane policosanol is the best-known form. Numerous studies enrolling a total of thousands of people reportedly found that sugarcane policosanol can substantially improve cholesterol profile. Not only was it reportedly more effective than placebo, it also proved just Read more...

by Ricker Polsdorfer, MDMain Page | Risk Factors | Reducing Your Risk | Screening | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment Overview | Chemotherapy | Radiation Therapy | Surgical Procedures | Lifestyle Changes | Talking to Your Doctor | Resource GuideWhile standard protocols have been established for the treatment of virtually all cancers, physicians will often modify them for their individual Read more...

by Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MDMain Page | Risk Factors | Reducing Your Risk | Screening | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment Overview | Chemotherapy | Radiation Therapy | Surgical Procedures | Other Treatments | Lifestyle Changes | Living With Bladder Cancer | Talking to Your Doctor | Resource Guide While standard protocols have been established for the treatment of virtually all cancers, physicians Read more...

Adapted from the National Cancer Institute by EBSCO Publishing Editorial Staff If you have had radiation treatments, surgical removal of some lymph nodes, or an infection or trauma to your lymphatic ducts or veins, you need to know how to reduce your risk of lymphedema. Lymphedema is an accumulation of lymphatic fluid in tissue that causes swelling. (Lymphatic fluid is a clear fluid carried Read more...

Adapted from the National Cancer Institute by Marjorie Montemayor, MA If you are like many cancer patients, the thought of chemotherapy is more daunting than the cancer itself. However, the kind of side effects you have and how severe they are, depend on the type and dose of chemotherapy you receive and how your body reacts. What Causes Side Effects? Many anticancer drugs are made to kill Read more...

by EBSCO Editorial Staff Fatigue—feeling tired and lacking energy—is the most common symptom reported by cancer patients. The exact cause is not always known. It can be due to your disease, chemotherapy , radiation , surgery, low blood counts, lack of sleep, pain, stress, and poor appetite, along with many other factors. Fatigue from chemotherapy feels different from fatigue of everyday Read more...

by EBSCO Editorial Staff Hair loss (alopecia) is a common side effect of chemotherapy. But not all drugs cause hair loss. Your doctor can tell you if hair loss might occur with the drug or drugs you are taking. The hair may become thinner or fall out entirely. Hair loss can occur on all parts of the body, including the head, face, arms and legs, underarms, and pubic area. The hair usually grows Read more...

Chemotherapy can reduce the bone marrow's ability to make red blood cells, which carry oxygen to all parts of your body. When there are too few red blood cells, body tissues do not get enough oxygen to do their work. This condition is called anemia. Anemia can make you feel short of breath, very weak, and tired. Call your doctor if you have any of these symptoms: Fatigue (feeling very weak and Read more...

As told to Debra Wood, RN Frank is a 60-year-old security consultant from Florida who travels around the country. He advises companies about ways of strengthening their defenses and managing crises. He learned he had prostate cancer five years ago. What was your first sign that something was wrong? What symptoms did you experience? While I had noticed I was getting up earlier and urinating Read more...

(Basal Cell Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma) by Laurie LaRusso, MS, ELSDefinitionSkin cancer is a disease in which cancer cells grow in the skin. The two most common kinds of skin cancer are: Basal cell carcinoma —a slow-growing cancer that begins in the inner part of the outer layer of the skin and rarely spreads to other parts of the body. It accounts for more than 90% of all skin cancers Read more...

by Ricker Polsdorfer, MDMain Page | Risk Factors | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Screening | Reducing Your Risk | Talking to Your Doctor | Living With Brain Tumors | Resource GuideBrain Tumor© 2008 Nucleus Medical Art, Inc.The primary goal of treatment is to remove the tumor completely. The first option for the treatment and management of brain tumors involves surgery. If surgery is not Read more...

by Ricker Polsdorfer, MDMain Page | Risk Factors | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Screening | Reducing Your Risk | Talking to Your Doctor | Living With Ovarian Cancer | Resource GuideThe goal of treatment is to eliminate all cancer from your body. If that is not possible, treatment aims to extend your comfort by removing or killing as much cancer as possible.The treatment and management of Read more...

by Debra Wood, RNMain Page | Risk Factors | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Screening | Reducing Your Risk | Talking to Your Doctor | Living With Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma | Resource GuideThe treatment and management of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma may involve radiation therapy, chemotherapy, medications to help with side effects, and other treatments, such as bone marrow transplant. Different Read more...

by Debra Wood, RNMain Page | Risk Factors | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Screening | Reducing Your Risk | Talking to Your Doctor | Living With Melanoma | Resource GuideThe goal of treatment is to eliminate the cancer or, if this is not possible, to limit its further growth and control the symptoms. The treatment and management of melanoma may involve surgery, biological therapy, and Read more...

by Debra Wood, RNMain Page | Risk Factors | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Screening | Reducing Your Risk | Talking to Your Doctor | Living With Lung Cancer | Resource GuideThe treatment and management of lung cancer will depend on the type of cancer, the stage, and your general health. Treatments are often used in combination. The goal is to eliminate the cancer and/or control Read more...

by Debra Wood, RNMain Page | Risk Factors | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Screening | Reducing Your Risk | Talking to Your Doctor | Living With Lung Cancer | Resource GuideA risk factor is something that increases your likelihood of getting a disease or condition.It is possible to develop lung cancer with or without the risk factors listed below. However, the more risk factors you have, the Read more...

by Debra Wood, RNMain Page | Risk Factors | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Screening | Reducing Your Risk | Talking to Your Doctor | Living With Lung Cancer | Resource GuideAmerican Cancer SocietyAddress:1599 Clifton RoadAtlanta, GA 30329Phone:1-800-ACS-2345 (1-800-227-2345)Internet address:http://www.cancer.orgDescription of services provided:The American Cancer Society provides information Read more...