Mrs. Xu Successfully Fights Against Breast Cancer with Interventional Therapy in Her Sixties

Mrs. Xu is a 64 years old lady from Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. No one would relate her with cancer when looking at her bright smiles. However, there is always rise and fall in a life. This happy lady found a lump in her left breast on 2004, which she did not pay attention to at that time. 1 year later, she noticed that her lump grew bigger and was urged by her family to have examination in local hospital and was diagnosed breast cancer. When she was shock by this bad news, doctor suggested her to have surgery as soon as possible. In order to keep her female feature, Mrs. Liu refused the suggestion and looked for other treatments that actually did not work on her at all. The whole family was in panic and lost when the lump increased to a fist size. 

She found Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou and chose it

 

This happy family lost its laugher gradually because the patient doesn’t have right treatment. One day, her daughter-in-lay read the report about the new treatment mode in Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou: Minimally invasive and target therapy with combination of traditional Chinese medicine. This new mode in cancer treatment took away all Mrs. Xu’s attention. But thinking about the economic condition of her family and therapeutic effect, she refused to take the treatment. Just then, Mrs. Guo, a patient who has ever been treated in Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou shared with Mrs. Xu about her the treatment experience. Mrs. Xu went to Guangzhou, China for treatment because her family insisted on that. 

After her admission on May 31, 2012, Mrs. Xu went through a series of examination and was diagnosed left breast cancer. The specialist form Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou planed a comprehensive treatment for her after general consultation. Dr. Ma Xiaoying came to the ward of Mrs. Xu with interpreters to explain her case, treatment and therapeutic effect patiently one day ahead the treatment. Besides, Dr. Ma also comforted her and asked her to keep a positive attitude to fight the cancer. The words of Dr. Ma encouraged Mrs. Xu greatly that she thought she can trust the doctor and the hospital.

Condition improved by taking treatment positively.

 

Cancer Specialists performed 2 cycles of interventional therapy and the tumor shrank through CT scan after treatment. During her hospitalization, doctors and nurses kept their eyes on her condition and took care of her other living, diet and physical problem. Her condition and mental status also improved under the excellent treatment technology and nursing care. The pain which tortured her for long also relieved and her sleep got better. She even returned to the happy lady as before to talk to other patients in hospital, shared with them her experience about treatment and took part in the tour and shopping activities held by hospital. 

Though she is still threatened by cancer and the road to fight cancer is long for her, Mrs. Xu said, she won’t give up and would be more confident to fight against cancer.  

Disclaimer: Therapeutic effect depends on individual patient's condition. The content of this website is for informational purpose only,this can not be the basis of medical diagnosis and treament and even can not replace the diagnosis and treatment from doctors. Please refer to Terms and Condition for more information.

The Relationship Between Obesity and Cancer

6 What is known about the relationship between obesity and pancreatic cancer?

　　Many studies have reported a slight increased risk of pancreatic cancer among overweight and obese individuals. Waist circumference may be a particularly important factor in the association of overweight and obesity with pancreatic cancer.

　　7 What is known about the relationship between obesity and thyroid cancer?

　　Increasing weight has been found to be associated with an increase in the risk of thyroid cancer. It is unclear what the mechanism might be.

　　8 What is known about the relationship between obesity and gallbladder cancer?

　　The risk of gallbladder cancer increases with increasing BMI. The increase in risk may be due to the higher frequency of gallstones, a strong risk factor for gallbladder cancer, in obese individuals.

　　9 What is known about the relationship between obesity and other cancers?

　　The relationship between obesity and prostate cancer has been studied extensively. The results of individual studies do not suggest a consistent association between obesity and prostate cancer. However, when the data from multiple studies are pooled, analyses show that obesity may be associated with a very slight increase in the risk of prostate cancer.

　　In addition, several studies have found that obese men have a higher risk of aggressive prostate cancer than men of healthy weight. Generally, risk of prostate cancer has been linked to levels of certain hormones and growth factors, especially IGF-1.

