i have what looks like a mole on my back it has changed somewhat in size however i have a lot of pain in the area around it and what seems like a mass i'm worried how do i know if its cancer? what are some other symptoms?

Cancer Symptoms

Since prevention is one of the most important cancer-fighting tools, it is important that cancer be detected as early as possible before it spreads.

Telltale Signs of Cancer include: A lump or thickening in the breast or testicles; a change in a wart or mole; a skin sore or a persistent sore throat that doesn't heal; a change in bowel or bladder habits; a persistent cough or coughing blood; constant indigestion or trouble swallowing; unusual bleeding or vaginal discharge; and chronic fatigue.

If you notice any of these symptoms, you should see a physician for testing. we also have a web page that lists some of the tests that are available to detect cancer.

The following are symptoms that may occur in specific types of cancers:

Bladder cancer: Blood in the urine, pain or burning upon urination; frequent urination; or cloudy urine

Bone cancer: Pain in the bone or swelling around the affected site; fractures in bones; weakness, fatigue; weight loss; repeated infections; nausea, vomiting, constipation, problems with urination; weakness or numbness in the legs; bumps and bruises that persist

Brain cancer: Dizziness; drowsiness; abnormal eye movements or changes in vision; weakness, loss of feeling in arms or legs or difficulties in walking; fits or convulsions; changes in personality, memory or speech; headaches that tend to be worse in the morning and ease during the day, that may be accompanied by nausea or vomiting

Breast cancer: A lump or thickening of the breast; discharge from the nipple; change in the skin of the breast; a feeling of heat; or enlarged lymph nodes under the arm

Colorectal cancer: Rectal bleeding (red blood in stools or black stools); abdominal cramps; constipation alternating with diarrhea; weight loss; loss of appetite; weakness; pallid complexion

Kidney cancer: Blood in urine; dull ache or pain in the back or side; lump in kidney area, sometimes accompanied by high blood pressure or abnormality in red blood cell count

Leukemia: Weakness, paleness; fever and flu-like symptoms; bruising and prolonged bleeding; enlarged lymph nodes, spleen, liver; pain in bones and joints; frequent infections; weight loss; night sweats

Lung cancer: Wheezing, persistent cough for months; blood-streaked sputum; persistent ache in chest; congestion in lungs; enlarged lymph nodes in the neck

Melanoma: Change in mole or other bump on the skin, including bleeding or change in size, shape, color, or texture

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: Painless swelling in the lymph nodes in the neck, underarm, or groin; persistent fever; feeling of fatigue; unexplained weight loss; itchy skin and rashes; small lumps in skin; bone pain; swelling in the abdomen; liver or spleen enlargement

Oral cancer: A lump in the mouth, ulceration of the lip, tongue or inside of the mouth that does not heal within a couple of weeks; dentures that no longer fit well; oral pain, bleeding, foul breath, loose teeth, and changes in speech

Ovarian cancer: Abdominal swelling; in rare cases, abnormal vaginal bleeding; digestive discomfort

Pancreatic cancer: Upper abdominal pain and unexplained weight loss; pain near the center of the back; intolerance of fatty foods; yellowing of the skin; abdominal masses; enlargement of liver and spleen

Prostate cancer: Urination difficulties due to blockage of the urethra; bladder retains urine, creating frequent feelings of urgency to urinate, especially at night; bladder not emptying completely; burning or painful urination; bloody urine; tenderness over the bladder; and dull ache in the pelvis or back

Stomach cancer: Indigestion or heartburn; discomfort or pain in the abdomen; nausea and vomiting; diarrhea or constipation; bloating after meals; loss of appetite; weakness and fatigue; bleeding – vomiting blood or blood in the stool

Uterine cancer: Abnormal vaginal bleeding, a watery bloody discharge in postmenopausal women; a painful urination; pain during intercourse; pain in pelvic area

The rising number of tuberculosis infections around the world is raising concern among health experts.

Previously ranked among diseases closely linked to poverty like HIV/Aids and malaria, experts say the highly contagious TB is now spreading fast among all people including the elite.

“Everyone is at risk provided they breathe the same oxygen as everyone else,” says Ann Kathure, the provincial TB and leprosy co-ordinator in Nairobi, adding that anybody who develops symptoms must seek medical attention immediately to lessen the risk of infecting others.

According to World Health Organisation, if untreated, persons suffering from TB could infect an average of 10-15 people annually.

