Cancer Disease

Definition

Cancer is not just one disease, but a large group of almost 100 diseases. Its two main characteristics are uncontrolled growth of the cells in the human body and the ability of these cells to migrate from the original site and spread to distant sites. If the spread is not controlled, cancer can result in death.

Description

One out of every four deaths in the United States is from cancer. It is second only to heart disease as a cause of death in the states. About 1.2 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer annually; more than 500,000 die of cancer annually.

Cancer can attack anyone. Since the occurrence of cancer increases as individuals age, most of the cases are seen in adults, middle-aged or older. Sixty percent of all cancers are diagnosed in people who are older than 65 years of age. The most common cancers are skin cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer (in women), and prostate cancer (in men). In addition, cancer of the kidneys, ovaries, uterus, pancreas, bladder, rectum, and blood and lymph node cancer (leukemias and lymphomas) are also included among the 12 major cancers that affect most Americans.

Cancer, by definition, is a disease of the genes. A gene is a small part of DNA, which is the master molecule of the cell. Genes make "proteins," which are the ultimate workhorses of the cells. It is these proteins that allow our bodies to carry out all the many processes that permit us to breathe, think, move, etc.

Throughout people's lives, the cells in their bodies are growing, dividing, and replacing themselves. Many genes produce proteins that are involved in controlling the processes of cell growth and division. An alteration (mutation) to the DNA molecule can disrupt the genes and produce faulty proteins. This causes the cell to become abnormal and lose its restraints on growth. The abnormal cell begins to divide uncontrollably and eventually forms a new growth known as a "tumor" or neoplasm (medical term for cancer meaning "new growth").

In a healthy individual, the immune system can recognize the neoplastic cells and destroy them before they get a chance to divide. However, some mutant cells may escape immune detection and survive to become tumors or cancers.

Tumors are of two types, benign or malignant. A benign tumor is not considered cancer. It is slow growing, does not spread or invade surrounding tissue, and once it is removed, doesn't usually recur. A malignant tumor, on the other hand, is cancer. It invades surrounding tissue and spreads to other parts of the body. If the cancer cells have spread to the surrounding tissues, even after the malignant tumor is removed, it generally recurs.

A majority of cancers are caused by changes in the cell's DNA because of damage due to the environment. Environmental factors that are responsible for causing the initial mutation in the DNA are called carcinogens, and there are many types.

There are some cancers that have a genetic basis. In other words, an individual could inherit faulty DNA from his parents, which could predispose him to getting cancer. While there is scientific evidence that both factors (environmental and genetic) play a role, less than 10% of all cancers are purely hereditary. Cancers that are known to have a hereditary link are breast cancer, colon cancer, ovarian cancer, and uterine cancer. Besides genes, certain physiological traits could be inherited and could contribute to cancers. For example, inheriting fair skin makes a person more likely to develop skin cancer, but only if he or she also has prolonged exposure to intensive sunlight.

There are several different types of cancers:

• Carcinomas are cancers that arise in the epithelium (the layer of cells covering the body's surface and lining the internal organs and various glands). Ninety percent of human cancers fall into this category. Carcinomas can be subdivided into two types: adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas. Adenocarcinomas are cancers that develop in an organ or a gland, while squamous cell carcinomas refer to cancers that originate in the skin.
• Melanomas also originate in the skin, usually in the pigment cells (melanocytes).
• Sarcomas are cancers of the supporting tissues of the body, such as bone, muscle and blood vessels.
• Cancers of the blood and lymph glands are called leukemias and lymphomas respectively.
• Gliomas are cancers of the nerve tissue.

Precautions of Diabetes

Precautions:

There are many precaution measures that one can take in order to avoid diabetes. One important precaution is the special attention at one’s daily diet and nutritional system. By having a balanced alimentary regime people can easily avoid diabetes and many other diseases that can derive from bad alimentation.

