Cancer

For women with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy, yoga offers unique benefits beyond fighting fatigue, according to research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.  The preliminary findings were first reported in 2011 by Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., professor and director of the Integrative Medicine Program at MD Anderson, and are now published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. This research is part of an ongoing effort to scientifically validate mind-body…

A Mumbai-based mother talks about her son’s cancer (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) treatment in India and the US. As told to Utsa Shah.  My son Anshuman was diagnosed with T cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia when he was 13 years old. This was in 2011. He had just participated in the Mumbai Marathon. So, when he complained of weakness and pain in his legs, we initially put it down to the exertion of the marathon. He was also eating a lot less. When his condition did …

Lung cancer or carcinoma of the lung is uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung, usually in the cells lining the air passages. It is the leading cause of death due to cancer worldwide. Lung cancer is strongly related to cigarette smoking. 90% of lung cancer is caused by smoking though non-smokers can also have lung cancer. Incidence of lung cancer varies greatly between countries depending on their smoking habits. While lung cancer cases are decreasing in developed countries thanks to…

Colorectal cancer is a cancer that develops from uncontrolled cell division of the inner lining of the large intestine (colon and rectum). Globally, colorectal cancer is the 3rd most common cancer in men and 2nd most common cancer in women. Colorectal cancer is more common in developed nations such as the United States and less common in developing nations. However, incidences of colorectal cancer are increasing in Asian countries due to change in dietary habits and lifestyle. Most cases…

Cancer is a group of diseases characterised by out-of-control cell growth. There are more than 100 different types of cancer. The cancer is named after the area of the body or organ where it originates. For example, if the cancer starts in the breast and spreads elsewhere, it is still called breast cancer. Cancer occurs when the body’s normal cell division and regeneration process goes awry. Normal cells in the body follow a sequence of events - growth, division and death. This programmed cell…

Different types of breast cancer Breast cancers can be invasive or non-invasive. In non-invasive breast cancer, the abnormal cells are still in their place of origin and has not spread to nearby tissue. Invasive breast cancer is that which has spread or has the potential to spread from its place of origin, the breast ducts or lobules (glands) to surrounding tissue. Abnormal cells can reach the lymph nodes and other organs (metastasis) such as bones, liver or lungs, travelling through the…

A husband recalls his wife’s losing battle with pancreatic cancer. He shares his experience and his advice for families in similar situations. My wife Nirmala, 69, and I had gone on a tour of Eastern Europe, which entailed long trips by bus. Nirmala started complaining of back ache. Well, our reaction was that this was due to sitting in the bus for long spells.  We met our doctor as soon as we got back. The dull back pain persisted. The X-ray showed an inflamed pancreas…

Says Ovarian cancer survivor Kamini Pradhan (56), six years after she was diagnosed with Stage 3-B Ovarian Cancer. Here, she talks about the hits she took and what kept her fighting.  It was the morning of April 17, 2008. I was feeling a bit disoriented and was perspiring. I am diabetic and thought my blood sugar level may have dropped. I called our family physician, who found my sugar level, blood pressure and cardiac condition quite normal. As he was leaving, I mentioned…