Posts Tagged ‘General’

Community-Minded Latina Announced as General Manager of Rockin Baja Coastal Cantina, Huntington Beach

Community-Minded Latina Announced as General Manager of Rockin Baja Coastal Cantina, Huntington Beach
HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA October 2010 Rockin Baja Coastal Cantina today announced Maria Haro, experienced restaurant and service professional and community advocate, as General Manager of their Huntington Beach location. Rockin Baja, original home of the Baja Buckets, has twelve locations throughout Southern California. Haro has a wide range of culinary experience over the last 10 years …

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Media Advisory: Governor General to Invest 41 Recipients into the Order of Canada

Media Advisory: Governor General to Invest 41 Recipients into the Order of Canada
OTTAWA, ONTARIO– (Marketwire – Nov. 12, 2010) – His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, will preside over an Order of Canada investiture ceremony at Rideau Hall, on Wednesday, November 17, 2010, at 10:30 a.m. The Governor General, who is chancellor and Principal Companion of the Order, will bestow the honour on three Companions, 11 Officers and 27 Members.

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Clarient’s Board of Directors Recommends Stockholders Accept General Electric’s Cash Tender Offer

Clarient’s Board of Directors Recommends Stockholders Accept General Electric’s Cash Tender Offer
ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Nov. 5, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Clarient, Inc. (Nasdaq: CLRT) announced today that its board of directors has unanimously agreed to recommend that Clarient stockholders tender their shares to General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) at the previously announced price of $5.00 per share of Clarient’s common stock and $20.00 per share of Clarient’s Series A Convertible …

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Early voting for Nov. 2 general election begins Friday

Early voting for Nov. 2 general election begins Friday
Early voting for the Nov. 2 general election is slated for 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday through Oct. 28, except for Sunday, at College Park Community Center at 5051 Pierce Ave. in College Park; the Wayne K. Curry Sports & Learning Center at 8001 Sheriff Road in Landover; the Bowie Library at 15210 Annapolis Road in Bowie; the Oxon Hill Library at 6200 Oxon Hill Road in Oxon Hill; and the Upper …

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Breast Health: Breast Cancer Treatment Following Surgery (Lancaster General Health)

Medical Oncologist Beth Horenkamp, MD, explains her role in systemic therapy and care following the removal of breast cancer tumors in patients and reduce the risk of recurrence. This is the fifth in a series of videos that spotlight members of our Breast Health Center team and issues that are important for women to know. For more information about the Suzanne H. Arnold Center for Breast Health, or to watch more of our videos, visit us at: www.lancastergeneralhealth.org/breasthealthvideo

General Information about Breast Cancer and Pregnancy

Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast.

The breast is made up of lobes and ducts. Each breast has 15 to 20 sections called lobes, which have many smaller sections called lobules. The lobes and lobules are connected by thin tubes called ducts.

Each breast also contains blood vessels and lymph vessels. The lymph vessels carry an almost colorless fluid called lymph. The lymph vessels lead to small, bean-shaped organs called lymph nodes that help the body fight infection and disease. Lymph nodes are found throughout the body. Clusters of lymph nodes are found near the breast in the axilla (under the arm), above the collarbone, and in the chest.

Breast cancer is sometimes detected (found) in women who are pregnant or have just given birth.

In women who are pregnant or who have just given birth, breast cancer occurs most often between the ages of 32 and 38. Breast cancer occurs about once in every 3,000 pregnancies.

It may be difficult to detect (find) breast cancer early in pregnant or nursing women, whose breasts are often tender and swollen.

Women who are pregnant, nursing, or have just given birth usually have tender, swollen breasts. This can make small lumps difficult to detect and may lead to delays in diagnosing breast cancer. Because of these delays, cancers are often found at a later stage in these women.

Breast examination should be part of prenatal and postnatal care.

To detect breast cancer, pregnant and nursing women should examine their breasts themselves. Women should also receive clinical breast examinations during their routine prenatal and postnatal examinations.

Tests that examine the breasts are used to detect (find) and diagnose breast cancer.

If an abnormality is found, one or all of the following tests may be used:

Ultrasound exam: A procedure in which high-energy sound waves (ultrasound) are bounced off internal tissues or organs and make echoes. The echoes form a picture of body tissues called a sonogram.
Mammogram: An x-ray of the breast. A mammogram can be performed with little risk to the fetus. Mammograms in pregnant women may appear negative even though cancer is present.