People are also advised to have a lot of physical exercise, as studies have shown that the ones who practice sports are less threatened by the risk of getting diabetes. This disease is characteristic for sedentary people. The lack of physical activity can easily lead to diabetes.

By a healthy diet and by physical workout people can, hence avoid getting diabetes. Also, people are advised to take theirmedical tests at least twice a year in order to become aware of the eventual problems that they may have up to that certain point.

Although moderate exercise is one of the best and safest therapies for diabetics, or any one else for that matter, first thing I would like you to do is to tell your doctor you want to have a stress test done.

This is a very simple procedure; your doctor will ask you to step on a treadmill or a stationary bicycle while an electrocardiograph (EKG) machine monitors the activity in your heart. Your doctor, or the person conducting the test, will ask you to increase the level of your work little by little and as the heart rate increases, the EKG devise detects any abnormalities that may be present when the heart is working too hard.

This test can detect if your arteries are blocked or if the heart has a tendency toward arrhythmia or skipped beats. Your doctor then can use the test results to advice you on how much and what type of exercise is appropriate for you and what your heart rate should be during your workouts.

Your Exercise Heart Rate

Health authorities have determined that we can achieve the most benefits from exercise when the heart reaches a certain rate. Below that, the heart is not working hard enough to get the benefits of exercise and above it, we may be putting ourselves at risk.

What heart rate should you aimed at during exercise?

If your doctor does not indicate to you your maximum heart rate (the safe upper limit) during exercise, you can figure it out by yourself. It is very easy: subtract your age from 220. Example: since you are 45, your maximum heart rate at exercise is 220 minus 45, which equals 175. Another example: if a person is 55, his/her maximum heart rate is 165 (220 minus 55).

Determine a training heart rate

Depending on your level of fitness, the suggested training rate is between 65 and 85% of your maximum heart rate. As a precaution, don’t let your exercising pulse go above this rate. Beginners, such as in your case, should stay in the lower range; more fit individuals can go to the higher end.

Check your pulse rate

Since, in order to send more blood to your muscles, your heart has to beat faster faster when you exercise, your pulse rate also increases. While in the process of exercising, check your pulse rate at intervals to make sure your level of work is appropriate.

First, find your pulse by placing your middle and index fingers inside your wrist, below your thumb (An alternative pulse point is on the large artery on either side of your neck). Once you feel the pulse, count the number of beats during ten seconds and then multiply the number obtained by six. This tells you how many times your heart is beating per minute.

Try to make an appointment with your doctor at your earliest convenience. In the meantime, you can walk at a moderate pace. Brisk walking is quite safe.

A word of warning for patients with diabetes type 1

Exercise, in and of itself, lowers blood glucose. Because of this, the pancreas stops or slows down the production of insulin and if the diabetic person takes oral drugs or uses insulin, the level of blood glucose can go down too much, creating a dangerous situation. If you have diabetes type 1, by all means, have a guideline from your doctor on what type of exercise you can do before starting a vigorous exercise program.

Treatments:

There are numerous treatments found for diabetes so far. The pills taken for lowering the glycemia level are the most common treatment. They are used by people suffering from diabetes in an early stage of the disease. The pills can be usual ones that can be found in all the pharmacies, or naturist pills, the ones based on natural ingredients only. These pills are said to lower the level of glycemia from the patient’s blood. That is why they must be administrated and taken by respecting a strict schedule.

Another common treatment for diabetes is the insulin. This substance is usually injected in the organism and people who are prescribed insulin are usually suffering from and advanced form of diabetes. Insulin is prescribed when the glycemia level has reached a dangerous point. Another method of administrating insulin is the plaster method. There are special plasters in pharmacies that contain the necessary dose of insulin for a certain amount of time. Some people use plasters instead of the injection method, since the plaster method has become very popular and so easy to use.

