Symptom Advice .com » survivor

How is Colon Cancer Detected? And What Are The Most Common Symptoms Of Colon Cancer?

Symptom Advice — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 09:51:11 +0000

There are no symptoms, which is why it's important to have a colonoscopy. this is a fairly simple procedure in which your colon is examined for polyps, or small growths. Anything suspicious will be snipped and biopsied. I'm a survivor – I had surgery, no radiation or chemo, because it was caught JUST in time. If in doubt, get it done!

my mum had colon cancer.. she had a tumour the size of an apple and yet becuase no symptoms she didnt know.. she was playing tennis comp up till the day she found out and was operated on. she had sever pain about an hour before and then was operated on…after op and chemo she beat it.. she has new cancers now but she is an amazing women and will beat them to

Pancreatic Cancer on KQCD-TV North Dakota’s NBC News Leader

Symptom Advice — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 09:00:05 +0000

Pancreatic Cancer | Video Juli McDonald 11/19/2010 It`s the fourth leading cancer killer in the United States, and receives less than 2% of the National Cancer Institute`s annual research funding. Pancreatic cancer is a disease that sneaks up on its victims and leaves them with bleak prognoses. the cancer is usually detected in the late stages, so they`re aren`t many people living with it, and it doesn`t always get a lot of attention.His family calls him the Miracle Man. Ernie Miller shouldn`t be here today but more than two years after a pancreatic cancer diagnosis and surgery, he`s a survivor.”It developed over a couple of years. I just didn`t feel good. I knew something was wrong. I had difficulty eating and retaining and digesting anything I ate. They say there really are no symptoms for pancreatic cancer,” says Miller.Ernie underwent a whipple procedure, which reconstructed his stomach and intestines. it took him about a year to recover, and he will continue to take chemo medication orally.”Caregiving is one of the most difficult jobs a person can have but it`s also one of the most rewarding jobs,” says Ernie`s wife, Bobbi.Ernie`s family hopes for awareness of the disease to grow. There`s no way to catch it early like with a mammogram or colonoscopy.”We were told that most people who are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer die within a year just because there is no early detection or early screening,” says Ernie`s daughter, Michelle.”Pancreatic cancer is where breast cancer was 40 years ago, as far as advances. They`re just not happening,” says Bobbi.Ernie`s grandson Drew says the illness brought their family closer together.”When he started to develop the cancer, he got more into his life and he wanted me to know it and know him and know his past,” Drew says.Ernie`s family continues to see each day as a gift. He still has some weight and strength to regain, but hopes next summer he`ll be back on the golf course with his grandson.if you`re interested in learning more, and getting involved in the fight against pancreatic cancer, visit PanCan.org

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Know the Facts about Ovarian Cancer

Symptom Advice — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 05:03:27 +0000

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Based on their experience, over and over again, ovarian cancer survivors say that they are the experts of the deadly and low-profile disease.

“My ovarian cancer wasn’t caught by my doctor for months even though I complained about many problems that I later learned were symptoms of ovarian cancer,” says one survivor.

“I was misdiagnosed for many months,” complain several other survivors.

“I was told I had kidney stones.”

“I was told to drink cranberry juice for bladder problems.”

“I was told I had an eating disorder.”

“I was told I was lactose intolerant.”

“No one took my complaints seriously,” others stated.

“It took two years to diagnose my sister (who later died), and we have a strong family history of ovarian and breast cancer. But most doctors don’t even know the warning signs,” laments one grieving family member.

In fact, ovarian cancer used to be called the silent killer, but not anymore. the Gynecological Cancer Foundation – including Dr. Barbara Goff, a gynecological oncologist at the University of Wisconsin – conducted conclusive research that confirmed what women have long known: Ovarian cancer has symptoms. these are simply: bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, and urinary symptoms such as urgency or frequency. Unfortunately, these symptoms often don’t occur until a late stage of the cancer, but the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance contends symptoms are still relevant and awareness of these symptoms by women is crucial. Awareness is vital because most cases of ovarian cancer are not discovered in an early stage when the cancer is easier to fight and the chances of survival are greatest. In early June, however, reports of new breakthroughs for detection and treatment of ovarian cancer were released. Abbott Diagnostics, a worldwide research company, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared a new diagnostic test, ARCHITECT HE4 (human epididymis protein 4), a simple blood test that aids in monitoring for the recurrence or progression of this disease. the current test most widely used to monitor ovarian cancer, CA-125, measures levels of a protein in the blood as an indication of a possible recurrence or disease progression in ovarian cancer patients. while 80 percent of ovarian cancers can be detected by CA-125, twenty percent of all ovarian cancers cannot be detected or monitored by CA-125. By using Abbott’s new HE4 test in conjunction with other clinical methods, including CA-125, physicians can get a more comprehensive clinical picture when monitoring ovarian cancer patients. on June 6, at a cancer conference in Chicago, Genentech inc. announced results from a Phase III study of Avastin. For initial treatment of ovarian cancer, women with previously untreated advanced cancer who received the drug in combination with chemotherapy, followed by the continuation of Avastin alone, had a 39 percent improvement in the likelihood of living longer without the disease worsening, compared to chemotherapy alone. the next step will be to get the drug – already used to combat other cancers – approved by the FDA for treatment of ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is a growth of abnormal malignant cells that begins in the ovaries. Every year in the United States, more than 21,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and about 15,000 women die of the disease. Ovarian cancer accounts for only about 3 percent of cancers in women, but while it’s the ninth most common cancer, it is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death among women and the deadliest of gynecological cancers.