　　Some studies have shown a weak association between increasing BMI and risk of ovarian cancer, especially in premenopausal women, although other studies have not found an association. As with some other cancers, an association between ovarian cancer and obesity may reflect increased levels of estrogens.

　　Some evidence links obesity to liver cancer and to some types of lymphoma and leukemia, but additional studies is needed to confirm these associations.

　　10 Does avoiding weight gain or losing weight decrease the risk of cancer?

　　The most conclusive way to test whether avoiding weight gain or losing weight will decrease the risk of cancer is through a controlled clinical trial. A number of weight loss trials have demonstrated that people can lose weight and that losing weight reduces their risk of developing chronic diseases, such as diabetes, while improving their risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

　　However, previous trials and the results have demonstrated that it would not be feasible to conduct a weight loss trial of cancer prevention. The reason is that the effect of weight loss on the prevention of other chronic diseases would be demonstrated—and the trial consequently stopped so that the public could be informed of the benefits—before the effect on the prevention of cancer would become evident.

　　Therefore, most data about whether losing weight or avoiding weight gain prevents cancer come mainly from cohort and case-control studies. Data from these types of studies, called observational studies, can be difficult to interpret because people who lose weight or avoid weight gain may be different in other ways from people who do not, just as obese people may differ from lean people in other ways than BMI.

That is, it is possible that these other differences explain their different cancer risk.

　　Nevertheless, many observational studies have shown that people who have a lower weight gain during adulthood have a lower risk of:

　　a) Colon cancer
　　b) Breast cancer (after menopause)
　　c) Endometrial cancer

　　A more limited number of observational studies have examined the relationship between weight loss and cancer risk, and a few have found decreased risks of breast cancer and colon cancer among people who have lost weight. However, most of these studies have not been able to evaluate whether the weight loss was intentional or related to underlying health problems.

　　Stronger evidence comes from studies of patients who have undergone bariatric surgery to lose weight. Obese people who have bariatric surgery appear to have lower rates of obesity-related cancers than obese people who did not have bariatric surgery. It is important to note that whereas most lifestyle weight loss interventions result in weight losses of 7-10 percent of body weight, weight loss from bariatric surgery combined with lifestyle changes generally results in weight loss of 30 percent.

The Relationship Between Obesity and Cancer

　　The relationship between obesity and cancer is more and more concerned by people, but what is known about the relationship between obesity and cancer? According to cancer experts from Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou, obesity is associated with increased risks of the following cancer types, and possibly others as well:

　　o Esophagus
　　o Pancreas
　　o Colon and rectum
　　o Breast (after menopause)
　　o Endometrium (lining of the uterus)
　　o Kidney
　　o Thyroid
　　o Gallbladder

　　1. What is known about the relationship between obesity and breast cancer?

　　Many studies have shown that overweight and obesity are associated with a modest increase in risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. This higher risk is seen mainly in women who have never used menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) and for tumors that express both estrogen and progesterone receptors.

　　Overweight and obesity have, by contrast, been found to be associated with a reduced risk of premenopausal breast cancer in some studies.

　　The relationship between obesity and breast cancer may be affected by the stage of life in which a woman gains weight and becomes obese. Epidemiologists are actively working to address this question. Weight gain during adult life, most often from about age 18 to between the ages of 50 and 60, has been consistently associated with risk of breast cancer after menopause.

　　The increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer is thought to be due to increased levels of estrogen in obese women. After menopause, when the ovaries stop producing hormones, fat tissue becomes the most important source of estrogen. Because obese women have more fat tissue, their estrogen levels are higher, potentially leading to more rapid growth of estrogen-responsive breast tumors.

　　The relationship between obesity and breast cancer risk may also vary by race and ethnicity.

　　2. What is known about the relationship between obesity and endometrial cancer?

　　Overweight and obesity have been consistently associated with endometrial cancer, which is cancer of the lining of the uterus. Obese and overweight women have two to four times the risk of developing this disease than women of a normal weight, regardless of menopausal status. Many studies have also found that the risk of endometrial cancer increases with increasing weight gain in adulthood, particularly among women who have never used MHT.

