Men's Health Blog

personalized chemotherapy Can Offer Patients a Better Chance

Personalized chemotherapy is available in Pittsburgh and in locations across the country. It is an adaptive technique used by pioneering doctors attempting to make chemotherapy more efficacious. Prior to what is known as personalized chemotherapy, treatment conditions were determined according to formulas that applied to the general population. An example of this is the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) where a mathematical formula determines the maximum dose of chemo a person should receive. The problem with this is that some patients had a higher or lower threshold and the treatment was either too much, leading to negative side effects or it was not enough and that lead to no positive cancer reducing effect for the patients. Doctors had the dilemma of giving too much treatment which debilitated the quality of life for cancer patients or not giving the patients enough treatment which lead to failure to treat the cancer and cancer recurrence.

Facets of Personalized Chemotherapy Treatment

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Two decades earlier for locally advanced laryngeal cancer total laryngectomy and postoperative radiotherapy was standard of care. Now Radiotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy is considered standard care for patients desiring laryngeal preservation, and total laryngectomy is reserved for recurrent or residual disease as salvage therapy. The advantage of chemo radiation is larynx is preserved in 60-70% patients with better locoregional control. The drawback of primary chemo radiation, if there is recurrent or residual tumor then conservative laryngeal surgery cannot be performed as spread of tumor is very unpredictable and post operative complications are very high so ultimately patient end up undergoing total laryngectomy and losing natural voice.

A 62 year old patient diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma larynx (supraglottic) cT3N1M0 (i.e. malignant lesion in the supraglottic larynx with fixation of ipsilateral vocal cord with ipsilateral enlarged level II lymph node [upper jugular]).The metastatic workup was within normal limits. The case was discussed in the tumor board and planned for concurrent chemo-radiation .The patient tolerated the treatment well but symptoms still persisted. After a month of this treatment patient was evaluated by CT scan neck which showed lesion in the supraglottis with post radiotherapy changes, flexible laryngopharyngoscopy revealed lesion in the left supraglottis with post RT changes. Biopsy was taken, reported as squamous epithelium with post RT changes. PET CT scan revealed FDG avid lesion in the larynx and hypopharynx. Rigid Direct laryngoscopy was done under GA which revealed lesion in the left sided supraglottis with extension to left hypopharynx .Biopsy report was a moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma.

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Erectile dysfunction is also referred to as impotence; it is the inability to maintain an erection or in some cases, the inability to even achieve an erection of the penis for satisfactory sexual intercourse.

Fact – There has to be a strong flow of blood to the penis for an erection to occur.

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Mesothelioma is a very rare cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. Millions of Americans may have been exposed through their jobs and, sadly, thousands have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestos -related lung cancer. It is very important, if you are diagnosed with this disease, that you seek legal help because time is limited for a lawsuit. The amount of time you have to file a lawsuit varies from state to state. Asbestos law firms can help you file a claim. The potential compensation gained from such a lawsuit is no replacement for health but it can help you with medical expenses. No one should feel as if they are left alone to cope with this illness.

Workers who have been exposed to asbestos and have mesothelioma or asbestos related lung cancer as a result can seek compensation for their damages. The funds received from a potential settlement or verdict may provide these individuals with the financial resources necessary to try new therapies and provide security for the families that victims might ultimately leave behind. Experienced asbestos law firms can guide mesothelioma victims through their lawsuits, helping them from beginning to end. If you’re eligible to receive compensation for injuries that you have experienced as a result of asbestos exposure, then having a knowledgeable asbestos law firm on your side can help you. Mesothelioma affects millions of Americans today. Many leading asbestos law firms offer free evaluations. Some asbestos law firms even have attorneys who are willing to come to your home for appointments – making the process as easy as possible for the person who is ill.

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Robotic surgery, Robot assisted surgical procedures are being used for many types of cancer surgeries including prostate and gynecological cancers. Being diagnosed with prostate cancer raises many questions. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among American men. As the first step in taking control of your health, it’s important to learn about all available treatment options and the benefits and risks of each.

Robotic surgery uses the latest advances in technology to combine the skill and judgment of an experienced surgeon with the incredible flexibility and precision of a robot. Robotic system for surgery is a kind of computer-integrated surgery (CIS) system. Almost all operations in hepatobiliary pancreatic surgery could be performed successfully with Da Vinci S system. Robotic surgery will improve the development of minimally invasive surgery. At Roswell Park, surgeons use the da Vinci® Surgical System to perform operations that used to require open surgery. In 2000, the world’s first robot for surgery, “Da Vinci” has been released on.

Continue reading ‘it is Important to Learn About Prostate Cancer Robotic Surgery Side Effects And Cost’ »

Everyone has brain. It is the central of the all nerves system in our body. The brain regulates anything by giving command to the nerves system. Brain is formed from protein and also millions nerves system. On the brain there are also million tiny blood vessels that supply oxygen and also nutrition. Brain, although it is the most important part our body is not free from disease. There are many diseases that infect brain such as cancer. Brain cancer is the deadliest killer.It is not rare to see a near-miss and a cell phone talker being at the helm of one of the vehicles. A rule of thumb is to always lookout for drivers on their phones. Make sure the horn works on the vehicle being driven because it may be needed at moment’s notice. Accidents are common among people who talk on their phones and drive at the same time, but is this the only threat cell phone use pose on human health? No! Not according to a National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) study.