The organisation also notes that a third of the world’s population is infected with latent TB but only one out of every 10 people develops active TB in their lifetime.

TB is caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

It is transmitted through respiratory droplets from a person with active TB through coughing, sneezing, talking or spitting.

Common symptoms include a persistent cough that lasts more than two weeks, weight loss, fever, excessive night sweats, fatigue and loss of appetite.

Since TB is airborne, living in crowded quarters and travelling in crowded vehicles without proper ventilation pose a great risk of infection.

According to Dr Kathure, about 50 per of those who do not seek treatment die in two years. This however, depends on a person’s level of immunity and lifestyle.

Excessive alcohol intake and smoking can also harm the body’s immune system and increase the risk of acquiring TB.

The cigarette smoke destroys the lungs making them susceptible to infection, while alcohol produces an overall nutritional deficiency, depriving the body of valuable immune-boosting nutrients.

Alcohol, like sugar, if consumed in excess can reduce the ability of white cells to kill germs.

“The fact that most alcohol drinkers do it in crowded bars and social places increases their risk of contracting TB,” notes Dr Kathure.

In the past three decades, HIV/Aids has emerged among the greatest risk factors that expose one to TB.

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21 December 2010 last updated at 04:35 ET Share this page Chocolate contains the active ingredient

A chemical in cocoa could soon be turned into a medicine for persistent cough, researchers claim.

Scientists are carrying out the final stages of clinical trials of a drug that contains theobromine, an ingredient found in chocolate and cocoa.

The UK developers say the drug could be on the market within two years.

Every year in Britain an estimated 7.5m people suffer from persistent cough – a cough lasting more than two weeks.

Most current medicines used to control the symptoms are opiate-based ones like cough syrups containing codeine, a narcotic.

But in October the Medicines and Health products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said under-18s should not take codeine-based remedies, because the risks outweighed the benefits.

Active ingredient

Researchers say the new theobromine treatment should not have this problem. and being flavourless, it can be taken by those who dislike chocolate.

Theobromine is thought to work by inhibiting the inappropriate firing of the vagus nerve, which is a key feature of persistent cough.

The final stage of the drug's testing is set to begin in the next few months.

The drug, called BC1036, is being developed by the private UK company SEEK.

Manfred Scheske, CEO of Consumer Health at SEEK said: "I am very excited to announce the progression for the late-stage development of BC1036, which has the potential to dramatically impact the treatment of persistent cough and could greatly benefit the quality of life of persistent cough sufferers."

Professor Alyn Morice of the Hull Cough Clinic said there was a need for new treatments.

"Thousands of people across the UK suffer from persistent cough, and due to the drawbacks of current opioid drugs such as codeine, we are in desperate need of a non-opioid treatment with a drastically improved side effect profile for patients."

A persistent cough, may be tinged with blood. a feeling of malaise, and shortness of breath, these are some possible s&s of tb.

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? More than 5,270 cases of whooping cough have been reported in California’s growing epidemic, which has killed nine babies this year.

This week’s report from the California Department of Public Health finds that the highly contagious illness hasn’t infected this many in the state since 1955, when 4,949 cases were reported for the entire year.

Whooping cough is a cyclical illness that peaks in number of infections every five years. Symptoms are similar to the common cold, making it a challenge to diagnose. a persistent cough that lasts weeks is the tell-tale symptom of the illness, which is also known as pertussis.

The bacterial infection tends to peak during summer months, but reporting lags make it difficult to determine if the peak has passed.

Cost Of Lung Cancer Treatment

It is the leading cause of cancer deaths for both men and women in the United States with more than 170,000 cases being diagnosed each year. Cost Of Lung Cancer TreatmentThe level of occurrences for women is rising rapidly. Unfortunately, early treatment for the disease is rare because early detection is rare.

Risks factors: what are the causes. Facts about this disease. How do you get it?

Cigarette smoking is the main cause of this disease and is believed to be responsible for over 80% of the occurrences. Cigarette smoking is not only the chief cause of this cancerous growth in the lung, it is also the single biggest cause of cancer deaths. Ironically, it is one of the most preventable causes of cancer deaths in our society. other causes of malignancy in the lung include over exposure to asbestos, arsenic, beryllium, chromium, coal products, ionizing radiation, iron oxide, nickel, petroleum, uranium, and various other chemicals.

