"Cancer
is a renegade system of growth
that originates within a
patient's biosystem, more
commonly known as the human
body. There are many different
types of cancers, but all share
one hallmark characteristic:
unchecked growth that progresses
toward limitless expansion.
Because cancer is so prevalent,
people have many questions about
its biology, detection,
diagnosis, possible causes, and
strategies for prevention.
Different
Kinds of Cancer:
1.
Carcinomas:
the most common types of cancer,
arise from the cells that cover
external and internal body
surfaces. Lung, breast, and
colon are the most frequent
cancers of this type in the
United States.
2.
Sarcomas:
are cancers arising from cells
found in the supporting tissues
of the body such as bone,
cartilage, fat, connective
tissue, and muscle.
3.
Lymphomas:
are cancers that arise in the
lymph nodes and tissues of the
body's immune system.
4.
Leukemias:
are
cancers of the immature blood
cells that grow in the bone
marrow and tend to accumulate in
large numbers in the bloodstream.
Naming
Cancers:
Scientists use a variety of
technical names to distinguish
the many different types of
carcinomas, sarcomas, lymphomas,
and leukemias.
In general, these
names are created by using
different Latin prefixes that
stand for the location where the
cancer began its unchecked
growth. For example, the prefix
"osteo" means bone, so a cancer
arising in bone is called an
osteosarcoma. Similarly, the
prefix "adeno" means gland, so a
cancer of gland cells is called
adenocarcinoma--for example, a
breast adenocarcinoma.
Loss of
Normal Growth Control:
Cancer arises from a loss of
normal growth control. In normal
tissues, the rates of new cell
growth and old cell death are
kept in balance. In cancer, this
balance is disrupted. This
disruption can result from
uncontrolled cell growth or loss
of a cell's ability to undergo
cell suicide by a process
called" apoptosis." Apoptosis,
or "cell suicide," is the
mechanism by which old or
damaged cells normally
self-destruct.
"
To learn much more and see
diagrams on this interesting
subject:
|
Community-Acquired
Methicillin-Resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
Infections (CA-MRSA) |
MRSA remains a
major human
pathogen.
Traditionally,
MRSA infections
occurred
exclusively in
hospitals and
were limited to
immunocompromised
patients or
individuals with
predisposing
risk factors.
However, recently there has been an alarming epidemic of CA-MRSA strains that can cause a spectrum of disease ranging from uncomplicated skin infections to severe infections that can result in necrotizing soft-tissue infections and necrotizing pneumonia and death in otherwise healthy humans outside of the healthcare setting. The emerging potential danger associated with CA-MRSA invasive infections was demonstrated by the deaths of 4 healthy children in Minnesota and North Dakota between 1997 and 1999.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has defined CA-MRSA as having no healthcare risk factors. Persons with MRSA infections that meet all of the following criteria likely have CA-MRSA infections:
|
- Diagnosis of MRSA was made in the outpatient setting or by a culture positive for MRSA within 48 hours after admission to the hospital
- No medical history of MRSA infection or colonization
- No medical history in the past year of
- Hospitalization, dialysis, or surgery
- Admission to a nursing home, skilled nursing facility, or hospice
|
- No permanent indwelling catheters or medical devices that pass through the skin into the body
|
CA-MRSA
strains can
be highly
virulent
(actively
poisonous)
and have
been
documented
to cause
life-threatening
necrotizing
(causing
death of
tissue, such
as skin)
infections.
Many strains
of CA-MRSA
encode for
the PVL
toxin, a
pore-forming
cytotoxin (a
substance
that has a
toxic effect
on certain
cells)
associated
with
necrotic
lesions or
abscess
formation.
More rarely,
CA-MRSA
infection
can lead to
cases of
serious,
life-threatening
diseases,
such as
necrotizing
pneumonia,
necrotizing
soft-tissue
infections,
-- which may
prove fatal.
CA-MRSA is
an important
public
health
problem.
CA-MRSA
infections
are on the
rise in
epidemic
proportion.
Close
contacts of
persons with
CA-MRSA skin
or pulmonary
infections
have a
higher
likelihood
of acquiring
an
infection,
so infection
control
issues are
extremely
important.
It is
critically
important to
address
prevention
of
transmission
of CA-MRSA
infections
by
advocating
for hand
hygiene.
Source:
Medscape.com
For more
information:
see
http://www.medscape.com
/viewarticle/566787?src=mp
Dementia and
Alzheimer's
There is a Distinct
Difference |
For this entry, let me just
state that there is often
confusion and misunderstanding
with the terms Alzheimer's
disease and dementia, but there
is a distinct difference.
The
term dementia refers to a set of
symptoms, not the disease itself.
These symptoms might include
language difficulty, loss of recent
memory or poor judgment. In other
words, when an individual is said to
have dementia they are exhibiting
certain symptoms. With a thorough
screening including blood tests (to
rule out other causes of dementia
such as vitamin deficiency), a
mental status evaluation,
neuropsychological testing, and
sometimes a brain scan, doctors can
accurately diagnose the cause of the
dementia symptoms in 90 percent of
the cases. (It is true however, that
Alzheimer's can be diagnosed with
complete accuracy only after death,
using a microscopic examination of
brain tissue, which checks for
plaques and tangles).
