some people aren't diagnosed until they are stage4 prognosis. this is obviously terminal, but was wondering why there are no symptoms in the stage1 or 2 so that the patient has half a chance of better survival?

Because a significant number of cancer patients—an estimated 25 percent—experience major depression at some point during their illness, recognizing the signs of depression among patients is a critical part of optimal treatment. From feelings of hopelessness to an inability to carry out daily tasks, depression can affect quality of life and possibly survival. For these reasons, prompt recognition and treatment of depressed patients is vital. Learn to recognize the following signs of depression. If you or a loved one experiences any of these signs, seek immediate help from a medical professional.

The Challenge of Identifying Depression

Even though depression is a common complaint among cancer patients, it isn’t always diagnosed. Signs of depression may be confused with symptoms of the cancer itself, as symptoms (like those described above) often overlap. furthermore, patients may also be experiencing a wide range of health issues, which can take medical priority over emotional and psychological concerns. these challenges in recognizing depression may be compounded by the fact that many patients don’t report depressive symptoms, perhaps due to an associated stigma or because they feel that cancer should take priority. together, these challenges make a firm understanding of the symptoms of depression a critical step in recognizing this potentially debilitating yet treatable side effect. once again, if you or a loved one experiences any of the above symptoms, seek help immediately.

More news and in-depth All Cancer Types information.

‘Ovarian cancer awareness may have saved Gill’

8:59am Wednesday 23rd March 2011

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A GRIEVING husband, who lost his wife to ovarian cancer, has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the disease.

Geoff Fisher will embark on a leaflet and poster drop across Bolton and will email more than 100 people in a bid to make sure women, and their families, know the symptoms — and are diagnosed quickly.

mr Fisher, aged 64, from Westhoughton watched his wife, Gill, battle ovarian cancer for six years before she lost her fight.

she died, aged 63, in July last year.

Since her death mr Fisher has been determined to spread the word to try to help other women.

he said: “Gill was a lovely, warm, smiling woman who touched more lives then she ever realised.

“We miss her so much and, since her death, have tried to spread the word about ovarian cancer.

Awareness is the key to survival.”

Mrs Fisher was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in March 2004, 10 weeks after displaying classic symptoms, including feeling bloated and full.

by then she had a cyst the size of a football, needed a hysterectomy, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which she had again in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

In January last year the mother of Helen, aged 33, and Ian, aged 34, developed an infection and was never well enough to continue with her treatment.

she passed away at Bolton Hospice on July 9.

mr Fisher, who has also raised more than £5,000 for Ovarian Cancer Action, said: “Gill was classed as a survivor, living over five years after diagnosis but, if we had known about ovarian cancer, she might have been diagnosed sooner and that could have made all the difference.

“Any woman experiencing symptoms on most days should ask their doctor to consider ovarian cancer.”

Symptoms include persistent pelvic or stomach pain, increased stomach size, persistent bloating, difficulty eating and feeling full quickly. To find out more or to donate visit lovewomen.

tributefunds.com/ fund/Gill+Fisher or ovar ian.org.uk

Read these District A-G stories

Warning signs and symptoms, and cancer in the body that something is wrong in different parts of the body can cause many signs and symptoms is indicative. spreads to other parts of the body is enlarged as they could be taken before the cancer is detected early, it increases the chances of survival. In some cases, cancer can begin to grow or to suppress the body or blood vessels, organs or spread to cause the removal of the occupation timeThis is causing the symptoms or warning signs of nerves.

until it becomes large enough, as the spread of cancer and cancer to other parts of the body, such as pancreatic cancer, these symptoms may not occur until it has reached an advanced stage, however, in some cases, these symptoms can be. It gives them the best chance for early treatment and cure of many cancers, but the warning signs and be aware of them and act.

This is the medical guidecancer, the cancer can be a sign you will learn some basic warning signs, but it is definitely one of those signs or symptoms that may indicate any of these symptoms does not mean you have cancer is important to highlight some of the other diseases and disorders, but nothing should be checked by a doctor as soon as Ci.

Cancer early warning signs and symptoms

Fatigue, skin changes and weight loss

but you should check with your doctor if you are getting enough reststill constantly tired or weak, this leukemia, certain cancers, including cancer of the stomach or colon may be a similar warning.

if you have unexplained weight loss of 10 pounds or more, esophagus, lung, stomach or pancreatic cancer may be an indication. any changes in the skin to show through skin symptoms and other specific cancers such as skin cancer can be a symptom. these changes include:

• skin redness • Itching • Hairovergrowth including eyes, skin Jaundice • Jaundice • changes in skin pigmentation or darkening of the skin

Fever, headache and pain

But cancer is a common symptom in patients with fever usually occurs in later stages of cancer has grown or spread. can affect the body, such as cancer treatment or cancer or undergoing cancer treatments at some point the majority of people will develop a feverstrengthens the immune system. some cancers such as lymphoma or leukemia, this may be an early warning sign.

the pain is caused by certain types of cancer that has metastasized, or spread most commonly when the show later stages of cancer. Brain tumors can cause a persistent headache. back pain and sometimes the rectum, colon, or ovarian cancer can be a symptom. the warning signs of testicular cancer may sometimes, or bone pain.