Causes of diabetes

What causes Diabetes
The precise Etiology of most cases of diabetes is uncertain, although certain contributing factors are as follows:

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes is autoimmune disease that affects 0.3% on average. It is result of destruction of beta cells due to aggressive nature of cells present in the body. Researchers believe that some of the Etiology and Risk factors which may trigger type 1 diabetes may be genetic, poor diet (malnutrition) and environment (virus affecting pancreas). Secondly, in most of the cases, diabetes occurs because there is abnormal secretion of some hormones in blood which act as antagonists to insulin. Example- Adrenocortical hormone, Adrenaline hormone and Thyroid hormone.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes is also called non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes. It occurs when the body produces enough insulin but cannot utilize it effectively. This type of diabetes usually develops in middle age. A general observation says that about 90-95 % of people suffering with diabetes are type 2; about 80 percent are overweight. It is more common among people who are older; obese; have a family history of diabetes; have had gestational diabetes. There are number of risk factors found to be responsible for type 2 diabetes like, the more the Etiology and Risk factors carried by an individual, the higher the risk for developing diabetes.

Following are the Causes of Diabetes

• Hereditary or Inherited Traits : It is strongly believed that due to some genes which passes from one generation to another, a person can inherit diabetes. It depends upon closeness of blood relationship as mother is diabetic, the risk is 2 to 3%, father is diabetic, the risk is more than the previous case and if both the parents are diabetic, the child has much greater risk for diabetes.
• Age : Increased age is a factor which gives more possibility than in younger age. This disease may occur at any age, but 80% of cases occur after 50 year, incidences increase with the age factor.
• Poor Diet (Malnutrition Related Diabetes) : Improper nutrition, low protein and fiber intake, high intake of refined products are the expected reasons for developing diabetes.
• Obesity and Fat Distribution : Being overweight means increased insulin resistance, that is if body fat is more than 30%, BMI 25+, waist grith 35 inches in women or 40 inches in males.
• Sedentary Lifestyle : People with sedentary lifestyle are more prone to diabetes, when compared to those who exercise thrice a week, are at low risk of falling prey to diabetes.
• Stress : Either physical injury or emotional disturbance is frequently blamed as the initial cause of the disease. Any disturbance in Cortiosteroid or ACTH therapy may lead to clinical signs of the disease.
• Drug Induced: Clozapine (Clozaril), olanzapine (Zyprexa), risperidone (Risperdal), quetiapine (Seroquel) and ziprasidone (Geodon) are known to induce this lethal disease.
• Infection : Some of the strephylococci is suppose to be responsible factor for infection in pancreas.
• Sex : Diabetes is commonly seen in elderly especially males but, strongly in women and those females with multiple pregnancy or suffering from (PCOS) Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.
• Hypertension : It had been reported in many studies that there is direct relation between high systolic pressure and diabetes.
• Serum lipids and lipoproteins : High triglyceride and cholesterol level in the blood is related to high blood sugars, in some cases it has been studied that risk is involved even with low HDL levels in circulating blood.

Symptoms of Diabetes

What are the Primary Symptoms of Diabetes?

The most consistent symptom of diabetes mellitus (Type I and II) is elevated blood sugar levels. In Type I (insulin dependent / early onset) diabetes, this is caused by the body not producing enough insulin to properly regulate blood sugar. In Type II (non insulin dependent/adult onset) diabetes, it is caused by the body developing resistance to insulin, so it cannot properly use what it produces.

However, high blood sugar is not something you can see in the mirror at home, so it is useful to know the side-effects of high blood sugar, which are commonly recognized as the noticeable symptoms of diabetes.

If you find yourself experiencing many of these diabetes symptoms on a consistent, long term basis, you should visit a doctor to be tested for diabetes. Ignoring (or not recognizing) the symptoms of diabetes can lead to long-term serious health risks and complications from untreated diabetes.

Some of the common 'early warning' signs of diabetes are:

Excessive thirst:
The first symptom of diabetes is often excessive thirst that is unrelated to exercise, hot weather, or short-term illness.

Excessive hunger

You are still hungry all the time even though you've eaten.

Frequent urination

Frequent urination is often noticed because you must wake up repeatedly during the night.

