There are a Number of Cancer Treatments Available in Pittsburgh

There are a Number of Cancer Treatments Available in Pittsburgh

If you've been diagnosed with cancer, you want to find the best treatments, irrespective of what you are suffering from. If you are a woman, suffering from cervical cancer, it is very important that you find the best cervical cancer treatment in Pittsburgh.

Cervical cancer can affect women of any age, though it is more common in women at the age range of 50-55. The cervical cancer grows in the lower, narrower part of the uterus, which connects the uterus with the vagina. Though the exact cause of the cancer is unknown, researches on this disease have suggested that a sexually transmitted virus can cause the cells in the cervix to change in such a way that it eventually leads to cancer.

If you are not yet certain that you have cervical cancer, it will be a good idea to locate some reputed Pittsburgh cervical cancer treatment centers where they will diagnose your condition. If unfortunately you happen to have cancer, you will have to find some Pittsburgh cervical cancer chemotherapy centers that offer the best treatments.

How will you be diagnosed?

Before any kind of treatment can be started, the hospital will need to diagnose your condition. The tests may include a pap test, colposcopy and biopsy, where a sample of the vagina is removed to be tested. In solposopy, a lighted, magnifying instrument is used to examine the vagina and the cervix in detail. The pap test is extremely important and must be carried out by all sexually active women, once every year. This test is performed by scraping and testing a tissue from the inside of the cervix and the upper vagina.

If cancer is detected, a few additional tests need to be carried out by the Pittsburgh cervical cancer treatment centers so that they can determine if the cancer has spread to other parts of the pelvis or any other part of the body.

Treatment of Cervical cancer

The Pittsburgh cervical cancer treatment centers will offer you numerous approaches that can help you treat your cancer, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. If you have been diagnosed with cancer, you can rest a little easier knowing that you have skilled qualified professionals on your side.

Care After Cancer Treatment

Getting active in your follow-up care after cancer treatment can make a world of difference.

When Don Ronan, a 40-year-old Connecticut salesman and father of three, found out that chemotherapy had put his Hodgkin's disease in remission, he was ecstatic. "The CT scan showed that it was gone from my pelvis, my stomach, my bone marrow. I was cancer-free," he says. "I didn't feel broken anymore."

Ronan has made the momentous crossing from cancer patient to cancer survivor. Now he enters follow-up care, a stage familiar to almost 10 million other Americans who have beaten the disease. When cancer treatment ends, a survivor still undergoes regularly scheduled medical exams and tests to check for signs that the cancer has returned or spread to another part of the body. Doctors also screen for other types of cancers and watch for side effects from cancer treatment. During this important period, patients can work with their doctors to keep an eye out for new problems, cancer experts tell WebMD.

Surviving cancer is a blessing. "But it comes at a cost," says Mary McCabe, RN, MA, director of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's Cancer Survivorship Program, which develops medical and psychosocial services and educational programs for cancer survivors. While radiation and chemotherapy can offer a cure, they can also create side effects, such as fatigue or infertility -- or even new cancers a decade or two down the road. Through follow-up, "we want to make sure that we minimize the serious side effects that may occur," she says.

Follow-up Care Is Individualized

The period after cancer treatment is fraught with distinct stresses. "When patients finish therapy, they're exhausted physically and emotionally," McCabe says. What's more, there are no more treatments to go through; no more intensive contact with doctors; no more battle mentality. Instead, the follow-up period involves watchfulness, and a cancer survivor may feel dread before appointments or during the anniversary of a cancer diagnosis.

Ronan says that Hodgkin's disease, a cancer of the lymph system, changed his outlook on life. "I'm nervous about tomorrow," he says. He'll need follow-up appointments about every three months for the first two years, then less frequently. He'll also require follow-up scans.

Follow-Up Exams May Be Frequent

In general, survivors see their doctors for follow-up exams about every three or four months during the first two to three years after treatment, according to the National Cancer Institute. But follow-up schedules vary from person to person, depending on one's age, general health, the type of cancer, the treatment received, and other factors. "Different standard approaches depend on the intensity of treatment and the chance of recurrence," says Derek Raghavan, MD, PhD, who serves as chairman of The Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center.

Many, but not all, patients will require testing. That, too, is individualized. Common follow-up tests include: imaging procedures (such as CT scans, X-rays, and ultrasound); endoscopy (inserting a thin, lighted tube into the body to examine organs), and blood tests.

Hair loss from cancer treatment

Hair loss can be emotionally distressing. Not all chemotherapy medicines cause hair loss, and some people have only mild thinning that is noticeable only to them. Your health professional will be able to tell you whether hair loss is an expected side effect with the medicines you will receive. If you do lose hair, it will almost always grow back after the treatments are over. But it might be a different color or texture.

Hair loss can occur on all parts of the body, not just the head. Facial hair, arm and leg hair, underarm hair, and pubic hair all may be affected.

