Am I Too Young?
Many times I get this question: How old should I be to have cancer? How old is the youngest person known to have this form of cancer.
The answer is hard to give. First of all, there are not enough reports about people diagnosed with cancer all around the world. And, I look in the eyes of the person asking me this question and I tell him/her: I don’t know how old you should be to have cancer. I suppose nobody is too old or too young for this dreadful disease.
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What is PSA?
PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) is a protein secreted by the healthy prostate in the seminal fluid. Normally, only very small amounts of this protein are released in the bloodstream.
A diseased prostate will produce and release in the blood large quantities of this protein. The blood test is identifying the level of PSA and can be used in early detection of prostate cancer as well as to monitor men with a history of prostate cancer.
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Fecal-Ocult Blood Test (FOBT)
This year about 130 000 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Some of them will be in the early stages and the treatment will save their lives. But many of them won’t have this chance because they will be diagnosed when the disease is already spreading in their body.
For cancers, early detection is very important, practically the most important prognosis factor. There are forms of cancer in which early detection is just a matter of luck (for instance pancreatic cancer). But for colorectal cancer there are screening tests and early detection is saving thousands of lives each year.
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Mastectomy vs. lumpectomy
Many women ask me: why should I undergo a mastectomy when the surgeon can remove only that lump. I understand them: some of them are young, all of them are proud or their breasts, none of them wants to be mutilated.
I understand but I recommend in all cancer cases mastectomy. I’m an old fashion doctor, I admit.
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Colon Cancer – Risk Factors
As I said before, nobody knows what causes cancer, but there are a few well-known risk factors. Some of them can be avoided, some of them not. If you have one, more or all the risk factors listed below, that doesn’t mean you will have colon cancer for sure. It only means your risk is bigger than your neighbor who doesn’t have any of the risk factors. Not having any of the risk factors doesn’t protect you 100% from colon cancer.
Why do I tell you about these risk factors then? Because avoiding the ones who can be avoided leads you to a much healthier life and knowing you have a risk factor that can’t be avoided will make you more careful with your own health and life.
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Colon Cancer – Symptoms
Cancer of the colon (large intestine, large bowel) and rectum (the end of colon) is the third cause of cancer in males in the Western world. This cancer is rare in Asia and Africa, probably because of the diet of people living in these countries. In the early stages of the disease, patients have no symptoms. When symptoms appear, they’ll likely vary, depending on the cancer’s size and location in your large intestine.
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