Cancer

What tests do you need for Ovarian Cancer: Ovarian cancer at its early stages (I/II) is difficult to diagnose until it spreads and advances to later stages (III/IV). This is because most symptoms are non-specific and thus of little use in diagnosis. You doctor may do some of the following: Physical examination (including a pelvic, vaginal, rectal examination). For young patients, an MRI is preferred  Transvaginal ultrasound Blood test (complete blood count, serum electrolyte test) CT or…

Often there are few signs and symptoms in the early stages, which is why ovarian cancer is often detected late. In most cases, the symptoms persist for several months before being recognised and diagnosed.            These are some of the more common symptoms of Ovarian Cancer: Bloating – the abdomen feels tight, full, or with an abdominal mass Abdominal or pelvic pain Difficulty eating Urinary symptoms Constipation Abnormal vaginal bleeding Rectal bleeding…

Ovarian cancer is classified according to the histology of the tumour, obtained in a pathology report. Histology staging and grading dictates the aspects of clinical treatment, management and prognosis for each patient:    Surface epithelial-stromal tumour, also known as ovarian epithelial carcinoma, is the most common type of ovarian cancer that arises from the cells covering the surface of the ovary. Sex cord-stromal tumours are benign or malignant tumours in cells that surround…

We do not yet know what causes Ovarian Cancer. But we do what increases the risk of developing ovarian cancer. You are at higher risk of developing ovarian cancer if: You are over 55; the average age at diagnosis is found to be 63 You have a family history (risk is higher for 1st degree relatives) You have BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutation You have a history of breast, uterine or colorectal cancer You have a genetic link to Lynch syndrome You started menstruating before 12 yrs of age You have…

With a palliative care policy formulated in 2008, Kerala has become a path-breaker and a model for the rest of the country. Professor Devi Vijay of IIM Calcutta provides some insights into this community-based aspect of health care.  1. What can the rest of the country learn from the success of the Kerala palliative care story?How can other countries and communities leverage this community-based model?  There are several elements of the Kerala palliative care movement worth examining…

Maya Ramachandran shares her experience as a caregiver to her parents and the learnings she drew from this. Caregiving is soul-satisfying, meaningful, draining and frustrating all at the same time. I had been a caregiver for my father for almost 16 years. My mother took charge from the forefront and I was with her, supporting her to the best of my ability through this period. However, for the last two years of my father’s life, I took on the role of ‘primary caregiver’, as my mother…

Diagnosis of Hodgkin's Lymphoma The doctor will take your case history, carry out physical examination and recommend laboratory tests and imaging studies. Physical examination focuses on the location and size of all palpable lymph nodes, abnormal lung sounds, and enlargement of liver, spleen, or both.  Laboratory studies The doctor may recommend the following:  Complete blood picture: may be normal in early stages but in advanced stages there may be either decrease in the red blood…

Treatment of Hodgkin's Lymphoma The choice of treatment of HL is based on the stage at presentation and prognostic factors. Today, the most widely used approach is a combination of chemotherapy with radiation therapy. This approach yields a greater than 90% cure rate. Early-stage (stage I-II) favourable disease is treated with short term chemotherapy  with ABVD (Adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine) or BEACOPP or Stanford V regimen. Radiation therapy (20-30 Gy) usually 2 to…

Risk factors for Hodgkin’s lymphoma The risk factors for Hodgkin’s lymphoma are infectious agents, immunity and genetic susceptibility. Infectious agents: Prior Infectious mononucleosis (IM) infection and Measles virus (MV) infection has been recognised as a risk factor for HL. People with HIV infection are more prone to develop Hodgkin’s lymphoma and this along with Kaposi’s sarcoma is considered as AIDS-defining cancers. This means that if a person with HIV has one of these cancers, it can…

There are two broad divisions of lymphomas; Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  Hodgkin’s lymphoma Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) is a cancer that arises from B lymphocytes. Also known as Hodgkin’s disease, it was first described by Thomas Hodgkin in 1831. This is less common than non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and accounts for approximately 15% of all lymphomas and is common in young adults. It is characterised by the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells. Early diagnosis can lead to full…