Although Alzheimer's disease
accounts for 60-70 percent of cases
of dementia, other disorders that
cause dementia include: Vascular
dementia, Parkinson's disease,
dementia with Lewy Bodies and
Frontotemporal dementia.
In the early
stages of a
disease, there
can be some
clear
differences
between the
diseases. For
example, in
dementia with
Lewy Bodies (the
second most
common cause of
dementia) early
symptoms of the
disease may not
be so much
forgetfulness,
but lowered
attention span,
recurrent visual
hallucinations,
and a
fluctuation
between periods
of lucidity (or
clear thinking)
followed by
periods of
confusion.
However, as the
specific disease
advances, more
parts of the
brain become
affected, and
the differences
from one cause
of dementia to
another are
subtle.
No
two persons are similar in how the
disease impacts them.
Source: The Mayo Clinic |
|
What is Restless Legs
Syndrome? |
Restless
legs
syndrome
(RLS)
is a
neurological
disorder
characterized
by
unpleasant
sensations
in
the
legs
and
an
uncontrollable
urge
to
move
when
at
rest
in
an
effort
to
relieve
these
feelings.
RLS
sensations
are
often
described
by
people
as
burning,
creeping,
tugging,
or
like
insects
crawling
inside
the
legs.
Often
called
paresthesias
(abnormal
sensations)
or
dysesthesias
(unpleasant
abnormal
sensations),
the
sensations
range
in
severity
from
uncomfortable
to
irritating
to
painful.
The
most
distinctive
or
unusual
aspect
of
the
condition
is
that
lying
down
and
trying
to
relax
activates
the
symptoms.
As a
result,
most
people
with
RLS
have
difficulty
falling
asleep
and
staying
asleep.
Left
untreated,
the
condition
causes
exhaustion
and
daytime
fatigue.
Many
people
with
RLS
report
that
their
job,
personal
relations,
and
activities
of
daily
living
are
strongly
affected
as a
result
of
their
exhaustion.
They
are
often
unable
to
concentrate,
have
impaired
memory,
or
fail
to
accomplish
daily
tasks.
RLS
occurs
in
both
genders,
although
the
incidence
may
be
slightly
higher
in
women.
Although
the
syndrome
may
begin
at
any
age,
even
as
early
as
infancy,
most
patients
who
are
severely
affected
are
middle-aged
or
older.
In
addition,
the
severity
of
the
disorder
appears
to
increase
with
age.
Older
patients
experience
symptoms
more
frequently
and
for
longer
periods
of
time.
As
described
above,
people
with
RLS
feel
uncomfortable
sensations
in
their
legs,
especially
when
sitting
or
lying
down,
accompanied
by
an
irresistible
urge
to
move
about.
These
sensations
usually
occur
deep
inside
the
leg,
between
the
knee
and
ankle;
more
rarely,
they
occur
in
the
feet,
thighs,
arms,
and
hands.
Although
the
sensations
can
occur
on
just
one
side
of
the
body,
they
most
often
affect
both
sides.
Because
moving
the
legs
(or
other
affected
parts
of
the
body)
relieves
the
discomfort,
people
with
RLS
often
keep
their
legs
in
motion
to
minimize
or
prevent
the
sensations.
They
may
pace
the
floor,
constantly
move
their
legs
while
sitting,
and
toss
and
turn
in
bed.
Most
people
find
the
symptoms
to
be
less
noticeable
during
the
day
and
more
pronounced
in
the
evening
or
at
night,
especially
during
the
onset
of
sleep.
For
many
people,
the
symptoms
disappear
by
early
morning,
allowing
for
more
refreshing
sleep
at
that
time.
Other
triggering
situations
are
periods
of
inactivity
such
as
long
car
trips,
sitting
in a
movie
theater,
long-distance
flights,
immobilization
in a
cast,
or
relaxation
exercises.
The
symptoms
of
RLS
vary
in
severity
and
duration
from
person
to
person.
Mild
RLS
occurs
episodically,
with
only
mild
disruption
of
sleep
onset,
and
causes
little
distress.
In
moderately
severe
cases,
symptoms
occur
only
once
or
twice
a
week
but
result
in
significant
delay
of
sleep
onset,
with
some
disruption
of
daytime
function.
In
severe
cases
of
RLS,
the
symptoms
occur
more
than
twice
a
week
and
result
in
burdensome
interruption
of
sleep
and
impairment
of
daytime
function.
What
Causes
RLS?
In
most
cases,
the
cause
of
RLS
is
unknown
(referred
to
as
idiopathic).
A
family
history
of
the
condition
is
seen
in
approximately
50
percent
of
such
cases,
suggesting
a
genetic
form
of
the
disorder.
People
with
familial
RLS
tend
to
be
younger
when
symptoms
start
and
have
a
slower
progression
of
the
condition.
In
other
cases,
RLS
appears
to
be
related
to
the
following
factors
or
conditions,
although
researchers
do
not
yet
know
if
these
factors
actually
cause
RLS.
1.
People
with
low
iron
levels
or
anemia
may
be
prone
to
developing
RLS.
Once
iron
levels
or
anemia
is
corrected,
patients
may
see
a
reduction
in
symptoms.
2.
Chronic
diseases
such
as
kidney
failure,
diabetes,
Parkinson's
disease,
and
peripheral
neuropathy
are
associated
with
RLS.
Treating
the
underlying
condition
often
provides
relief
from
RLS
symptoms.
(Continued
below)
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