In general, the majority of casesThis is because the symptoms are not cancer, but can cause these symptoms, and any doctor can determine which treatment is needed to be checked by an expert, especially for an extended period of time.

Cancer early warning signs and symptoms

Sentara Cardiovascular Research Institute announced it is one of 35 heart centers in the U.S. involved in clinical trials studying the safety and efficacy of a heart monitor designed to warn patients of an impending heart attack. Riverside Regional Medical Center has been a part of the trial since 2009.

The trial involves implanting a device, called the AngelMed Guardian, just under the skin in a patient’s chest with wires connected to the heart. Smaller than a flip phone, the device is designed to monitor the heart for changes indicating it’s not getting enough oxygen. If something’s wrong, it will alert the patient by sending a wireless message to a pager-like device carried by the patient. that way, the patient can get to the hospital faster.

“The first few minutes of a heart attack are most dangerous, and every minute lost means more damage to the heart muscle. This study is designed to help our cardiac patients who are at high risk of having another heart attack improve their chances of survival. The hope is for them to get a warning even before symptoms occur,” says cardiologist Allen Ciuffo, M.D., principal investigator at Sentara Cardiovascular Research Institute.

One of every six deaths in the U.S. is due to heart disease, and 50 percent of heart attack deaths occur within one hour of symptoms or before the patient reaches the hospital, according to the American Heart Association. Other studies have shown that most damage to the heart occurs within two hours of blood flow being blocked from the heart muscle.

Find more health news at dailypress.com/health.

A Riverside patient holds an AngelMed device.

Image of the AngelMed device implanted in a Riverside patient’s chest.

Are flu's always caused by influenza virii? What's the difference between influenza virii (eg. causing Swine and avian flu) and coronavirus (for example causing SARS) in terms of nature and symptoms they cause in people? Why wasn't SARS called flu?

With SARS, you have a modest 92% chance of survival. That's better than the regular flu that kills tens of thousands of people per year!

It's just harder to breathe with SARS.

Sometimes that task is very hard to undertake; Most of the time it seems downright impossible. Hpv Cervical Cancer Treatment Then, ever so often, a light shines and we are lead right straight into that “something good”. before you even realize what has happened, you are making the most of the cards you have been dealt. It may take a couple of second glances to see that this wonderful gift came from some horrible tragedy you have survived.

But once your eyes are opened, the world is at your feet once again. my survival of Neuroendocrine Small Cell of the Uterine Cervix, is a miracle in itself, as it is so rare and aggressive and has a poor prognosis. but the gift I have been given since my diagnosis, to put my talents to use, is the greatest and most wonderful thing that could have ever come from this negative experience.

In my last article titled “my Survival of Small Cell Cervical Cancer”, I touched on a few things that had started to happen since my diagnosis and subsequent recovery and remission. I am actually cancer free from a terrible disease that more often than not, takes its victims to its grave. just being cancer free is a great thing that came from surviving SCCC, but what has come to pass over the last 6 months of my life is even greater.

I started to feel more like myself in May of 2008; More than a year after the end of my treatment. but I hadn’t worked in some time, the kids were older and made much more self sufficient not only by age but by the circumstances of their lives. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I had no idea what direction to take. but I did know that God did not spare me for “no” reason. Yes, I do believe I was spared….blessed if you will. Don’t get me wrong; I did the work….but never alone. Even though I knew something was expected of me, I had no idea what. I still felt alone and isolated by the rarity of the disease and because I had no one to connect with, I felt no one in my inner circle really understood how much I was struggling with this idea. I think at that time I fell into a depression of sorts. I just did nothing. I felt better from treatment, but I was dealing with a myriad of other issue. I had infections in my body that wouldn’t go away. Every time I left the house, I picked up some kind of bug and spent days with my head in the toilet. I was weak and fatigued and my mental state of confusion and memory loss only added to the deepening fear that I would not accomplish anything before this cancer came back and struck me down. I wasn’t really looking forward. I was stuck in one place again.

Lung Cancer Secrets Revealed Click here

One day I opened my email and there was a messagel from a person I did not know. She had found me on a cancer message board. She also had SCCC and was surviving cancer free for more than a year. that brought me to my feet in an instant. there was another surviving like me with no recurrence. I couldn’t believe it and I was intrigued. I answered her back. we clicked immediately. although we had very different life styles, we were very much alike in personality. sometimes I would read over her emails at night and weep. I would weep for the fact that I wasn’t alone in this. I had always had my family and friends and was truly never alone, but she was different. She was connected to me in a way no one else ever could be. Her name is Melanie Cummings (Mel) and I knew she would be in my life forever. Quickly we both realized that we had been brought together for a bigger purpose, so we started brain storming.

