Oncology
Laryngeal Papilloma
February 8, 2012 | 
Author 
The snuff and alcohol have traditionally been the main triggers of tumors of the oral cavity (mouth, pharynx and larynx). However, in recent years, another ‘villain’ has been gaining ground in this area. It is the human papilloma virus, a sexually transmitted pathogen whose role in cervical cancer is well known.
In America, this virus is now considered the main cause of a type of oral carcinoma and its prevalence is striking from the experts. Above all, it is particularly high among men.
This is demonstrated by the results of the last work done on the subject, which looked at 5,579 men and women aged between 14 and 69 years. According to his data, published in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association ‘, oral infections of the virus affecting 10.1% of men compared to 3.6% of women, giving a prevalence overall about 7%.
These data underscore the researchers in the medical journal, call for greater public attention to the health implications that has the advancement of this virus. Especially if one considers that 16 of the pathogenic subtype-undoubtedly the most aggressive and more often associated with subsequent development of cancer, was the most common virus affected the sample.
A sexually transmitted infection
To carry out their work, these scientists led by Maura L. Gillison, University of Ohio (USA), each participant underwent a personal interview about their habits and their socioeconomic profile, and a laboratory test to test for oral papillomavirus.
Apart from the prevalence of the pathogen, one of the details were clearer in the research is that sexual behavior was closely linked with the likelihood of infection. Thus, sexually active people who had had more partners over their lives who most likely had to introduce the virus. On the other hand, apart from the inner life, smoking is also demonstrated as an important risk Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Infectious Diseases, Medical News, Oncology | 
Tags: cancer, Laryngeal Papilloma, tumors, virus | 
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Chemotherapy and Mental Attitudes
Current treatments for breast cancer have succeeded in lengthening the life of the affected, one reason for the scientific community to pay attention to the long-term effects of therapies. Perhaps for this reason, in the last decade have emerged in studies that investigate the effects of cancer therapy on cognitive function. Most research has focused on women who have overcome breast cancer and has since coined the term ‘chemo brain’.
Some examples to clarify its real meaning provides the ‘American Cancer Society’: “Having memory lapses, difficulty concentrating, recoder names, dates, details, events, difficulty performing multiple tasks at once, among other things” .
Paul Jacobsen, Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida (USA) is one of the scientists who blazed a trail in this field published several articles on the effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy at the cognitive level.
Neuropsychological Test
The latest one, published in ‘Cancer’, reveals that breast cancer survivors may experience problems with certain mental abilities for several years after treatment, regardless of whether they were treated with chemotherapy plus radiation or radiation alone. For Dr. Jacobsen These findings suggest that “some patients’ cognitive problems beyond their tumor is not only due to the chemotherapy.”
To carry out the research, the scientists compared to former cancer patients (62 women who received chemotherapy plus radiotherapy and only 67 had undergone radiation) with 184 women with no history of disease. The experts performed several neuropsychological assessments: six months of receiving treatment and three years.
During the analysis evaluated the cognitive performance, intellectual ability, attention, executive function, verbal memory, language and verbal memory.
The data show that chemotherapy can cause cognitive problems that persist for three years after patients completed treatment. These same effects were similar in those receiving the ‘chemo’ in combination with radiation or radiation alone. By contrast, there was no alteration to the following hormonal therapy (tamoxifen).
“The findings suggest that problems in some survivors with their mental abilities are not only due to the administration of chemotherapy,” says the author of the essay, which insists that the “study also provides a more complete picture of the impact of cancer treatment on cognitive function that previous studies did not follow the patients in both time and mental abilities observed in survivors who had not been treated with ‘chemo’. ”
Objections
To Agusti Barner, Member of Board of Directors of the Spanish Society for Medical Oncology (SEOM) and chief of Medical Oncology at the Hospital Santa Creu i San Pau de Barcelona, acknowledges that “the study, but has a following of three years, no can establish with certainty the ‘cerebral’ long-term therapies. In the query if there are patients who have told us they have difficulty retaining certain information or to keep the focus on a text, but it was while receiving chemotherapy. Gradually, and after the Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Oncology, Psychiatry | Tags: Attitudes, breast cancer, chemotherapy, Mental, Mental Attitudes, treatments | No Comments »
Hand Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a wear and aging process that begins on joints and articular cartilage. Under normal conditions, the cartilage, which is a vital tissue to the slide, has the ability to replace their cells as these are worn. “In older people the rate of removal is not sufficient to maintain the joint thickness, so the cartilage thins and may begin to be contact between the bones devoid of cartilage, causing joint inflammation, pain and limited range of movement, “said Dr. Alfredo Olazabal, president of the Argentina Association of Surgery of the Hand (AACM).
