Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Effective Treatment For Cancer Through Interventional Radiology

By Rebecca Brown

Interventional radiology (IR) refers to the special practices performed under the minimally invasive treatment procedure. It uses image guidance technology to find more precision in the treatment. Such images are considered to direct the treatment procedure that may include the use of needle or other tiny instruments like small tubes or catheters. So the interventional radiologist can find a lager assistant to direct these instruments through the body to the area of damaged parts. This particular technique has really proved to be helpful to diagnose some of the most perilous diseases including cancer. Its methods are done purely for diagnostic purposes per se angiogram.

The IR technique uses some common interventional modalities like fluoroscopy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), ultrasound scanner. Fluoroscopy and CT use ionizing radiation to find fast and geometrically accurate treatment. MRI technique is also capable to provide superior tissue contrast, but it requires a specialized instrument, therefore it is a little expansive for the patients.

There are some common procedures for which interventional radiology techniques is performed. Some of the procedures are as-

Angiography - it is the X-ray imaging of blood vessels to identify blockage or narrowing of the vessels. With the help of IR images, physicians can insert a small stent to inflate and open the blocked vessels.

Balloon angioplasty/stent- here doctor uses a small balloon on the tip of the catheter to widen the narrowed vessel.

Embolization - it includes the insertion process of a substance through a catheter into the blood vessel to check hemorrhaging, or excessive bleeding.

Chemoembolization - under this method, the treatment is directly given to a tumor through its blood supply. It uses clot-inducing substance to check blood flow in the artery.

Needle biopsy - here a small needle is inserted into the damaged part of the body, guided by imaging techniques. Such biopsy can be performed without surgical intervention.

Catheters insertions - in this process a catheter is inserted into large vein for delivering chemotherapy drugs, nutritional support, and hemodialysis. The catheters can be divided into five types, such as diagnostic angiographic catheters, micro catheters, drainage catheters, balloon catheters, central venous catheters.

The radiology treatment needs a team of well qualified physicians deliver more precision in the interventional radiological treatment procedures. So that the fatal diseases like cancer can be cured successfully.

For more information about radiology, [http://www.radiology-info.org/radiotherapy-procedures.html]radiotherapy treatment, treatment of cancer, [http://www.radiology-info.org/interventional-radiology.html]interventional radiology and computed tomography please visit radiology-info.org

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Thursday, March 4, 2010

Regular Cancer Checks Can Help Reverse Cancer

By:Edward Kusardi

Cancer is a disease that affects many individuals every year. Cancer can affect anyone regardless of race, age or gender. Cancer occurs when cells in the body become abnormal and reproduce when they should not reproduce. Abnormal cells are supposed to die and new healthy cells are supposed to replace them in a healthy individual. A person who has this disease has abnormal cells that continue to reproduce until there is not any room left for normal cells.

Many individuals discover that they have cancer by accident. Many individuals do not have any symptoms of the disease when they discover that they have cancer. No symptoms often mean the cancer is in its early stages. When this disease is caught in the early stages it is often reversible.

A person should visit his doctor yearly for yearly cancer checks. Yearly cancer checks can prevent the disease from overtaking the body. Cancer checks can be in the form of a physical examination. A doctor generally feels for hard spots and lumps during a physical exam. Lumps and hard spots on the body may mean that the patient has cancer. Other tests are often ordered to diagnose or rule out the disease when lumps or hard spots are found on the patient.

Yearly cancer checks might also include a cat scan or an MRI. A CAT scan or MRI can detect any abnormality in the body. Yearly cancer checks might also include x-rays or ultrasounds. Cancer checks might also include blood tests and urine tests.

Getting checked for cancer is a very important part of recovering from the disease. When the disease is diagnosed early on the person has a much greater chance of living than if the disease is diagnosed in the later stages. It is much simpler to kill one tumor full of cancer cells than it is to destroy many tumors.




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Cancer Therapy is Used to Treat Individuals Who Have Cancer

By:Edward Kusardi

Cancer is a deadly disease. Cancer often takes the lives of the individuals that it infects. The disease can be stopped if it is caught in time. Catching the disease in time to reverse it involves a person being screened for cancer yearly.


Cancer occurs when the body begins producing abnormal cells that do not die. Normally cells in the body die when they are unhealthy or old; however, all cancer cells are abnormal and do not die. The cells continue to reproduce and often form tumors.


Therapy involves the treatment of an illness. Cancer therapy involves the treatment of cancer. Therapy often involves finding and destroying all cancer cells and tumors. And it often involves stopping cancer from spreading throughout the body, travel through lymph nodes and blood to other areas of the body. Once the cells reach another area of the body they begin infecting that area of the body. It works to stop the invasion of other parts of the body by the disease.


There is more than one type of therapy for cancer patients. Alternative therapy is a kind of therapy that works by increasing the body's natural immune system and getting rid of unhealthy poisons in the body through detoxification.


Non alternative therapies include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, targeted therapy and biological therapy. There are also other types of therapies used to treat cancer.


Chemotherapy is the most common type of therapy used for treating this disease. A patient that does not have heart disease or diabetes is a good candidate for chemotherapy. Chemotherapy involves giving a patient drugs that seek out the cancer cells and kill them. Often a patient will get rid of all the cancer cells in his body through chemotherapy.


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Cancer is a Word, Not a Sentence - Different Ways of Looking at Cancer


By: Joe Kosterich

The word cancer still strikes fear into peoples hearts. In 1971 then president Nixon declared a war on cancer with the aim of winning it by the bicentennial in 1976. Suffice to say this has not happened. In fact the death rate for cancer in the USA adjusted for age and population has declined only 5% in over 50 years. This is despite the spending of billions of dollars.

Yet there are people who have beaten cancer and lived long years to tell the tale. The question arises what is different about those people, as they have often received the same medical treatment as those who did not survive? In my opinion it will be in their attitudes and how they manage their condition.

Those who see cancer as a word rather than a sentence, those who examine and change their lifestyles do best. I have heard many people describe getting cancer as a wake up call. These people have looked at what aspects of their life are not working and may be "cancerous." For some it is their diet, some are in toxic relationships, others are overworked. There is no one answer. There are answers though and that is the positive message of every person who has "beaten" cancer.

The key message though is that it is more to do with the individual than the treatment. This does not mean that cancer can be meditated away or replace the need for medical treatment. It does mean that those who take an active role in their recovery will do better than those who regard themselves as "victims."

Interesting too,is that questions continue to be raised about chemotherapy guidelines being too influenced by the pharmaceutical industry. Writing in the Internal Medicine Journal leading Australian oncologists have criticized drug company sponsored guidelines which encourage" aggressive and often futile treatment with expensive chemotherapy agents". In the US a trial last year on the drug Avastin failed to show a significant effect in preventing the recurrence of colon cancer. Sales of this drug in the USA were $2.7 billion in 2008.

It is not all doom and gloom. Take an active role in any treatment. Do not see yourself as a victim. Be prepared to look honestly at aspects of your life, which may not be serving you. Be prepared to make changes. Be accepting of your emotions and work through them without suppressing them.

Each person is on a journey in this life. There are lessons to learn and experiences to be had. Work with your body not against it. This does not guarantee recovery from cancer or any illness. It does mean you will get the most out of the days you have on earth however many they may be.

Dr Joe's Do it yourself health (DIY Health) is based on the principle that your health is directly influenced by how you live your life.Do not wait to be a victim of disease.Visit my website to get knowledge and tips on ways that you can take charge of your own health today.You will look and feel better.

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