Expected Symptoms Of Lung Cancer
Lung cancer produces symptoms that most people would expect. These symptoms are tied to the basic functions of our lungs. These symptoms include:
- Coughing. Coughing that doesnt go away or gets worse.
- Shortness of breath. Feeling out of breath, tightness in the chest, feeling like you cant breathe, or feeling you cant get enough air.
- Coughing up blood, phlegm, or mucus. Coughing up blood-tinged or rust-colored phlegm or mucus.
- Chest pain. Pain that gets worse with laughing, coughing, or deep breathing.
- Wheezing. Wheezing is that high-pitched whistling sound that happens when exhaling.
Some Cancers Cause No Symptoms At All
Sometimes, people with cancer dont experience any signs or symptoms at all. Others only have issues when the cancer has spread throughout their body.
For instance, ovarian cancer usually doesnt cause any noticeable problems until it spreads to other organs. By the time this cancer causes signs or symptoms, its usually very advanced and difficult to cure.
Its possible to spot cancers before you have any symptoms. Checkups and screening tests may be able to detect certain cancers in your body before they start affecting you.
Ask your doctor if you should have any special tests. If you have a family history of a certain cancer or have been exposed to specific risk factors, your physician may perform more aggressive testing.
Thyroid Autoimmunity And Breast Cancer
Breast cancer incidence is also increasing rapidly in the last decade. But is there a correlation between thyroid and breast cancer?
There was a study done on 867 breast cancer patients, and their thyroid status was checked.
The results showed a significant correlation in the presence of thyroid autoimmunity and breast cancer.
There has been some hypothesis that the link between the thyroid autoimmunity and breast cancer could be because of some shared similar antigens between the two glands, and also that breast cancer could be propagated by immune cells which might have been modified in case of thyroid autoimmune diseases.
Similar to thyroid cancer there have been studies that show that breast cancer also has immune cells present.
And so its not a surprise that the inflammatory autoimmune thyroid disease increases the risk of breast cancer too.
This association between thyroid disorder and cancer means that inflammation does play a huge role in cancer development.
In fact, new cancer research is focusing on developing immunomodulator medicines to modify this inflammation and see if it can help with cancer treatment.
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In an effort to stay safe from coronavirus, many of us have put off the annual screenings and check-ups where cancers are often caught. Thats understandable. Still, early detection is one of the best weapons against the disease.
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Breast Cancer & Weight Gain: What You Need To Know
Nearly 80% of people who are diagnosed with breast cancer will experience weight gain,1 reported to range between two pounds and 18 pounds. Not only is this an alarming trend for general health and self-image, but also some evidence suggests that pre-menopausal women who gain weight have a 1.5 fold increase risk of cancer recurrence.2 Other studies have shown that some types of treatment, such as anastrozole , are less effective at treating breast cancer in patients who are obese.3
Stephanie Graff, MD, Director of the Breast Cancer Program at Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute at HCA Midwest Health and Associate Director of the Breast Cancer Research Program at Sarah Cannon Research Institute shares what people should know about the risk factors for weight gain after a breast cancer diagnosis.
Simultaneously hitting menopause
Women who become post-menopausal within the year they are diagnosed with breast cancer are the most likely to gain weight. An average woman without breast cancer gains three pounds with menopause.4 The risk of weight gain with menopause is highest in women who were at a healthy weight when reaching menopause. There does not seem to be a significant weight gain in women who quit hormone replacement at the time of a breast cancer diagnosis.
Treatment effects
Emotional wellness & coping skills
References
Cancer Survivors May Deal With Sleep
From loud snores to pauses in breathing during slumber, sleep-disorderedbreathing affected 19 percent of childhood cancer survivors in a recentJohns Hopkins study. Thats nearly five times higher than the rate inhealthy children. And sleep problems are likely to persist into adulthood.As more and more people live for decades beyond cancer, helping survivorssleep better is an important health issue, says lead researcher Kathryn Ruble, M.S.N., Ph.D.
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Tests To Determine Specific Types Of Treatment
Youll also need tests that show whether the cancer will respond to specific types of treatment. The results of these tests can give your doctors a more complete picture of the type of cancer you have and how best to treat it. The types of test you could be offered are discussed below.
In some cases, breast cancer cells can be stimulated to grow by hormones that occur naturally in your body, such as oestrogen and progesterone.
If this is the case, the cancer may be treated by stopping the effects of the hormones, or by lowering the level of these hormones in your body. This is known as hormone therapy.
During a hormone receptor test, a sample of cancer cells will be taken from your breast and tested to see if they respond to either oestrogen or progesterone. If the hormone is able to attach to the cancer cells , theyre known as hormone receptor positive.
While hormones can encourage the growth of some types of breast cancer, other types are stimulated by a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 .
These types of cancer can be diagnosed using a HER2 test, and treated with medication to block the effects of HER2. This is known as biological or targeted therapy.
