Cancer

Lymphoma is the name for a group of blood cancers that develop in the lymphatic system. The two main types are Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).    

Chemotherapy is a standard line of treatment for many cancers. However, it does come with side effects. Dr Shital Patel explains the common side effects due to chemotherapy like mouth sores, nausea, dry skin, vomiting, diarrhea, hair loss and more and how to get relief from them.   Chemotherapy is a type of therapy where single or combination of drugs are given to control cancer and halt/slow progression & growth. They work by damaging the DNA of cancer cells, leading to cell…

The delay in diagnosis changes the prognosis, treatment approach, and the cost associated with it, dramatically By Jame Abraham, M.D, FACP, Cleveland Clinic Arathi is a 47-year-old, highly successful systems engineer from Mumbai. About six months ago, she noticed some discomfort in her left breast. When she raised her arm above her head to comb her hair, she noticed some skin changes on the left breast. But she chose to ignore that, too. When she developed a constant nagging pain in her…

Says Dr V Shanta, cancer specialist and the Chairperson of Adyar Cancer Institute, Chennai. Lung cancer, which is related to smoking, is today the top cancer in the country. Within the year, 15.5% of 13 to 15-year-olds are going to start smoking. Don’t let your child be one of them. Plus, how smoking harms non-smokers, too.  1. How grave is the health problem posed by tobacco use in India? How much of it relates to smoking cigarettes, beedis and how much is it due to consumption of gutka,…

Why your child is at risk and what to say to him or her. By Dr Shital Raval Patel. When you think of a smoker, you don’t think of a 10-year-old. But 67% of smokers in India start the tobacco habit between the ages of 9 and 15. According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (2006), more than one third of students aged 13 to 15 years (36.8%) reported initiating tobacco use before the age of 10 (Sinha et al., 2008). This could be cigarettes, bidis (which have three times the amount of nicotine and…

World No Tobacco Day is on May 31. Cancer survivor Vandana Gupta (VG), the founder of V Care, a support service for cancer patients and their families in India, talks about the urgent need to protect your kids and family members from the widespread scourge of tobacco use. Plus, what to say to kids who think smoking is cool.  PE: Your organisation, V Care, offers support to different types of cancer patients. What are the specific challenges pertaining to …

The risk was especially high among men who started using supplements before age 25, those who used multiple supplements, and those who used them for years. A new study links taking muscle-building supplements, such as pills and powders with creatine or androstenedione, with an increased risk of testicular cancer. Moreover, says study senior author Tongzhang Zheng, the associated testicular germ cell cancer risk was especially high among men who started using supplements before age 25,…

Prem's startling discovery of the root cause of his wife’s altered personality. Prompt diagnosis and treatment gave him back the woman he had married.  In the summer of 2012, my wife’s behaviour started to change. Initially we attributed it to age-activated attention deficit disorder (AAADD). We noticed that she was forgetful, moving from one chore to another unmindful of the earlier one. She showed signs of indifference, depression and withdrawal.  These…

1. Processed and Red Meat: contribute to colorectal cancer, the most common cancer in Singapore and one of the top 5 cancers in India as well as to stomach, breast, endometrium, oesophagus cancer. Regular consumption, even in small quantities increase your risk because of presence of nitrates and nitrites. 2. Cured and Salted Fish: Preserved fish are high in nitrates and nitrites and increase the risk of nasopharyngeal cancer.  Opt for oily fish like salmon, sardines and tuna which are…

By Paul Kalanithi, M.D., a neurosurgeon and writer. Though never a smoker, he was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in 2013. Paul died in March, 2015. He is survived by his wife Lucy and their daughter Cady. A few paragraphs that stood out for me: Six years passed in a flash, but then, heading into chief residency, I developed a classic constellation of symptoms — weight loss, fevers, night sweats, unremitting back pain, cough — indicating a diagnosis quickly confirmed: metastatic lung cancer…