Biopsy: The removal of cells or tissues by a pathologist so they can be viewed under a microscope to check for signs of cancer.
Certain factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options.

The prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options depend on the following:

The stage of the cancer (whether it is in the breast only or has spread to other places in the body).
The size of the tumor.
The type of breast cancer.
The age of the fetus.
Whether there are symptoms.
The patient’s general health.
Stages of Breast Cancer
After breast cancer has been diagnosed, tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the breast or to other parts of the body.

The process used to find out if the cancer has spread within the breast or to other parts of the body is called staging. The information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease. It is important to know the stage in order to plan treatment. (Refer to the PDQ summary on Breast Cancer Treatment for more information on the stages used for breast cancer.)

Methods used to stage breast cancer can be changed to make them safer for the fetus.

Standard methods for giving imaging scans can be adjusted so that the fetus is exposed to less radiation. Tests to measure the level of hormones in the blood may also be used in the staging process.

Treatment Option Overview
There are different types of treatment for patients with breast cancer.

Different types of treatment are available for patients with breast cancer. Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some are being tested in clinical trials. Before starting treatment, patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. A treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients with cancer. When clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the standard treatment, the new treatment may become the standard treatment.

Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country. Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site. Choosing the most appropriate cancer treatment is a decision that ideally involves the patient, family, and health care team.

Treatment options for pregnant women depend on the stage of the disease and the age of the fetus.
Three types of standard treatment are used:
Surgery

Most pregnant women with breast cancer have surgery to remove the breast. Some of the lymph nodes under the arm are usually taken out and looked at under a microscope to see if they contain cancer cells.

Types of surgery to remove the breast include:

Simple mastectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the whole breast that contains cancer. Some of the lymph nodes under the arm may also be removed for biopsy. This procedure is also called a total mastectomy.

Modified radical mastectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the whole breast that has cancer, many of the lymph nodes under the arm, the lining over the chest muscles, and sometimes, part of the chest wall muscles.

Breast-conserving surgery, an operation to remove the cancer but not the breast itself, includes the following:

Lumpectomy: A surgical procedure to remove a tumor (lump) and a small amount of normal tissue around it. Most doctors also take out some of the lymph nodes under the arm.
Partial mastectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the part of the breast that contains cancer and some normal tissue around it. Some of the lymph nodes under the arm may also be removed for biopsy. This procedure is also called a segmental mastectomy.

Even if the doctor removes all of the cancer that can be seen at the time of surgery, the patient may be given radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or hormone therapy after surgery to try to kill any cancer cells that may be left. Treatment given after surgery to increase the chances of a cure is called adjuvant therapy.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells. There are two types of radiation therapy. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer. Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer. The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.

Radiation therapy should not be given to pregnant women with early stage (stage I or II) breast cancer because it can harm the fetus. For women with late stage (stage III or IV) breast cancer, it should not be given during the first 3 months of pregnancy.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the spinal column, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy). The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.

Chemotherapy should not be given during the first 3 months of pregnancy. Chemotherapy given after this time does not usually harm the fetus but may cause early labor and low birth weight.

New types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials. These include the following:
Hormone therapy

Hormone therapy is a cancer treatment that removes hormones or blocks their action and stops cancer cells from growing. Hormones are substances produced by glands in the body and circulated in the bloodstream. Some hormones can cause certain cancers to grow. If tests show that the cancer cells have places where hormones can attach (receptors), drugs, surgery, or radiation therapy are used to reduce the production of hormones or block them from working.

The effectiveness of hormone therapy, alone or combined with chemotherapy, in treating breast cancer in pregnant women is not yet known.

This summary section refers to specific treatments under study in clinical trials, but it may not mention every new treatment being studied. Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Ending the pregnancy does not seem to improve the mother’s chance of survival and is not usually a treatment option.

If the cancer must be treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy, which may harm the fetus, ending the pregnancy is sometimes considered. This decision may depend on the stage of cancer, the age of the fetus, and the mother’s chance of survival.

Discover How You Can Treat Infertility Naturally, Without Drugs or Surgery

Does anyone have a link to a general website about breast tumors?

My girlfriend just found out she has a tumor in one of her breasts. I’m in a different city than she is right now so I’m trying to find out a little more information about the general size and placement of benign vs. malignant tumors, if there are any size differences. If not, then I’d just like to see what the stages of breast cancer are so that I can be prepared and generally more informed. Thanks.

General Health District voters asked for renewal

General Health District voters asked for renewal
LISBON – Voters in the Columbiana County General Health District are being asked to continue investing an average of about $4.50 per year in cancer detection by renewing a .2-mill, 10-year tax levy.

