Posts Tagged ‘tumors’

A Smart Phone Could Help Detect Cancer

Health InformationAccording to an article published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, and the new system used by doctors managed to succeed in the diagnosis of cancer in 96 percent of patients, a figure higher than with the traditional biopsy. Doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital, equipped with a mobile phone, a thin needle and a small molecular magnetic resonance apparatus, have been detected in simple and effective cancer tumors.

According to César M. Castro, of Harvard Medical School, Boston, and a member of the team that developed the procedure: “The system prevents patients undergo procedures that are painful and potentially dangerous.”

The standard method for diagnosing cancer is the collection of a portion of tumor tissue, which is subjected to immunohistochemistry, the name given to the test in which a specific antibody is used to “mark” the existence of cancer cells. The acquisition of this tissue samples and sometimes requires surgical biopsies and the results can take three or more days.

Rapid molecular analysis developed in Massachusetts also requires collecting a cell sample, but is removed with a thin needle (0.7 mm in diameter) in a traditional biopsy (1.4 mm in diameter). Moreover, there is waiting time, which “reduces the time of patient anxiety due to the rapid achievement of an outcome, usually in less than an hour,” said Castro.

The team consists of a cell phone “smart” common and apparatus cylindrical nuclear magnetic resonance measuring five centimeters in diameter. The researchers tested the method with 50 patients with suspected abdominal tumor and biopsies had been ordered routine.

At the same patients after samples were taken using the needles commonly used for biopsies and samples were sent to the conventional method of diagnosis. Instead of the tissue samples required by the conventional method, this system can work with the small number of cells by fine-needle aspirates.

The nuclear magnetic resonance microaparato magnetic nanoparticles used as sensors that measure the chemicals in the cells and the device is connected to a telephone so that doctors can measure and read the data with the patient’s bedside.

After scanning the tissues from patients to detect the expression of nine key proteins, physicians correctly identified 44 patients who had malignant tumors, and each of the diagnoses were confirmed with conventional biopsy.

The identification rate of cancerous tumors with this technique exceeds 84 percent with immunohistochemistry. According to Castro: “These protein markers can indicate the likelihood that cancer grow and spread to other tissues in the body.”

Phones May Present a Risk of Cancer

Health InformationPeople and Society the Journal News on the web, I realize a publication concerning the great controversy between the connection between cellphones and cancer. Years of studies have generated results found. But there is no consensus on the degree of cancer risk posed by the use of cell phones.

The main concern seems to be the development of brain tumors associated with the use of mobile phones. Some studies suggest a slight increase in the rate of brain tumors from the 70, but these subtle increases may be related to other factors, such as greater access to the medical system and improvements in diagnostic imaging, and a slight real increase in lymphomas brain due in part to HIV and other diseases affecting the immune system. In fact, it would be impossible for the cell is the cause of increased brain tumors in 70 because in those years were not used.

So what researchers found out about cell phones and cancer? In a recent study that followed more than 420,000 users over a period of 20 years found no evidence that there is a connection between brain tumor cells. Another recent study suggested an association between cancer cells and salivary glands.

However, only a small number of participants had malignant tumors had a clear increase in the use of snuff – known cause of salivary gland cancer – between the partners.

However, a number of recent studies cannot tell the whole story. Sometimes it takes many years between the use of a new cancer-inducing agent-like snuff – and the observation of increased cancer rates. At this point, you may have spent too little time to detect an increase in cancer rates directly attributable to the use of cell phones.

How short? For now, nobody knows if the phones are capable of causing cancer. Although long-term studies are ongoing, to date no convincing evidence that any risk of cancer. For those concerned, the advice is to limit the use or use a headset to place the antenna away from the body cell.

BREAST CANCER TYPES

Most tumors that occur in the breast are benign, not cancerous, and are due to fibrocystic formations. The cyst is a fluid-filled sac and fibrosis is an abnormal development of connective tissue. Fibrosis does not increase the risk of developing a tumor and does not require special treatment. The cysts, if large, can be painful. Removing the fluid with a needle usually take away the pain. The presence of one or more cysts does not favor the occurrence of malignant tumors.

Benign tumors are related mostly to genetic factors. Symptoms that occur are pain and inflammation but not spread to the rest of the body and are not dangerous. In malignant tumors, there are several types depending on the location of the breast where there is abnormal growth of cells and depending on their stage.

Tumors may be localized or have spread through the blood vessels or through lymph vessels, and have led to metastasize, a cancer in an organ distant to the original. Of all cases of breast cancer, only 7-10% of them start metastases.

The breast cancers are classified as:
Ductal carcinoma in situ in the cells of the lining of the breast ducts. It is a very localized cancer that has not spread to other areas or has metastasized. That is why this disease ‘premalignant’ can be removed easily. The cure rate close to 100%. This type of tumor can be detected through mammography.

Infiltrating ductal carcinoma (or invasive) is the one that begins in the milk duct but manages to pass through and adipose tissue of the breast and then can spread to other parts of the body. It is the most common breast cancers, occurs in 80% of cases.

Lobular carcinoma in situ arises from the mammary glands (or lobes) and, although not a true cancer increases the risk that women can develop a cátumor in the future. Usually occurs before menopause. Once detected, it is important that women have a mammogram every year and control several clinical examinations to monitor the possible development of cancer.

Infiltrating lobular carcinoma (or invasive) begins in the mammary glands but it can spread and destroy other tissues. Between 10% and 15% of breast tumors are of this type. This carcinoma is more difficult to detect through mammography.

The inflammatory cancer is a rare cancer, accounting for only 1% of all breast cancers. It is aggressive and fast growing. Ago breast skin reddening and increasing its temperature. The appearance of the skin becomes thick and hollow, like an orange, and can appear wrinkles and bumps. These symptoms are due to the blockade produced by cancer cells on the lymph vessels.