　　Although it has not yet been determined why obesity is a risk factor for endometrial cancer, some evidence points to a role for diabetes, possibly in combination with low levels of physical activity. High levels of estrogen produced by fat tissue are also likely to play a role.

　　3,What is known about the relationship between obesity and colorectal cancer?

　　Among men, a higher BMI(body mass index) is strongly associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer. The distribution of body fat appears to be an important factor, with abdominal obesity, which can be measured by waist circumference, showing the strongest association with colon cancer risk.

　　An association between BMI and waist circumference with colon cancer risk is also seen in women, but it is weaker. Use of MHT (multiphasic health testing) may modify the association in postmenopausal women.

　　A number of mechanisms have been proposed to account for the association of obesity with increased colon cancer risk. One hypothesis is that high levels of insulin or insulin-related growth factors in obese people may promote colon cancer development.

　　High BMI is also associated with rectal cancer risk, but the increase in risk is more modest.

　　4. What is known about the relationship between obesity and kidney cancer?

　　Obesity has been consistently associated with renal cell cancer, which is the most common form of kidney cancer, in both men and women. The mechanisms by which obesity may increase renal cell cancer risk are not well understood. High blood pressure is a known risk factor for renal cell cancer, but the relationship between obesity and kidney cancer is independent of blood pressure status. High levels of insulin may play a role in the development of the disease.

　　5. What is known about the relationship between obesity and esophageal cancer?

　　Overweight and obese people are about twice as likely as people of healthy weight to develop a type of esophageal cancer called esophageal adenocarcinoma. Most studies have observed no increased risk, or even a decline in risk, with obesity for the other major type of esophageal cancer, squamous cell cancer.

　　The mechanisms by which obesity may increase risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma are not well understood. However, overweight and obese people are more likely than people of normal weight to have a history of gastroesophageal reflux disease or Barrett esophagus, which are associated with an increased risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. It is possible that obesity exacerbates the esophageal inflammation that is associated with these conditions.

Basic Knowledge and Treatments for Metastatic Cancer

To those who suffered from cancers, metastatic cancer might be a more terrible threat to them than the primary cancer. Thus, people’s desires on learning about what is metastatic cancer and how to treat it have become more and more intense. This paper will lay out some knowledge on metastatic cancer and related treatment methods.

 

Basic knowledge of metastatic cancer

1.     What is metastatic cancer?

Metastatic cancer is cancer that has spread from the place where it first started to another place in the body. It has the same name and the same type of cancer cells as the original or primary cancer. For example, breast cancer that spreads to the lungs and forms a metastatic tumor is metastatic breast cancer, not lung cancer.

2.     Can any type of cancer form a metastatic tumor?

Actually all cancers, including cancers of the blood and the lymphatic system (leukemia, multiple myeloma, and lymphoma), can form metastatic tumors. Although rare, the metastasis of blood and lymphatic system cancers to the lungs, heart, central nervous system, and other tissues has been reported.

3.     Where does cancer spread?

The most common sites of cancer metastasis are the lungs, bones, and liver. Some might spread to brain, skin, muscle or peritomeun as well. 

4.     Does metastatic cancer have symptoms?

Some people with metastatic tumors do not have symptoms. Their metastases are found by x-rays or other tests.

When symptoms of metastatic cancer occur, the type and frequency of the symptoms will depend on the size and location of the metastasis.

Sometimes a person’s original cancer is discovered only after a metastatic tumor causes symptoms.

5.     If a person who was previously treated for cancer gets diagnosed with cancer a second time, is the new cancer a new primary cancer or metastatic cancer?

The cancer may be a new primary cancer, but, in most cases, it is metastatic cancer.