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Breast Reconstruction – General Information

Whether you decide to have breast reconstruction depends on your own individual case, medical condition, general health, lifestyle, emotional state, and breast size and shape. You may consider consulting your family, friends, breast implant support groups, and breast cancer support groups to help you in making this decision.

If you are considering breast reconstruction and do not have a plastic surgeon, use our doctor finder for the names of experienced, board certified plastic surgeons in your area. Your general surgeon, plastic surgeon, and oncologist should work together to plan your mastectomy and reconstruction procedure to give you the best possible result.

Your surgeon will decide whether your health and medical condition makes you an appropriate candidate for breast implant reconstruction. Women with larger breasts may require reconstruction with a combination of a tissue flap and an implant. Your surgeon may recommend breast implantation of the opposite, uninvolved breast in order to make them more alike (maximize symmetry) or he/she may suggest breast reduction (reduction mammoplasty) or a breast lift (mastopexy) to improve symmetry.

Mastopexy involves removing a strip of skin from under the breast or around the nipple and using it to lift and tighten the skin over the breast. Reduction mammoplasty involves removal of breast tissue and skin. If it is important to you not to alter the unaffected breast, you should discuss this with your plastic surgeon, as it may affect the breast reconstruction methods considered for your case.

What Are the Choices in Breast Reconstructive Procedures?

The type of breast reconstruction procedure available to you depends on your medical situation, breast shape and size, general health, lifestyle, and goals. Women with small or medium sized breasts are the best candidates for breast reconstruction. Breast reconstruction can be accomplished by the use of a prosthesis (a breast implant, either silicone gel or saline-filled), your own tissues (a tissue flap), or a combination of the two.

A tissue flap is a section of skin, fat and/or muscle which is moved from your stomach, back or other area of your body, to the chest area, and shaped into a new breast. Whether or not you have breast reconstruction with or without breast implants, you will probably undergo additional surgeries to improve symmetry and appearance.

For example, because the nipple and areola are usually removed with the breast tissue in mastectomy, the nipple is usually reconstructed by using a skin graft from another area of the body or the opposite breast, in addition to tattooing the area. Nipple reconstruction is usually done as a separate outpatient procedure after the initial reconstruction surgery is complete.

Breast Reconstruction Procedures with Implants – The Timing of Your Breast Implant Reconstruction

The following description applies to reconstruction following mastectomy, but similar considerations apply to reconstruction following breast trauma or for reconstruction for congenital defects. The breast reconstruction process may begin at the time of your mastectomy (immediate reconstruction) or weeks to years afterwards (delayed reconstruction).

Immediate reconstruction may involve placement of a breast implant, but typically involves placement of a tissue expander, which will eventually be replaced with a breast implant. It is important to know that any type of surgical breast reconstruction may take several steps to complete. Two potential advantages to immediate reconstruction are that your breast reconstruction starts at the time of your mastectomy and that there may be cost savings in combining the mastectomy procedure with the first stage of the reconstruction. However, there may be a higher risk of complications such as deflation with immediate reconstruction, and your initial operative time and recuperative time may be longer.

A potential advantage to delayed reconstruction is that you can delay your reconstruction decision and surgery until other treatments, such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy, are completed. Delayed reconstruction may be advisable if your surgeon anticipates healing problems with your mastectomy, or if you just need more time to consider your options. There are medical, financial and emotional considerations to choosing immediate versus delayed reconstruction. You should discuss with your surgeon, plastic surgeon, and oncologist, the pros and cons with the options available in your individual case.

One-Stage Immediate Breast Implant Reconstruction

Immediate one-stage breast reconstruction may be done at the time of your mastectomy. After the general surgeon removes your breast tissue, the plastic surgeon will then implant a breast implant that completes the one-stage reconstruction. In breast reconstruction following mastectomy, a breast implant is most often placed submuscularly.

Two-Stage (Immediate or Delayed) Breast Implant Reconstruction

Breast reconstruction usually occurs as a two-stage procedure, starting with the placement of a breast tissue expander, which is replaced several months later with a breast implant. The tissue expander placement may be done immediately, at the time of your mastectomy, or be delayed until months or years later.

Stage 1: Tissue Expansion

During a mastectomy, the general surgeon removes skin as well as breast tissue, leaving the chest tissues flat and tight. To create a breast shaped space for the breast implant, a tissue expander is placed under the remaining chest tissues. The tissue expander is a balloon-like device made from elastic silicone rubber. It is inserted unfilled, and over time, sterile saline fluid is added by inserting a small needle through the skin to the filling port of the device.