Fatigue

Tiredness and fatigue, possibly severe enough to make you fall asleep unexpectedly after meals, is one of the most common symptoms of diabetes.

Sudden weight loss

Rapid and/or sudden weight loss (any dramatic change in weight is a sign to visit a doctor)

Get tested if you are concerned

While many of the signs and symptoms of diabetes can also be related to other causes, testing for diabetes is very easy, and the constant/regular presence of one or more of these symptoms over an extended period of time should be cause for a visit to the doctor.

If diabetes is suspected, tested for, and diagnosed when those symptoms first start appearing, other more serious symptoms of advanced diabetes can often be prevented or have their onset significantly delayed through diet, exercise and proper blood sugar management.

Minor, less recognizable symptoms

Often the 'minor' symptoms of diabetes go unrecognized, and physical and neurological problems may arise.

Blurry vision

Blurred vision may occur because diabetes can lead to macular degeneration and eventual blindness.

Numbness

Numbness and/or tingling in the hands and feet may occur due to peripheral neuropathy, a symptom of diabetes, causes nerve damage in the extremities)

Slow-healing wounds

Slow healing of minor scratches and wounds may be the result of diabetes-related impaired immune system function.

Recurrent yeast infections

Recurrent or hard-to-treat yeast infections in women are another sign of impaired immune function.

Dry skin

Dry or itchy skin may result from peripheral neuropathy which affects circulation and proper sweat gland function.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms on a regular basis, or you recognize these symptoms in a child or relative, they may be signs of untreated diabetes. A doctor's appointment should be made as soon as possible, so the individual experiencing the symptoms can -- if diabetes is diagnosed -- take the steps needed to prevent more serious health problems.

Diabetes disease

Diabetes

The Balance of Glucose and Insulin:

Diabetes is a disorder that affects the way your body uses food for energy. Normally, the sugar you take in is digested and broken down to a simple sugar, known as glucose. The glucose then circulates in your blood where it waits to enter cells to be used as fuel. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, helps move the glucose into cells. A healthy pancreas adjusts the amount of insulin based on the level of glucose. But, if you have diabetes, this process breaks down, and blood sugar levels become too high.

There are two main types of full-blown diabetes. People with Type 1 diabetes are completely unable to produce insulin. People with Type 2 diabetes can produce insulin, but their cells don't respond to it. In either case, the glucose can't move into the cells and blood glucose levels can become high. Over time, these high glucose levels can cause serious complications.

Pre-Diabetes:

Pre-diabetes means that the cells in your body are becoming resistant to insulin or your pancreas is not producing as much insulin as required. Your blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be called diabetes. This is also known as "impaired fasting glucose" or "impaired glucose tolerance". A diagnosis of pre-diabetes is a warning sign that diabetes will develop later. The good news: You can prevent the development of Type 2 diabetes by losing weight, making changes in your diet and exercising.

A Diagnosis of Pre-diabetes:

What does this mean? It means that cells in your body are becoming resistant to insulin and your blood glucose levels are higher than they should be. Since the levels aren't as high as they would be if you had type 2 diabetes, the term "pre-diabetes" is used. Your doctor may also call this condition "impaired fasting glucose" or "impaired glucose tolerance". According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, 41 million Americans between the ages of 40 and 74 have pre-diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes:

A person with Type 1 diabetes can't make any insulin. Type 1 most often occurs before age 30, but may strike at any age. Type 1 can be caused by a genetic disorder. The origins of Type 1 are not fully understood, and there are several theories. But all of the possible causes still have the same end result: The pancreas produces very little or no insulin anymore. Frequent insulin injections are needed for Type 1.

Type 2 Diabetes:

A person with Type 2 diabetes has adequate insulin, but the cells have become resistant to it. Type 2 usually occurs in adults over 35 years old, but can affect anyone, including children. The National Institutes of Health state that 95 percent of all diabetes cases are Type 2. Why? It's a lifestyle disease, triggered by obesity, a lack of exercise, increased age and to some degree, genetic predisposition.

