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Emed News

Monday, June 23, 2008

Costs of Cancer Care

Cancer treatment spending has risen but remains stable in proportion to total U.S. treatment spending.

The financial costs of cancer treatment are a burden to people diagnosed with cancer, their families, and society as a whole. Cancer treatment accounted for an estimated $72.1 billion in 2004-just under 5 percent of U.S. spending for all medical treatment. Between 1995 and 2004, the overall costs of treating cancer increased by 75 percent. In the near future it is expected that cancer costs may increase at a faster rate than overall medical expenditures. As the population ages, the absolute number of people treated for cancer will increase faster than the overall population, and cancer cases will increase relative to other disease categories-even if cancer incidence rates remain constant or decrease somewhat. Costs also are likely to increase at the individual level as new, more advanced, and more expensive treatments are adopted as standards of care.

Updated estimates are currently being calculated for cancer treatment costs by phase of care and the national economic burden of cancer treatment for all cancers combined, as well as for cancer of the lung, breast, colorectal, prostate, head/neck, bladder, ovary, kidney, endometrial, cervix, pancreas, and esophagus; and lymphoma, leukemia, and melanoma. These cost estimates will be available in 2008. NCI will continue to monitor cancer costs and track the percentage of total medical costs accounted for by cancer care. Over the last three decades, this percentage has remained remarkably constant.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

AIDS-Related Lymphoma

AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which attacks and weakens the body's immune system. The immune system is then unable to fight infection and diseases that invade the body. People with HIV disease have an increased risk of developing infections, lymphoma, and other types of cancer. A person with HIV disease who develops certain types of infections or cancer is then diagnosed with AIDS. Sometimes, people are diagnosed with AIDS and AIDS-related lymphoma at the same time.

Lymphomas are cancers that affect the white blood cells of the lymph system, part of the body's immune system. The lymph system is made up of the following:

Lymph: Colorless, watery fluid that travels through the lymph system and carries white blood cells called lymphocytes. Lymphocytes protect the body against infections and the growth of tumors.
Lymph vessels: A network of thin tubes that collect lymph from different parts of the body and return it to the bloodstream.
Lymph nodes: Small, bean-shaped structures that filter lymph and store white blood cells that help fight infection and disease. Lymph nodes are located along the network of lymph vessels found throughout the body. Clusters of lymph nodes are found in the underarm, pelvis, neck, abdomen, and groin.
Spleen: An organ that makes lymphocytes, filters the blood, stores blood cells, and destroys old blood cells. The spleen is on the left side of the abdomen near the stomach.
Thymus: An organ in which lymphocytes grow and multiply. The thymus is in the chest behind the breastbone.
Tonsils: Two small masses of lymph tissue at the back of the throat. The tonsils make lymphocytes.
Bone marrow: The soft, spongy tissue in the center of large bones. Bone marrow makes white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

symptoms of metastatic cancer

Some people with metastatic cancer do not have symptoms. Their metastases are found by x-rays and other tests performed for other reasons.

When symptoms of metastatic cancer occur, the type and frequency of the symptoms will depend on the size and location of the metastasis. For example, cancer that spreads to the bones is likely to cause pain and can lead to bone fractures. Cancer that spreads to the brain can cause a variety of symptoms, including headaches, seizures, and unsteadiness. Shortness of breath may be a sign of lung involvement. Abdominal swelling or jaundice (yellowing of the skin) can indicate that cancer has spread to the liver.

Sometimes a person's primary cancer is discovered only after the metastatic tumor causes symptoms. For example, a man whose prostate cancer has spread to the bones in his pelvis may have lower back pain (caused by the cancer in his bones) before he experiences any symptoms from the primary tumor in his prostate.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Vaginal Cancer

Cancer that forms in the tissues of the vagina (birth canal). The vagina leads from the cervix (the opening of the uterus) to the outside of the body. The most common type of vaginal cancer is squamous cell carcinoma, which starts in the thin, flat cells lining the vagina. Another type of vaginal cancer is adenocarcinoma, cancer that begins in glandular cells in the lining of the vagina.

Estimated new cases and deaths from vaginal (and other female genital) cancer in the United States in 2008:
New cases: 2,210
Deaths: 760

Monday, May 19, 2008

Melanoma

Melanoma occurs when melanocytes (pigment cells) become malignant. Most pigment cells are in the skin; when melanoma starts in the skin, the disease is called cutaneous melanoma. Melanoma may also occur in the eye (ocular melanoma or intraocular melanoma). Rarely, melanoma may arise in the meninges, the digestive tract, lymph nodes, or other areas where melanocytes are found. Melanomas that begin in areas other than the skin are not discussed in this booklet. The Cancer Information Service (1-800-4-CANCER) can provide information about these types of melanoma.

Melanoma is one of the most common cancers. The chance of developing it increases with age, but this disease affects people of all ages. It can occur on any skin surface. In men, melanoma is often found on the trunk (the area between the shoulders and the hips) or the head and neck. In women, it often develops on the lower legs. Melanoma is rare in black people and others with dark skin. When it does develop in dark-skinned people, it tends to occur under the fingernails or toenails, or on the palms or soles.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Scientists exposes 'master' breast cancer gene

Geneticists have recently acknowledged a wonderful gene that causes breast cancer to metastasise, the poisonous process by that the disease moves to other organs. Described by the US scientists as a "master regulator," the SATB1 genetic material alters the performance of at least 1,000 other genes inside the tumor cells, stated the study, and available in the British journal Nature.

Until now, it was actuall6y not possible to forecast whether cancer cells in a tumor were intended to attack neighboring tissue, go through the blood system and shape up secondary tumors somewhere else in the body. But the SATB1 protein is simply such an indicator. A tumor in that it is triggered "is intended to metastasise," said Kohwi-Shigematsu.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Extra $150 Million added to improvise on Caner Survivals

The Victorian Health Minister recently stated that the State Budget would comprise an additional $150-million dollars to improvise on survival rate of the cancer patients. Statistics show that for about 60 per cent of people those are cared for cancer are free of indications of the disease even after five years.

The Health Minister, Daniel Andrews, say the Government desires to raise that figure to 74 per cent, within next six years. He stated the money would be spent using screening to analyze cancer previous and to fast interpret research into life saving handling. "In 1990, just 48 per cent of cancer suffers survived their cancer," he said. " 2004, it was 61 per cent. But 2015, under this package and under our commitment to supporting cancer patients, we want to increase that to 74 per cent."