Detecting lung cancer early is difficult. the symptoms of this malignancy include:

Persistent cough Breathing difficulty Wheezing and fatigue Chronic upper respiratory tract infections Pus or blood-streaked sputum Chest tightness or chest pain Repeated attacks of bronchitis or pneumonia

Dealing with the effects of lung cancer and finding a cure for it is rather illusive especially given the fact that early detection is difficult.

Traditional treatment

Surgery Surgery is the most effective treatment, but only one-half of the cases can be treated by surgery by the time the disease is detected. Surgery is not performed if cancer cells are found in nearby lymph nodes. Drugs Radiation and chemotherapy Radiation is used to treat localized lesions and malignancies not treatable by surgery. Chemotherapy is especially prescribed for oat-cell carcinoma.

Prevention and recommendation

Early detection of the symptoms is rare. even though it is highly recommended that proper screening for cancer symptoms be done regularly because early recognition of their symptoms is crucial for successful treatment and recovery, generally, by the time lung cancer symptoms are evident, metastasis has already taken place.

The symptoms for this disease, unfortunately, are usually detected when the disease is already advanced. it is of absolute importance, therefore, that serious efforts at prevention be undertaken.

Preventative efforts that should be undertaken include the following:

Quit smoking. Since cigarette smoking is the single biggest cause of cancer deaths and the most preventable cause of cancer death in our society, cessation of smoking is the single biggest preventive action in combating this lung disease. another good practice is to start getting educated about the dangers of not only cigarette smoking but also about the dangers of over exposure to asbestos and environmental irritants. Adopt a healthy life style

In reiteration, prevention is one’s best defense against this disease. By the time the symptoms are noticed, the prognosis is usually poor and the long term survival rate is not good. the statistics for this malignancy are not promising. even if the disease is localized, the survival rate is only 35% and the overall average survival rate for all persons afflicted with the disease is only 13%.

It is the leading cause of cancer deaths for both men and women in the United States with more than 170,000 cases being diagnosed each year. the level of occurrences for women is rising rapidly. Unfortunately, early treatment for the disease is rare because early detection is rare.

Risks factors: what are the causes. Facts about this disease. How do you get it?

Cigarette smoking is the main cause of this disease and is believed to be responsible for over 80% of the occurrences. Cigarette smoking is not only the chief cause of this cancerous growth in the lung, it is also the single biggest cause of cancer deaths. Ironically, it is one of the most preventable causes of cancer deaths in our society. other causes of malignancy in the lung include over exposure to asbestos, arsenic, beryllium, chromium, coal products, ionizing radiation, iron oxide, nickel, petroleum, uranium, and various other chemicals.

Detecting lung cancer early is difficult. the symptoms of this malignancy include:

Lung Cancer Secrets Revealed Click here

Persistent cough Breathing difficulty Wheezing and fatigue Chronic upper respiratory tract infections Pus or blood-streaked sputum Chest tightness or chest pain Repeated attacks of bronchitis or pneumonia

Dealing with the effects of lung cancer and finding a cure for it is rather illusive especially given the fact that early detection is difficult.

Traditional treatment

Surgery Surgery is the most effective treatment, but only one-half of the cases can be treated by surgery by the time the disease is detected. Surgery is not performed if cancer cells are found in nearby lymph nodes. Drugs Radiation and chemotherapy Radiation is used to treat localized lesions and malignancies not treatable by surgery. Chemotherapy is especially prescribed for oat-cell carcinoma.

Prevention and recommendation

Early detection of the symptoms is rare. even though it is highly recommended that proper screening for cancer symptoms be done regularly because early recognition of their symptoms is crucial for successful treatment and recovery, generally, by the time lung cancer symptoms are evident, metastasis has already taken place.

The symptoms for this disease, unfortunately, are usually detected when the disease is already advanced. it is of absolute importance, therefore, that serious efforts at prevention be undertaken.

Preventative efforts that should be undertaken include the following:

Quit smoking. Since cigarette smoking is the single biggest cause of cancer deaths and the most preventable cause of cancer death in our society, cessation of smoking is the single biggest preventive action in combating this lung disease. another good practice is to start getting educated about the dangers of not only cigarette smoking but also about the dangers of over exposure to asbestos and environmental irritants. Adopt a healthy life style

In reiteration, prevention is one’s best defense against this disease. By the time the symptoms are noticed, the prognosis is usually poor and the long term survival rate is not good. the statistics for this malignancy are not promising. even if the disease is localized, the survival rate is only 35% and the overall average survival rate for all persons afflicted with the disease is only 13%.

lung cancer treatment breakthroughs Click here

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