Precaution For Kidney Failure

Precaution For Kidney Failure
According to clinical observation, together with proper treatment, diet precaution can play an important function for CKD patients recovery, which is called assistant therapy. CKD patients should take diet according to their illness condition so that better recovery can be attained. Then what should they focus on is our today’s topic.


CARBOHYDRATES

If you are overweight or have diabetes, you may need to limit the amount of carbohydrates you eat. Talk with your doctor, nurse, or dietitian.

Otherwise, carbohydrates are a good source of energy for your body. If your health care provider has recommended a low-protein diet, you may replace the calories from protein with:

FATS INTAKE

Fats can be a good source of calories. Make sure to use monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (olive oil, canola oil, safflower oil) to help protect your arteries. Talk to your doctor, nurse, or dietitian about fats and cholesterol that may increase your risk for heart problems.

PROTEIN INTAKE

Low-protein diets may be helpful before dialysis. Your doctor or dietitian may recommend a moderate-protein diet (1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day).

Once you start dialysis, you will need more protein. In fact, a high-protein diet with fish, poultry, pork, or eggs at every meal may be recommended. This will help you replace muscles and other tissues that you lose.

People on dialysis should eat 8 - 10 ounces of high-protein foods each day. Your doctor, dietitian, or nurse may suggest adding egg whites, egg white powder, or protein powder.

CALCIUM AND PHOSPHOROUS

Calcium and phosphorous, two other important minerals in the body, are also monitored closely. Even in the early stages of chronic kidney disease, phosphorous levels in the blood can become too high. This can cause:

1. Low calcium (this causes the body to pull calcium from your bones, which can make your bones weaker and more likely to break)

2. Itching

You will need to limit the amount of dairy foods that you eat. This includes milk, yogurt, and cheese. Some dairy foods are lower in phosphorous, including tub margarine, butter, cream cheese, heavy cream, ricotta cheese, brie cheese, sherbet, and nondairy whipped toppings.

Fruits and vegetables contain only small amounts of phosphorous.

You may need to take calcium supplements to prevent bone disease, and vitamin D to control the balance of calcium and phosphorous in your body. Ask your doctor, nurse, or dietititan.

If dietary measures to lower phosphorous are not enough, your doctor may recommend "phosphorous binders."

WATER INTAKE

In the early stages of chronic kidney disease, you do not need to limit how much fluid you drink. As your kidney disease becomes worse or when you are on dialysis, you will need to watch how much you drink. In between dialysis sessions, fluid can build up in the body.

Your doctor and dialysis nurse will let you know how much you should drink every day. Do not eat too much of foods that contain a lot of water, such as soups, Jell-O, popsicles, ice cream, grapes, melons, lettuce, tomatoes, and celery.

Use smaller cups or glasses and turn over your cup after you have finished it.

Tips to keep from becoming thirsty include:

1. Avoid salty foods

2. Freeze some juice in an ice cube tray and eat it like a popsicle (you must count these ice cubes in your daily amount of fluids)

3. Stay cool on hot days

POTASSIUM

Normal blood levels of potassium help keep your heart beating steadily. However, too much potassium can build up when the kidneys no longer function well. Dangerous heart rhythms may result.

Potassium is found in many food groups, including fruits and vegetables. Choosing the right item from each food group can help control your potassium levels.

When eating fruits:

1. Choose peaches, grapes, pears, cherries, apples, berries, pineapple, plums, tangerines, and watermelon

2. Limit or avoid oranges and orange juice, nectarines, Kiwis, raisins or other dried fruit, bananas, cantaloupe, honeydew, prunes, and nectarines

SALT OR SODIUM

Reducing sodium in your diet helps you control high blood pressure, keeps you from being thirsty, and prevents your body from holding onto extra fluid. A low-salt diet is usually needed.

