Cancer

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Do breast cancer treatments affect cognitive functioning?

Breast cancer screening

Breast cancer screening

Breast cancer is indeed a biggest threat for the women. It was scarier in the past but with the passage of time things have been improved yet there is need to conduct more researches in order to improve the situation. Breast cancer screening is the first step to start with. This start makes so many things clear and gives a way to follow. This way is actually the phase where one has to go through several treatments once diagnosed with breast cancer.


Unfortunately some of the treatments have side effects as well. Side effects are though not an enigma but obviously one has to be careful about all the related things. Certainly experts are working on it to lessen the harmful effects of the prescribed treatments not only with regards to breast cancer but also the other diseases.

Side effects of chemotherapy for breast cancer…

Several treatments have different side effects. They vary from each other with regards to the procedure as well as the patient. It is said that chemotherapy effects the cognitive functioning of the patient. Researches are working to find out what exactly causes this and which parts of the brain are getting affected by the said treatment. Like breast cancer screening, doctors have done screening of the brains as well of those patients who are going through the chemotherapy for their breast cancer.

It was very much evident that the functioning of the brain which is related to the planning, attention and memory seemed fragile in the patients who were undergoing the chemotherapy than those who have not gone through the same procedure.

Accumulating the findings…

These findings regarding the side effects of chemotherapy will further help out to find out the ways to reduce the side effects of this particular treatment. It has also confirmed the complaints registered by many women regarding their cognitive functioning. It has also emphasized to realize this matter seriously and to work together to solve the issue.

Shelli Kesler who is the head of this study says, “There has been a controversy whether it’s the disease itself or hormonal blockade medications or chemotherapy”.

This particular disorder is actually the “chemo brain” which is commonly noticed in the patients with chemotherapy treatment. There were several women included in this experiment and those who didn’t have any chemotherapy have shown combatively better memory condition and functioning. It was also observed that issues related with the memory are also linked with the person’s own ability. Here the importance of breast cancer screening becomes more essential.




Reasons behind the cognitive disorder…

Several reasons or causes have been presented like,

  1. Chemotherapy being a toxic for the brain’
  2. This procedure may cause inflammation to the brain
  3. This treatment is also linked with some damage to DNA

This is not only the chemotherapy but hormonal therapy is also said to has some side effects for the brain functioning. So it’s not just the chemotherapy.

Shelli Kesler says, People sometimes think women are exaggerating [chemo brain] but this study showed that self-reported impairment actually correlates with brain impairment pointing to the fact that they should not be ignored”.

The real thing is to work together to lessen the side effects by eliminating the dangerous and problem creating elements in the said treatments as we have to proceed with these treatments if diagnosed with the breast cancer.

Author Bio :

Jasmine William an enthusiastic writer and a researcher who tend to follow a path which leads her to the road of wellness. She also wants others to follow the same roads. Health, wellbeing and breast cancer are particularity the topics she prefer to write on. She always uses her pen to write the authentic and informative stuff. You can follow her on  twitter

 

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Cervical Cancer – Preventive measures that matter!

 

Cervical Cancer Awareness

Cervical Cancer Awareness

Cervical cancer can be prevented as there is a vaccine available to combat this disease but still many cases of this cancer are coming up due to ignorance towards the vaccine and screening processes. Medical science has made its move by bringing in the advanced screening techniques and preventive vaccines but all that is lacking is awareness.

Before going into the details of preventive measures for cervical cancer, have a look at the statistics of this disease.

Cervical Cancer Statistic

Invasive cervical cancer is less common as this type of cancer is usually detected in its very initial stage. The pre-cancer stage is more common and that is because of latest screening techniques and regular medical checkups being conducted after crossing the 35 mark.

This type of cancer is more common in middle age women and is usually found in females below the age of 50 and above 20. As per the study, about 15% of the total cases of cervical cancer are found in the women above the age of 65.

Cervical cancer can come your way anytime during the lifetime and it is therefore very important to take appropriate preventive measures to overcome the risk.

What is Cervical Cancer?

Cervical cancer is the type of cancer that develops in cervix – The lower part of the uterus. The fetus grows in the upper part of the uterus and cervix connects this upper part with the vagina. The cells lining the cervix slowly develop into cancerous cells after coming in contact with Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) via sexual intercourse. This is basically a sexually transmitted virus. The person infected with HPV would still have chances of prevention either with the help of vaccine or by diagnosing the same in pre-cancer stage.

Signs to be watched

The signs and symptoms of cervical cancer may not show up in pre-cancer or initial stage. The signs may become apparent only when this cancer enters the invasive stage. Regular screening is therefore important to combat the cancer before it takes the upper hand. Here are the signs you may watch for –

  • Painful vaginal intercourse.
  • Unusual vaginal discharge that also contains traces of blood. It may occur between two menstrual cycles or also after attaining menopause.
  • Unusual vaginal bleeding that may occur after intercourse, between periods, or after menopause. Heavy and prolonged bleeding even at the time of periods is the sign that may call for immediate attention.

As the above symptoms occur only during the later stage of cervical cancer, make sure that you go for regular screenings without any signs or symptoms.

Screening tests for cervical cancer

The pre-cancer or initial stage of cervical cancer can be detected with the help of Pap test. The term Pap test stands for Papanicolaou test. This is one of the most popular screening tests used by medical practitioners. Other test is HPV DNA Test that is conducted along with Pap Test.

Preventive Vaccines

Cervical Cancer Vaccines are developed and approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prevent this cancer from invading girls and women that are exposed to HPV at some point of time in their life. There are two types of vaccines – 1. For boys and girls 2. For only girls and women.

The idea of vaccinating boys is to prevent transmission of the virus. These vaccines are given as injections of three doses at regular intervals. The second dose needs to be administered one or two months post first dose. Third dose may be administered six months post first dose.

The vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women. Even those who are seriously ill may avoid taking this vaccine. It may have severe allergic reactions if given to the person allergic to latex or yeast.

Remember, cervical cancer can be prevented or cured if detected in time!

About Author:

Karishma Pandey is a freelance blogger. She mainly writes on health and wellness subjects. Currently she is associated with “Green Coffee Extractz, an online shop for pure green coffee bean extract for weight loss.