The Power Of A Dogs Nose
Dogs love to use their nose to smell food, people, animals and even wounds and cuts. Has your dog ever smelled a cut on you? Maybe youve personally experienced it. If you have a cut on your arm, your dog is able to smell it, even through your sleeve. They can smell the change and they will point it out to you.
A dogs nose is already well-known to be an expert at smelling things. This is because they can smell in parts per trillion. This means less than a drop of blood in 20 gigantic sized swimming pools. That is 50,000 times more than a human. Isnt that amazing?
Us humans love to use our eyes and were pretty good at it. When we enter a room, first thing we do is walk in and see the room. For dogs, they walk in a room and smell it. When you see a cat, they smell a cat when you see a cut, they smell a cut. That is why dogs are so good at detecting drugs, explosives and missing people. Fortunately, now researchers, many other people and pet owners know they can detect cancer. Dogs are so good at it that they can detect it at a very early stage. Even at stage zero. Cancer has a smell. Even oncologists say that cancer has a smell that can be scented around stage 3 or 4 through a patients breath. If a human can smell it, it makes a lot of sense that a dog can do too, but at a much earlier stage.
The Future Of Blood Testing
As mentioned, blood tests arent typically considered as stand-alone methods of diagnosis for colon cancer. However, recent findings suggest otherwise.
New research suggests that blood tests can finally be used to find colon cancer, catching it even in its early stage . This experiment was conducted in a hospital in Taoyuan, Taiwan where 620 participants were tested for CTCs or circulating tumor cells.
The blood sample is analyzed with a blood assay called CMX. The results were able to distinguish CTCs present in the blood, which is useful in identifying people with both precancerous polyps and existing colon cancer.
How accurate is this new blood test for colon cancer? The results came back with an 84-88% accuracy, with false positives only coming back at less than 3%. These numbers are significantly better than FOBT, which is the standard method for detecting colon cancer.
Gastric Cancer Is A Disease In Which Malignant Cells Form In The Lining Of The Stomach
The stomach is a J-shaped organ in the upper abdomen. It is part of the digestive system, which processes nutrients in foods that are eaten and helps pass waste material out of the body. Food moves from the throat to the stomach through a hollow, muscular tube called the esophagus. After leaving the stomach, partly-digested food passes into the small intestine and then into the large intestine.
The wall of the stomach is made up of 5 layers of tissue. From the innermost layer to the outermost layer, the layers of the stomach wall are: mucosa, submucosa, muscle, subserosa , and serosa. Gastric cancer begins in the mucosa and spreads through the outer layers as it grows.
Stromal tumors of the stomach begin in supporting connective tissue and are treated differently from gastric cancer. See the PDQ summary on Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors Treatment for more information.
For more information about cancers of the stomach, see the following PDQ summaries:
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Stomach Cancer: First Signs And Early
According to the American Cancer Society, stomach cancer accounts for around 1.5% of new cancer cases¹ in the United States each year.
Stomach cancer was once the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Its become much less common in the last few decades, thanks to increased food safety standards and fewer people eating smoked and processed meats. However, there is evidence that roughly 26,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year.
More treatment options are available with early diagnosis. According to the American Cancer Society, the survival rate for localized stomach cancer is 70%.
Understanding the risks and early signs and symptoms of stomach cancer can help improve potential outcomes.
Have you considered clinical trials for Stomach cancer?
We make it easy for you to participate in a clinical trial for Stomach cancer, and get access to the latest treatments not yet widely available and be a part of finding a cure.
How Does Cancer Cause Signs And Symptoms
A cancer can grow into,or begin to push on nearby organs, blood vessels, and nerves. This pressure causes some of the signs and symptoms of cancer.
A cancer may also cause symptoms like fever, extreme tiredness , or weight loss. This may be because cancer cells use up much of the bodys energy supply. Or the cancer could release substances that change the way the body makes energy. Cancer can also cause the immune system to react in ways that produce these signs and symptoms.
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What Are The Main Causes Of Stomach Cancer
There is no single cause of stomach cancer and sometimes it happens without any known risk factors. Lifestyle choices can increase the likelihood of stomach cancer. However, those who experience long-term stomach inflammation from either lifestyle choices or chronic illness are at higher risk.