Look for these words on food labels:

1. Low-sodium

2. No salt added

.3. Sodium-free

4. Sodium reduced

5. Unsalted

Check all labels to see how much salt or sodium foods contain per serving. Also, avoid foods that list salt near the beginning of the ingredients. Look for products with less than 100 mg of salt per serving.

Do not use salt when cooking and take the salt shaker away from the table. Most other herbs are safe, and you can use them to flavor your food instead of salt.

DO NOT use salt substitutes because they contain potassium. People with chronic kidney disease also need to limit their potassium.

When eating vegetables:

1. Choose broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, eggplant, green and wax beans, lettuce, onion, peppers, watercress, zucchini, and yellow squash

2. Limit or avoid asparagus, avocado, potatoes, tomatoes or tomato sauce, winter squash, pumpkin, avocado, and cooked spinach

IRON

Patients with advanced kidney failure usually need extra iron.

Many foods contain extra iron (liver, beef, pork, chicken, lima and kidney beans, iron-fortified cereals). Because of your kidney disease, talk this over with your doctor, nurse, or dietitian.

As we know chronic kidney disease is a progressive-slowly disease, which presents symptoms after a long time to develop. Similarly, the repairing of damaged inherent and recovery of renal function also need a time to attain. During this course, patient need to pay more attention to those standard medical therapy as well as assistant therapy, and then their recovery would be more pleasant and rapid. For more information about our standard treatment and diet recommendation, you can consult our experts. They will provide you professional and understandable explanation.

causes of kidney disease

What causes kidney failure?

Kidney failure can occur from an acute situation or from chronic problems.

In acute renal failure, kidney function is lost rapidly and can occur from a variety of insults to the body. The list of causes is often categorized based on where the injury has occurred.

Prerenal causes (pre=before + renal=kidney) causes are due to decreased blood supply to the kidney.
Examples of prerenal causes of kidney failure are:
hypovolemia (low blood volume) due to blood loss;

dehydration from loss of body fluid (for example, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, fever);

poor intake of fluids;

medication, for example, diuretics ("water pills") may cause excessive water loss; and

abnormal blood flow to and from the kidney due to obstruction of the renal artery or vein.

Renal causes of kidney failure (damage directly to the kidney itself) include:

Sepsis: The body's immune system is overwhelmed from infection and causes inflammation and shutdown of the kidneys. This usually does not occur with urinary tract infections.

Medications: Some medications are toxic to the kidney, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen. Others potentially toxic medications include antibiotics like aminoglycosides [gentamicin (Garamycin), tobramycin], lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid), iodine-containing medications such as those injected for radiology dye studies.

Rhabdomyolysis: This is a situation in which there is significant muscle breakdown in the body, and the damaged muscle fibers clog the filtering system of the kidneys. this can occur because of trauma, crush injuries, and burns. Some medications used to treat high cholesterol can cause rhabdomyolysis.

Multiple myeloma

Acute glomerulonephritis or inflammation of the glomeruli, the filtering system of the kidneys. Many diseases can cause this inflammation including systemic lupus erythematosus, Wegener's granulomatosis, and Goodpasture syndrome.

Post renal causes of kidney failure (post=after + renal= kidney) are due to factors that affect outflow of the urine:
Obstruction of the bladder or the ureters can cause back pressure because the kidneys continue to produce urine, but the obstruction acts like a dam, and urine backs up into the kidneys. When the pressure increases high enough, the kidneys are damaged and shut down.

Prostatic hypertrophy or prostate cancer may block the urethra and prevents the bladder from emptying.

Tumors in the abdomen that surround and obstruct the ureters.

Kidney stones. Usually, kidney stones affect only one kidney and do not cause kidney failure. However, if there is only one kidney present, a kidney stone may cause the lone kidney to fail.

Chronic renal failure develops over months and years. The most common causes of chronic renal failure are related to:
poorly controlled diabetes,

poorly controlled high blood pressure, and

chronic glomerulonephritis.

Less common causes of chronic renal failure include:
polycystic kidney disease,

reflux nephropathy,

kidney stones, and

prostate disease.