Doctor’s ask me what is going on with my family’s health. I answer “I don’t know – I’m in perfect health- no disease’s – nothing”. The only thing I did different was a Preventative Health plan I started with Poly-MVA. I started taking Poly-MVA because it was helping my brothers with their cancer which 2 out of the 3 are in remission and my other brother with the pancreatic cancer is surprising his doctors with how good he’s doing. I was always pro-active when it came to my health from eating right to exercise and nutritional supplements.Then the body increases the viscosity or thickness of the blood and lymph so they can handle more waste products. There can be additional mucous generated, and an increased amount of flow of bodily fluids. At this point, you don’t want to take medicine to dry things up! In fact, you want to go in the opposite direction when the case is as urgent as Sarah’s. Fortunately, her family was so committed to pursuing a natural cure for her brain cancer cure that this was not an issue.

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Cancer has been around as long as mankind, but only in the second half of the 20th century did the number of cancer cases explode. In just the past ten years or so, we have seen estimates go from one in four to about one in every two people in this country will get cancer.

Specifically, current statistics show that about 41 percent, or nearly half, of all Americans will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime, and about 21 percent, one fifth, of the nation’s population will die from it according to the National Cancer Institute’s SEER Cancer Statistics Review. In 2009 alone, over 1.5 million new cases were diagnosed and while the cancer mortality rate has recently declined due to early detection and more sophisticated cancer treatments, by all estimations, the overall incidence of cancer will steadily increase. Cancer is now our nation’s second largest killer, next to heart disease, and some indicators are pointing toward cancer as soon being America’s number one chronic disease.

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Premature ovarian failure is a condition affecting the reproductive system of women before they reach the age of 40. This means that both ovaries lose their function. Premature ovarian failure is known by various names such as premature menopause, primary ovarian failure, or primary ovarian insufficiency. In terms of percentage, the number of women affected by the disorder is small, although if translated to actual figures, the number exceeds hundreds of thousands.

Causes of Premature Ovarian Failure

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That means doing your monthly self exams, and getting yearly check ups at the doctors office. If you are in denial and think that it won’t happen to you, think again. It can happen to anyone, even in males.

The different techniques, used today, has advanced over the years.
Let’s take a look at some advantages we have to detect early stage of breast cancer through Medical review.
Mammography with Computer Aided Detection:
Mammograms are a great way to catch any early detection of cancer. Mammography is a an x-ray film of the breasts that is read by a Radiologist that checks to see if there is any abnormal findings. The Computer Aided Detection is a process that is computer based and it analyzes the mammogram for any abnormal tissue and shows the Radiologist where the abnormal tisse is, if there is any located.
Digital Mammography
Digital Mammography is a tool used to record an image of an x-ray of the breasts. The images are shown on a monitor and the doctors are able to enhance or manipulate the image for detection, before they print the image out on film.
Ultrasound
Ultrasounds are a high-frequency sound wave that produces pictures called sonograms. These help the Doctors to distinguish if a lump or abnormal tissue is a tumor or a cyst. Ultrasounds are not only used as a diagnostic image, but also to help guide biopsy procedures of breast tissue, like fine needle aspirations. Ultrasounds are usually done after the result of an abnormal mammogram that might show micro calcifications or other abnormal tissue.
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imagining)
MRI’s is a procedure done that doesn’t use radiation. There is a magnet that is connected to a computer that then creates the images of what is inside the body. When a breast MRI is obtained there are a lot of images that are created from front to back, top to bottom and side to side. The patient gets on the scanning table and lie on their stomach. The breasts hang into a hollow in the table that has coils that detect any type of magnetic signal. Then the patient is moved into the tube like machine that has the magnet. This helps to improve any cancerous tumor visibility. A radiologist reads the results of MRI’s also
Fine Needle Aspirations
A fine needle aspiration distinguishes what type of tumor the patient has. There are solid tumors and liquid-filled tumors; which are cysts. How the procedure works is the doctor takes a fine needle and inserts it into the location of the tumor. The fluid in the tumor is then removed and sent to laboratory to see if the tumor has cancerous cells or not.
Surgical Biopsy
Surgical biopsies are usually done if the mass is a solid tumor. There are two different types of surgical biopsies, excisional, and incisional. Incisional biopsies are performed by removing only a small portion of the abnormal tissue to be examined by a pathologist. With excisional biopsies the whole tumor is removed with a small amount of tissue surrounding it, and then sent to a pathologist to examine.
There are other procedures that are used for detection of breast cancer. The techniques that are listed above are the most common procedures used for patients today. Newer diagnostic imaging and techniques are being developed that are guaranteed to catch early detection and identify patients that are at a high risk of breast cancer. Infrared Thermographic Imaging is a new discovery that picks up any subtle changes that have occurred in the breast pathology. Another new advancement for early detection is Gamma imaging camera that is used with an MRI that can pick up a cancerous tumor that is within the breast. There are always new advances in technology that will help improve the techniques to find early detection of breast cancer. One of these days there will be a cure, but for now concentrate on getting early detection before it becomes too late.

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Prostate Cancer is one word that causes dread in the mind of the patient and his or her loved ones. However, with the advances made by science, it is now possible to beat back the disease especially in the case of prostrate cancer where progression of the disease is quite slow. There are different choices of treatment of prostrate cancer based on the level of the disease and the physical condition of the patient. Here are some of the options that doctors might consider putting into action.

When it comes to prostate, the familiar adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure is particularly apt. Although there is no way to guarantee that one will never be diagnosed with the disease, there are a handful of easy changes that a person can make in their lifestyle that will significantly lower their risk.

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