Hair loss usually doesn't occur right away. More often, it will begin falling out within a few weeks of treatment. Your hair may fall out gradually or in clumps. The hair that remains may be very dry or brittle.

During chemotherapy, your hair and scalp need special care.

* Use a mild shampoo and a soft hair brush.

* Try to air-dry your hair. If you have to use a hair dryer, use the low-heat setting.

* Have your hair cut short. A shorter style will make your hair look thicker and fuller. It also will make hair loss easier to manage if it occurs.

* Sleep on a satin pillowcase.

* Do not use brush rollers to set your hair.

* Do not dye your hair or get a permanent while you are taking chemotherapy.

* Use a sunscreen, sunblock, hat, scarf, or wig to protect your scalp from the sun.

You may feel more comfortable leaving your head uncovered. Or you may decide to wear turbans, scarves, caps, wigs, or hairpieces. You may choose to switch back and forth, depending on whether you are in public or at home with friends and family members.

Here are some tips to help you choose a wig or hairpiece:

* Shop for your wig or hairpiece before you lose a lot of hair so you can match your natural color, texture, and style. You may be able to buy a wig or hairpiece at a specialty shop just for cancer patients. Often a salesperson will come to your home to help you. You also can buy a wig or hairpiece through the American Cancer Society's catalog. Call the American Cancer Society for more information, 1-800-ACS-2345 (1-800-227-2345) or 1-866-228-4327 for TTY.

* You may prefer to borrow rather than buy a wig or hairpiece. If so, call your local American Cancer Society or check with the social work department at your treatment center.

* Remember that a hairpiece needed because of cancer treatment is a tax-deductible expense and may be at least partially covered by your health insurance. Be sure to check your policy, and ask your doctor to write a prescription for a "hair prosthesis."

The Best Colon Cancer Treatment Options

The Best Colon Cancer Treatment Options

Among the most spread cancers, colon cancer usually occurs in men and women over the age of 50. The main causes of colon cancer are related to the patient's diet: very low in fiber and high in fat and calories. By keeping a healthy life style and good eating habits, you can prevent developing cancer of the colon even before this becomes a problem. You might also want to try and check your family history for cases of colon cancer and adopt a healthier diet in order to make sure you will avoid this problem in the future.

Colon cancer treatments are varied and you can choose from a series of traditional and alternative methods of dealing with this condition. Surgery is often the number one choice - the surgeon removes the tumors on the colon, even if the cancer cells are spread beyond the colon itself. This ensures less problems in the future of the patient's life, reducing chances of bowel problems or internal bleeding. Colon cancer surgery is usually categorized in four main areas: rectum resection, radio frequency ablation, colostomy and colon resection. The surgeon will determine which method is best suited for each individual patient. Detecting cancer at a very early stage is important, as the problem can be corrected in a decisive and final manner. By using a polypectomy, the surgeon will remove suspicious polyps in order to minimize chances of the disease. Local excision may also be used in early stages, in order to remove the cancer cells. After surgery, your hospital should provide you with ongoing support in order to ensure a fast and efficient recovery.

Intra arterial chemotherapy is another treatment worth consideration. This treatment targets tumors by delivering a powerful dose of chemotherapy. Primary systemic chemotherapy is often used before a surgical procedure in order to destroy a large majority of cancer cells. Systemic therapy is usually used with metastatic cancer, while the third method, adjuvant chemotherapy, targets any cancer cells that might have been left over after surgery. All three chemotherapy procedures are delivered through the hepatic artery and are an option if the cancer has spread to the liver.

Another choice comes from chemoembolization treatment. In addition to being delivered intra arterially, this type of treatment blocks the blood flow to the areas affected by cancer. It traps the chemotherapy drugs in the area of the tumor, thus ensuring that they work efficiently and on target.

Symptoms and Treatment of Mesothelioma Cancer

Symptoms and Treatment of Mesothelioma Cancer

Mesothelioma cancer is often caused by exposure to asbestos. People who have received asbestos exposure of as little as one or two months to very low doses are at risk of mesothelioma cancer. A person exposed to asbestos could develop mesothelioma after 50 years of exposure. The 2 common types of mesothelioma are pleural mesothelioma (lung cancer) and peritoneal mesothelioma (abdomen organs).

There are no immediate symptoms of mesothelioma cancer. The symptoms of mesothelioma may appear in 30 - 50 years after exposure to asbestos.

Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma cancer: shortness of breath and pain in the chest.

Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma cancer: abdominal pain and weight loss, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia and fever.

Please note that these symptoms may be due to other reasons.

Treatment Options for Mesothelioma Cancer Following are the options for mesothelioma treatment:

1. Radiation therapy
2. Chemotherapy
3. Surgery
4. Photodynamic therapy



Radiation or chemotherapy combined with surgery may increase the survival time by double.