“There are two factors, age and menopause, women become particularly vulnerable to osteoarthritis,” explained the expert.
According to a new study led by Maria Loreto Massardo specialist Vega, of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, the incidence of osteoarthritis of the hands is 80% in women over 65 years and 50% in men the same age. Between 55 and 65, affecting 60% of women and 45% of men. Another more generic study, presented by Dr. Ricardo de Felipe under the XI National Congress of Health and Women’s Medicine (SAMEM) in Spain, highlights that osteoarthritis is one of the most prevalent rheumatic diseases and affects 80 % older than 65 years.
What is osteoarthritis of the hand
It is a degeneration of cartilage in the joints of the hands, which can cause pain, difficulty moving the fingers and deformity. Can be caused by prolonged and repetitive activity of the joints (such as manual labor, for example), the wear of the passage of years or for hereditary reasons also, in which cases the disease recurs (and to the affected area ) from generation to generation. In addition to these causes, any joint that has suffered a fracture or inflammation for a long time may develop post traumatic osteoarthritis.
“The destruction of articular cartilage brings other side effects such as damage to the bone itself, which may trigger new tensions in the ligaments, tendons and muscles,” explained Olazabal.
Symptoms
Early predictors for hand osteoarthritis are the intense pain that appear to move the fingers and the Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Oncology, Orthopedics | Tags: Hand, ligaments, muscles, Osteoarthritis, tendons | No Comments »
Metastatic Melanoma
In Spain, “there is only one treatment (chemotherapy) for patients with metastatic melanoma and was approved in mid-60s,” said Salvador Martin Algarra, president of the Multidisciplinary Melanoma Spanish Group (JLG). In recent months, Europe has approved two new drugs that increase survival and quality of life for these patients, however, in our country have not yet been validated. “We need to have these new therapies as quickly as possible.” To do this, “health authorities should adopt more open evaluation of cost / effectiveness.” This is evidenced Spanish researchers, oncologists, dermatologists, pathologists and patients with melanoma, through a report presented this morning at the National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO).
This is a highly invasive cancer with a high capacity to metastasize, and whose research, unfortunately, “has been abandoned for many years,” argues Martin Algarra. It was sort of ‘black box’ because it was not known how to start, how it progresses and why it is so aggressive. But in the last decade, the perspective has changed. “It has become one of the diseases that is attracting greater interest among researchers and oncologists,” said Marisol Soengas, chief of the Melanoma Group of the CNIO. Represents between 4% and 10% of all cancers diagnosed each year in Spain and produces more than 700 deaths annually.
Thanks to prevention campaigns that are being developed in recent years as technological advances allow better distinguish benign from malignant lesions, “the majority of melanomas are detected early states and heal without problem (with removal) “.
However, there are still significant gaps and so picks up the ‘Report to improve the approach to Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Dermatology, Medical News, Oncology | Tags: cancer, chemotherapy, melanoma, Metastatic, Metastatic Melanoma, nanomedicine, treatment | No Comments »
Sun and Skin Cancer
Experts warned that many people mistakenly believe that they should only begin to protect themselves in the summer, when visiting beaches or swimming pools. Also, only use a quarter of the amount of sunscreen needed.
Therefore, specialists of the Ministry of Health of the Province warned that at this time of year when the days become warm and begin to be populated places, clubs and other places of outdoor recreation is essential to use products with SPF sun between 30 and 40, and even more if it’s skin with skin diseases.
“This month we begin to address boys blistered by exposure to sun without protection,” said Alicia Rossiter provincial hospital dermatologist Sor Maria Ludovica de La Plata.
The specialist added that “the current climate all start out to take the square mat, kids play games or outdoor sports and has not yet become aware that radiation increases the risk of cancer and causes peaking irritation, burns, blisters and premature skin aging. ”
Rossito added that “as the clouds let in 95 percent of ultraviolet radiation, so it must be protected also on cloudy days.”
Moreover, the National Weather Service, which measures the rate of solar ultraviolet radiation (ISUV), indicates that now is “high” or “very high” in more than 90 percent of the districts of the province of Buenos Aires .
This indicator increased in spring and summer. However, dermatologists consider necessary to protect the sun all year round but especially during the months whose name includes the letter “r” which are, incidentally, the most radiation (September, October, November, December, January, February, March and April).
Helpful Hints
- Use sun protection factor of no less than 30. Place it in a generous manner in exposed areas 30 minutes before exposure and Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Dermatology, Oncology | Tags: dermatologist, radiation, Skin Cancer, skin diseases, Sun, ultraviolet, ultraviolet radiation | No Comments »