6.     What treatments are applied for metastatic cancer?

Metastatic cancer may be treated with surgery, radiation therapy,chemotherapy, biological therapy, interventional targeted therapy, hormonal therapy,interventional therapy, cyrotherapy, combined therapy of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine, immunotherapy, or a combination of the above treatments. The choice of treatment generally depends on the patient’s individual condition.

Psychological Stress and Cancer

Psychological stress  affects the body in many ways. The complex relationship between physical and psychological health is not well understood. Cancer experts from Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou know well that psychological stress can affect the immune system, decrease the body’s defense ability against infection and diseases (including cancer)

         What is psychological stress?

Psychological stress refers to the emotional and physiological reactions experienced when an individual confronts a situation in which the demands go beyond their coping resources. Examples of stressful situations are marital problems, death of a loved one, abuse, health problems, and financial crises. 

            How does stress affect the body?  

 

The body responds to stress by releasing stress hormones, such as epinephrine (also called adrenaline) and cortisol (also called hydrocortisone). The body produces these stress hormones to help a person react to a situation with more speed and strength. Stress hormones increase blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugar levels.

Stress can increase the risk of obesity, heart disease, depression, and various other illnesses, even cancer in a chronic manner.  

          Can stress increase a person’s risk of developing cancer? 

 

Cancer experts from Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou said that some studies have indicated an indirect relationship between stress and certain types of virus-related cancers. Evidence from both animal and human studies suggests that chronic stress weakens a person’s immune system, which in turn may affect the incidence of virus-associated cancers, such as Kaposi sarcoma and some lymphomas.

More recent research with animal models (animals with a disease that is similar to or the same as in humans) suggests that the body’s neuroendocrine response (release of hormones into the blood in response to stimulation of the nervous system) can directly alter important processes in cells that help protect against the formation of cancer, such as DNA repair and the regulation of cell growth. 

 

    How does stress affect people who have cancer?

 

Studies have indicated that stress can affect the growth and spread of cancer, but the precise biological mechanisms underlying these effects are not well understood. Scientists have suggested that the effects of stress on the immune system may in turn affect the growth of some tumors. However, recent research using animal models indicates that the body’s release of stress hormones can affect cancer cell functions directly. 

A review of studies that evaluated psychological factors and outcome in cancer patients suggests an association between certain psychological factors, such as feeling helpless or suppressing negative emotions, and the growth or spread of cancer, although this relationship was not consistently seen in all studies. In general, stronger relationships have been found between psychological factors and cancer growth and spread than between psychological factors and cancer development.

Physical Side Effects

    In this section you'll find information about the physical side effects that can be caused by different cancer treatments.

　　Chemotherapy side effects:
　　Chemotherapy drugs are powerful medicines that can cause side effects like vomiting, nausea, fatigue and loss of hair.

　　Radiotherapy side effects:
　　Radiation therapy can cause side effects by damaging normal, healthy cells near the cancer.

　　Pain:
　　Pain can be caused by cancer itself or by certain treatments, such as surgery.

　　Nausea and vomiting:
　　Nausea and vomiting are among the most feared side effects of cancer treatment. While many people treated for cancer have bouts of nausea and vomiting, there are medicines that work well to control these side effects.

　　Fatigue
　　Fatigue is one of the most common and distressing side effects of cancer and its treatment. Fatigue from cancer treatment is often more intense than the feelings of being tired we all have from time to time.

　　Anemia:
　　Anemia is having a lower than normal number of red blood cells in your blood. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout your body. Not having enough of them can result in feeling weak, tired, or short of breath.

　　Lymphedema:
　　Lymphedema is a build-up of lymph fluid in the fatty tissues just under your skin. This build-up causes swelling (or edema), most often in the arms or legs. Lymphedema can result from surgery or radiation therapy to treat certain cancers.

　　Infection in people with cancer:
　　Infections in people who have cancer or are getting cancer treatment can be more serious than those in other people. They can also be harder to treat. By learning more about them, you and your family may be able to help prevent problems that infections can cause.