As the tissue expander fills, the tissues over the expander begin to stretch, similar to the gradual expansion of a woman’s abdomen during pregnancy. The tissue expander creates a new breast shaped pocket for a breast implant. Tissue expander placement usually occurs under general anesthesia in an operating room. Operative time is generally one to two hours. The procedure may require a brief hospital stay, or be done on an outpatient basis. Typically, you can resume normal daily activity after two to three weeks.

Because the chest skin is usually numb from the mastectomy surgery, it is possible that you may not experience pain from the placement of the tissue expander. However, you may experience feelings of pressure, tightness or discomfort after each filling of the expander, which subsides as the tissue expands but may last for a week or more. Tissue expansion typically lasts four to six months.

Stage 2: Placing the Breast Implant

After the tissue expander is removed, the unfilled breast implant is placed in the pocket, and then filled with sterile saline fluid. In reconstruction, following mastectomy, a breast implant is most often placed submuscularly. The surgery to replace the tissue expander with a breast implant (implant exchange) is usually done under general anesthesia in an operating room. It may require a brief hospital stay or be done on an outpatient basis.

Breast Reconstruction Procedures without implants

The breast can be reconstructed by surgically moving a section of skin, fat and muscle from one area of your body to another. The section of tissue may be taken from such areas as your abdomen, upper back, upper hip, or buttocks. The tissue flap may be left attached to the blood supply and moved to the breast area through a tunnel under the skin (a pedicled flap), or it may be removed completely and reattached to the breast area by microsurgical techniques (a free flap). Operating time is generally longer with free flaps, because of the microsurgical requirements.

Flap surgery requires a hospital stay of several days and generally a longer recovery time than breast implant reconstruction. Flap surgery also creates scars at the site where the flap was taken and on the reconstructed breast. However, flap surgery has the advantage of being able to replace tissue in the chest area. This may be useful when the chest tissues have been damaged and are not suitable for tissue expansion. Another advantage of flap procedures over implantation is that alteration of the unaffected breast is generally not needed to improve symmetry.

The most common types of tissue flaps are the TRAM (transverse rectus abdominus musculocutaneous flap) (which uses tissue from the abdomen) and the Latissimus dorsi flap (which uses tissue from the upper back). It is important for you to be aware that flap surgery, particularly the TRAM flap, is a major operation, and more extensive than your mastectomy operation.

It requires good general health and strong emotional motivation. If you are very overweight, smoke cigarettes, have had previous surgery at the flap site, or have any circulatory problems, you may not be a good candidate for a tissue flap procedure. Also, if you are very thin, you may not have enough tissue in your abdomen or back to create a breast mound with this method.

The TRAM Flap (Pedicle or Free)

During a TRAM flap procedure, the surgeon removes a section of tissue from your abdomen and moves it to your chest to reconstruct the breast. The TRAM flap is sometimes referred to as a “tummy tuck” reconstruction, because it may leave the stomach area flatter. A pedicle TRAM flap procedure typically takes three to six hours of surgery under general anesthesia; a free TRAM flap procedure generally takes longer. The TRAM procedure may require a blood transfusion.

Typically, the hospital stay is two to five days. You can resume normal daily activity after six to eight weeks. Some women, however, report that it takes up to one year to resume a normal lifestyle. You may have temporary or permanent muscle weakness in the abdominal area. If you are considering pregnancy after your reconstruction, you should discuss this with your surgeon. You will have a large scar on your abdomen and may also have additional scars on your reconstructed breast.

The Latissimus Dorsi Flap With or Without Breast Implants

During a Latissimus Dorsi flap procedure, the surgeon moves a section of tissue from your back to your chest to reconstruct the breast. Because the Latissimus Dorsi flap is usually thinner and smaller than the TRAM flap, this procedure may be more appropriate for reconstructing a smaller breast. The Latissimus Dorsi flap procedure typically takes two to four hours of surgery under general anesthesia. Typically, the hospital stay is two to three days. You can resume daily activity after two to three weeks.

You may have some temporary or permanent muscle weakness and difficulty with movement in your back and shoulder. You will have a scar on your back, which can usually be hidden in the bra line. You may also have additional scars on your reconstructed breast.