There were a few web sites on the internet that offered the ability to join message boards or find a pen pal that you could correspond with that was battling the same cancer or situation as you. but all of them required registration of your personal info and some required waiting periods. The message boards did not allow the exchange of personal emails so it made it hard for others to connect on an intimate level. although we realized that these sites had put these safety measures in place to protect their users from fraud, we also believed that people in our circumstances were looking for immediate responses to their ever important and growing need for answers and support. we thought that possibly not as many people were utilizing or getting the satisfaction from these web sites they sought because of the wait or lack of intimacy; as fighting cancer is very intimate. so we decided to design a site for just that purpose. we streamlined the process by only requiring a first name, description of their situation, and what they were looking for in terms of support or information. we would match these people to others that wrote in and were in our data base. we did not require any personal information and felt we were offering the response time that people in our situation sought. we built the web site and called it “Cancer Comrades” cancercomrades.com.

Since its inception we have received emails from people in the United States as well as Canada and the UK. we have read stories of survival of many types of cancer and have heard from the friends and relatives of those diagnosed expressing their worry and sadness and need for support and information. The web site has taken on a whole life of its own and introduced us to many people we have been able to help. The other day I was ecstatic to find an email waiting for us from a woman in New York who had just finished treatment for SCCC and was cancer free as well. that now makes three!!!! before this web site I had been alone and now I had 2 wonderful women with a common bond. not someone to sit around with and wallow in our diagnosis, but “Comrades in Arms” to be at our side and fight, come what may. It has also given SCCC and Cervical Cancers of all types a voice and a place to be heard.

As I read back through this article I just wrote, I see that many good things came from this one bad thing, and I am truly blessed. I always say “I plan to be a positive force while still on this earth”. I believe I am on my way. I have found my purpose beyond the obvious of being a good mother, loving wife and decent person. I am doing what I was given the talent to do. Use my voice, my words and my art to help heal. Medicine is one way, but comfort, support and encouragement is another way to heal.

Mel and I intend to keep this going strong. we intend to take our message out into the public and we are also getting involved in fundraising to find a cure for SCCC and all Cervical Cancers. there are no limits to our abilities and there is always strength in numbers. but remember, no matter what tragedy has struck you…no matter how low life can take you….there is always something good in something bad. thank you for reading.

“I will be a positive force while still on this earth.”

lung cancer treatment breakthroughs Click here

The FDA faces a key decision this month on whether to rescind approval of Roche’s expensive cancer drug Avastin for treating breast cancer. The drug slightly delays the time it takes tumors to grow on a scan, but has failed to show it can either improve symptoms or help women live longer in various large trials.  One possibility is that side effects are canceling out the benefits of slowed tumor growth.

The decision could set a precedent for how the FDA deals with expensive, marginally effective cancer drugs in the future.  Some top cancer researchers believe that we have set the bar too low by allowing drugs to be approved based purely on statistical measures of efficacy–as opposed to looking at whether tiny differences in time to tumor growth of a month or six weeks are medically meaningful.  One drug, Tarceva for pancreatic cancer, improves survival by just two weeks.

Should the FDA should consider cost explicitly in their calculations?  All the new cancer drugs are enormously expensive. Avastin can cost up to $55,000 a year. Some other drugs cost $100,000 a year or more. if they were cheap, there might not be the debate about the marginal effectiveness.

Forbes senior editor Matt Herper thinks the FDA should consider cost.  I think it is a bad idea to allow explicit cost consideration–even if the issue is always lurking in the background. it would lead to ever more cries of death panels, and a political controversy that would undermine the agency’s credibility as a fair arbiter of drug safety and effectiveness.  Just because society isn’t willing to address the question of how much is it willing to pay for slightly better cancer drugs, doesn’t mean the FDA should be forced to take on the job. Click here for a debate:

IBM is providing the NMDP with Websphere Lombardi analytics technology that tracks donors, patients, events and locations. the results will be showed in a single dashboard environment.

NMDP will automate its screening processes, eliminating the need for technical intervention. Staff may then focus on records that meet the matching criteria.

The IBM advanced analytics streamline the record matching process by comparing millions of data records nationwide. the records include donor information, geographic location and patient recipient data.

It currently takes 96 days to find a donor. NMDP says the new process will take 50% less time to find a donor recipient.

Wait time is a factor in a patient’s survival. the NMDP estimates that the United States has as many as 10,000 patients who may benefit from a transplant each year. Only four in 10 patients with life-threatening diseases actually receive the bone marrow.

At the Information on Demand Conference last month, IBM announced that Columbia University is using streaming analytics to do do early detection of complications from brain injuries and strokes.

Columbia University researchers will use IBM InfoSphere streaming analytics software to detect complications for patients with brain injuries or strokes.

IBM says the technology can detect symptoms up to 48 hours earlier than current methods. eWeek:

“InfoSphere allows researchers to process EEG feeds, blood oxygen levels, and blood pressure and temperature readings, according to IBM. the software data will be used along with lab test results and patient reports of symptoms to discover hidden patterns.

InfoSphere processes structured and unstructured streaming data sources, including voice and video and real-time feeds from the market, medical equipment and satellites.”

This is a field that holds all sorts of promise. Healthcare will change entirely as data increasingly becomes the key to treating patients. These are just the latest examples that show how analytics can pay a vital role in helping better treat patients.