Weakness In Limbs And Dizziness
Feeling dizzy can be caused by high or low blood pressure, stress or not eating for a long time. However, if you feel lightheaded or dizzy for more than a couple of days you should talk to your doctor as it may be a symptom of primary central nervous system tumours or brain metastases . Persistent weakness in your limbs may also be a sign of CNS tumours or brain metastases.
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Specific Secondary Or Associated Conditions And Complications
Cancer prevalence increases with age and is likely to be associated with more comorbidities that should be evaluated. Most frequent comorbidities are hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and arthritis. Anemia, thyroid dysfunction, symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, and depression are frequently part of the evaluation. Initial assessments must begin with a good comprehensive medical history, review of systems, and medications taken. Inadequate control of these should be corrected.
Changes When You Go To The Bathroom
Changes in bowel movements or urine can be signs of a few different cancers.
Blood in the stool is never a good sign, especially if there’s not an obvious cause. It signify stomach cancer or colorectal cancers. Other changes in bowel movements, like diarrhea or constipation that last more than a few days, can also be signs of colorectal cancer, the ACS explains.
Bonta said that in men, symptoms like blood in the urine, needing to pee freqeuntly at night, sudden urges to urinate, or a weak stream of urine could indicate prostate cancer.
And in all people, certain urinary changes may also be symptoms of kidney and bladder cancers, the ACS says. So it pays to be alert and notice when there’s a long-lasting change in your normal bathroom habits.
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How Can A Patient Manage Cancer
Patients with cancers and those who are on cancer treatment may need to make a few lifestyle changes to cope up with side effects such as tiredness.
- Physical activity: Staying or becoming physically active can help relieve fatigue. The type and level of physical activity may change during and after cancer treatment. Some people may benefit from working with a physical therapist. Doctors may usually discuss with patients how to be physically fit during and after cancer treatments.
- Counseling: Behavioral therapy may help patients to cope up with tiredness. It usually helps patients by reframing thoughts and improving sleep during cancer treatment.
- Stress relievers: Evidence suggests that mindfulness practices, yoga, massages, music therapy, meditation, and acupuncture may reduce tiredness in cancer survivors.
- Diet: Doctors usually prescribe a healthy diet that includes nutrients and vitamins. Alternatively, few supplements may also be prescribed.
Other Types Of Breast Cancer
Other less common types of breast cancer include invasive lobular breast cancer, which develops in the cells that line the milk-producing lobules, inflammatory breast cancer and Paget’s disease of the breast.
It’s possible for breast cancer to spread to other parts of the body, usually through the lymph nodes or the bloodstream. If this happens, it’s known as ‘secondary’ or ‘metastatic’ breast cancer.
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Unexplained Bleeding Or Blood
Unexplained bleeding can be caused by something less serious than cancer but you should check with your doctor.
Blood in your faeces or urine or coughing up a vomiting blood could be a sign of cancer.
Unexplained vaginal bleeding, including between periods, after sex or after menopause should be investigated by your doctor.
Not Sleeping Well Causes Fatigue
Some people with cancer are not able to get enough sleep. The following problems related to sleep may cause fatigue:
- Waking up during the night.
- Going to sleep at different times every night.
- Sleeping duringthe day and less at night.
- Being inactive during the day.
- The time of day that cancer treatment is given.
Poor sleep affects people in different ways. For example, the time of day that fatigue is worse may be different. Some people with cancer who have trouble sleeping may feel more fatigue in the morning. Others may have severe fatigue in both the morning and the evening. People with cancer who are inactive during the day, have restless sleep, or who have obesity may have higher levels of fatigue.
Even in people with cancer who have poor sleep, fixing sleep problems does not always improve fatigue. A lack of sleep may not be the cause of the fatigue. See the PDQ summary on Sleep Disorders for more information.
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Lack Of Sleep And Cancer: Is There A Connection
Long-term sleep disruptions may raise the risk of some cancers. But sleepand cancer are intertwined in other ways too. Getting a good nights sleepis difficult during cancer treatment and can be a lifelong challenge forsurvivors.
In our research, nearly one in four survivors of childhood cancer had difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, says cancer expert Kathryn Ruble, M.S.N., Ph.D., of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center . Helping cancer survivors improve their sleep might help them perform at school, on the job, and throughout their lives.
How do sleep and cancer influence each other, and what can you do about a lack of sleep? Heres what researchers have learned.
Changes In Bowel Habits
It is important to get to know your body and what is normal for you, including your bowel habits. Changes in bowel habits can include diarrhea or constipation or more frequent bowel movements. These symptoms can be caused by a number of conditions including cancer, so it is important to see your doctor.
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How Does Cancer Cause Fatigue
, cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. That growth requires energy, and cancer absorbs energy that would normally travel to the rest of the body.
Its uncommon to notice this energy drain, however, unless the cancer has metastasized to organs such as the liver, where it may affect metabolism, or the bone marrow.