Post-Operative Care

Depending on the type of surgery you have, the post-operative recovery period will vary. Note: If you experience fever, or noticeable swelling and/or redness in your implanted breast(s), you should contact your surgeon immediately.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE OF CANCERS

Introduction

 

Skin Cancer, malignancy in the skin, and the most common of all cancers. Every year more than a million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer. The most common skin cancers are easily cured and are rarely life-threatening unless left untreated. Ultraviolet radiation (UV) from sunlight is the major cause of skin cancer. To prevent skin cancer, physicians recommend that people avoid exposing their skin to sunlight, especially when the sun is strongestâ??between 11 AM and 3 PM. TYPES OF SKIN CANCER
Skin cancers develop in the epidermis, the outer layer of skin.

There are three main types of skin cancer, classified by the kind of skin cell affected: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. The vast majority of skin cancers are basal cell or squamous cell.Basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer, develops in the basal, or bottom, layer of the epidermis. It usually occurs in areas exposed to sunlight, especially the head and neck. It grows slowly and rarely spreads, but it can recur. Squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common type of skin cancer, develops in the upper layers of the epidermis. It can appear as lumps, often reddish in color. It frequently occurs in areas exposed to sunlight, including the face, neck, and back of the hands, but sometimes occurs elsewhere on the body. It is somewhat more likely to spread to the lymph nodes than basal cell cancer is. The third type of skin cancer, melanoma, develops in melanocytes, or pigment cells, that are found throughout the basal layer. Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer and accounts for the vast majority of skin cancer deaths. It is about ten times more common in whites than in African Americans.A rare and aggressive form of skin cancer, called Merkel cell carcinoma, forms in hormone-making skin cells known as Merkel cells.

It primarily strikes older people and people who have weakened immune systems as a result of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.The dark patch on this personâ??s lower leg is a dangerous form of skin cancer known as malignant melanoma. Overexposure to ultraviolet radiation in sunlight is the cause of most skin cancers.Skin cancers can grow in any part of the skin, but approximately 90 percent develop in areas exposed to the sun, especially the face, neck, backs of the hands, and the scalps of bald men. Exposure to direct sunlight, especially during childhood, is the chief risk factor for skin cancer. The greater the number of severe sunburns a person has had, the greater the risk of developing skin cancer later in life. People with pale skin are at greatest risk for skin cancer, particularly if their skin burns or freckles easily. Men are at greater risk of skin cancer than women.Someone who has had skin cancer is at high risk of developing it again. A family history of skin cancer increases the risk of melanoma. Radiation therapy also increases the chances of developing skin cancer in the area exposed to the radiation. Skin damaged by severe burns or by certain skin diseases is also at increased risk of cancer.

SYMPTOMS AND DIAGNOSISE

Early detection and treatment are the keys to survival, especially for melanoma. Any of several skin changes may signal skin cancer and should be reported to a physician. These include any change in the size, shape, color, or texture of a mole or other darkly pigmented area; any mole that begins to itch or becomes tender; the development of a new mole or other growth, particularly if it feels hard; any mole or other growth that spontaneously or persistently bleeds; a sore that does not heal; and a black spot under a toenail or fingernail that extends beneath the cuticle. Basal cell carcinomas may be flat, firm, and pale, or appear as raised, pink or red, shiny areas. They may bleed from a minor injury. Squamous cell carcinomas may appear as lumps with a rough or scaly surface, or as flat, reddish patches. Melanomas often begin as tiny molelike growths that then grow bigger and change their color. Melanomas are generally tan, brown, or black. The American Cancer Society recommends an ABCD rule for spotting melanoma. A stands for asymmetryâ??the halves of the growth do not match in shape. B stands for border irregularityâ??the growth has a ragged border. C stands for colorâ??the color of the growth is uneven. D stands for diameter greater than 6 millimeters (about the size of a pencil eraser).To confirm a diagnosis of skin cancer a physician usually performs a biopsy, removing a small piece of the skin to examine under a microscope for the presence of cancerous cells. TREATMENTAlthough skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, it is also the most curable, especially when detected early. One of several surgical methods is used to remove the cancerous tissue. It can be cut from the skin through surgery, or it can be destroyed through the application of intense cold, a technique known as cryosurgery, or through the application of electric current. In advanced cases of melanoma, surgical removal of the tissue coupled with radiation, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy may be required. Immunotherapy involves using drugs to boost the immune systemâ??s ability to fight the cancer. The drugs alpha interferon and interleukin-2 can shrink tumors but have serious side effects.  Click here for more info http://cancersofthebody.blogspot.com