When cancer invades the bone marrow, it affects the production of blood cells. White blood cells help fight infection. Red blood cells contain hemoglobin and carry oxygen to and from organs and tissues throughout the body, providing energy and removing waste from cells. Cancer may cause a reduction in the production of red blood cells, resulting in anemia, which causes fatigue.
Inflammation caused by cancer may be another key contributor to cancer-related fatigue. When your body is fighting a disease, it releases chemicals like cytokines to trigger the immune response, but these chemicals may also cause fatigue.
In patients with advanced cancer, the disease may produce cachexins, which reduce your appetite and may result in cachexia, a serious cancer-related condition that causes substantial weight loss and muscle wasting.
Forgetting The Root Cause
And the biggest reason for thyroid causing fatigue is because nobody is addressing the root cause.
The root causes which started it all the thyroid imbalance is the inflammation in body.
The inflammation in our body is destroying the thyroid gland, that is the reason our mitochondria are being destroyed too.
Replacing the thyroid hormone with medicine like levothyroxine does not reduce the underlying inflammation hence thyroid fatigue.
So we need to work on reducing inflammation too to help improve our energy when thyroid causing fatigue.
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Thyroid Hormone Replacement Therapy
Thyroid hormone replacement therapy is often prescribed after thyroid surgery to replace the hormones that are no longer being produced by your thyroid tissue. Depending on how much of your thyroid was taken out, you may have to take the medication most commonly levothyroxine for the rest of your life.
Thyroid hormone replacement can also help prevent the growth or recurrence of thyroid cancer. It does this by lowering your circulating level of the hormone TSH, which is secreted by your brains pituitary gland and tells your thyroid to make more thyroid hormone. High TSH levels can stimulate the growth of thyroid cancer cells. Higher doses of replacement thyroid hormone tell your body to make less TSH, slowing the growth of any thyroid cancer cells and lowering the odds of your cancer coming back.
It can take a few adjustments to find the correct dosage of thyroid hormone replacement. During this time, you may need to see the doctor every 6 to 8 weeks for a blood draw to determine if your levels are optimal.
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What Is Cancer Fatigue
Defining the type of fatigue that could be a cancer symptom or treatment is essential. Cancer fatigue isn’t ordinary tiredness. It’s not usually the kind of sleepiness you can push through by getting a good night or with a cup of coffee.
People describe this type of fatigue as “whole-body tiredness.” It’s also something that often disrupts life. People become frustrated at their inability to participate in everyday activities and find their tiredness impacts their jobs and relationships.
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But Newer Implants Are Safe Right
If you look at research or ask a surgeon, I think most will tell you implants are not made like they used to be, and after years of debating safety they are safe now. You will likely hear that newer implants are not likely to leak or cause illness and they dont have the risk implants once carried. Most surgeons will tell you the simplicity of recovery and give you the general basic risks of any surgery. After all, implants are FDA approved, right?
The FDA has a list of risks and complications of breast implants, but even the FDA notes possible complications, among them being Symptoms such as fatigue, memory loss, rash, brain fog, and joint pain have been reported by some patients with breast implants. Some patients may use the term breast implant illness to describe these symptoms. US FDA
I think most surgeons will not tell you that implant shells are made with silicone, which is an endocrine disruptor. Or that they can slowly release heavy metals, silicone and other chemicals into the body. Over time, the immune system is weakened and that makes the other body systems at risk for being compromised. This eventually makes the body go a little crazy and things slowly start going wrong.
Ovarian Ablation Or Suppression
In women who haven’t experienced the menopause, oestrogen is produced by the ovaries. Ovarian ablation or suppression stops the ovaries working and producing oestrogen.
Ablation can be carried out using surgery or radiotherapy. It stops the ovaries working permanently and means you’ll experience the menopause early.
Ovarian suppression involves using a medication called goserelin, which is a luteinising hormone-releasing hormone agonist . Your periods will stop while you’re taking it, although they should start again once your treatment is complete.
If you’re approaching the menopause , your periods may not start again after you stop taking goserelin.
Goserelin is taken as an injection once a month and can cause menopausal side effects, including:
- hot flushes and sweats
Read further information about hormone therapy
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How Long Does Fatigue Or Weakness Last
Fatigue that is due to cancer and its treatment can last for weeks, months, or years. It often continues after treatment ends.
- For people who have surgery for cancer with no other treatment, fatigue often decreases or goes away over time as they recover from surgery.
- For people getting chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy in cycles, fatigue often gets worse at first and may get better until the next treatment, when the pattern starts again.
- For those getting radiation therapy, fatigue usually gets worse as the treatment goes on and often lessens within a few months after treatment is complete.
Fatigue can:
- Differ from one day to the next in how bad it is and how much it bothers you
- Be overwhelming and make it hard for you to feel well
- Make it hard for you to be with your friends and family
- Make it hard for you to do things you normally do, including going to work
- Make it harder for you to follow your cancer treatment plan.