The common causes of stomach cancer are often related to a medical history that includes:
- H. pylori bacterial infections: A common stomach infection that often causes ulcers.
- Tumors: Other tumors occurring elsewhere in the gastrointestinal tract.
- Stomach polyps: Abnormal tissue growth in the stomach lining.
There are lifestyle changes you can make that may decrease your risk of stomach cancer. These include:
- Having a healthy diet and avoiding
- Processed foods
- Salted foods or increased sodium
Risk factors for stomach cancer that you cannot change, include:
- Being of Asian, South American or Belarusian descent
- Having a family history of stomach cancer
- Having a history of stomach surgery
- Having pernicious anemia, which is a vitamin deficiency that may be related to either lifestyle or disease
/6 Workout Is Good For Health But There Are Limitations
We all have seen the good sides of workout. They promote weight loss, they give celebrity-like-physique and they enhance confidence.
But our knowledge on the negative sides of workout is quite limited. Starting from the wear and tear of muscles to the resting day including when you should ideally not workout, we lack information in these vital aspects of physical activity.
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Diagnosis Of Stomach Cancer
If your doctor thinks you may have stomach cancer, you will be referred for further tests. The main test is an endoscopy . The doctor will use a thin, flexible tube with a camera , which passes into the mouth, down the throat and oesophagus into the stomach in order to look at the digestive tract.
If any suspicious-looking areas are detected, a small amount of tissue from the stomach lining may be removed and examined under a microscope. Less commonly used is an endoscopic ultrasound where the endoscope has an ultrasound probe at the end.
/13risk Factors Of Gastric Cancer
The majority of people diagnosed with the condition tend to be over 60 years of age. One of the major risk factors of stomach cancer is your diet. A diet high in salty, smoked and pickled foods and a diet low in fruits and vegetables can increase your risk of developing stomach cancer.
Risk factors for the condition also include a history of persistent stomach irritation or inflammation, previous stomach surgery, or a family history of the disease. Gastroesophageal reflux disease, obesity and smoking can also increase ones chances of gastric cancer.
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Shes Also More Motivated Than Ever When It Comes To Her Activism Thanks To Her Diagnosis
Fonda is a passionate environmental advocate, and says her most recent diagnosis has further fueled her drive in the fight against climate change. This diagnosis has only made me more determined than ever to continue to end the deadly effects of fossil fuels, she wrote. While most of us know that fossil fuels are the primary cause of the climate crisis, many may not know that fossil fuel emissions also cause cancer as well as other major health problems like birth defects, childhood leukemia, heart attacks, strokes, lung disease and preterm birth. We must find a way to come together to put an end to this deadly correlation.
We have it within our power to change this and I intend to do everything in my power to do so. This cancer will not deter me, Fonda wrote.
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What Are The Different Types Of Stomach Cancer
Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, is the name for a category of cancer. There are many different types of stomach cancer:
- Adenocarcinoma: Adenocarcinoma is the most common type of gastric cancer, comprising more than 90% of all stomach cancers. Carcinoma that occurs in the innermost lining of the stomach.
- Lymphoma: Cancer of the immune system that accounts for 4% of all stomach cancer, which is not from the mucosa of the stomach lining. It is broken up into primary and secondary lymphoma of the stomach.
- Primary lymphoma involves the stomach and can eventually affect the lymph nodes, bone marrow and other parts of the body.
- Secondary lymphoma initially involves other parts of the body, like circulating blood, lymph nodes, bone marrow and other organs. Secondarily, cancer spreads to the stomach.
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How Does The Doctor Know If Its Cancer
If you have symptoms that might be caused by colorectal cancer or if a screening test shows something not normal, your doctor will want to do more testing to find the cause.
Your doctor will ask about your medical history to learn about possible risk factors, including check for symptoms and. It’s important to know your family history. You will also be asked if youre having any symptoms and, if so, when they started and how long youve had them.
You might be able to have a virtual visit to talk with your doctor about symptoms or risk factors that might be worrying you. But, depending on your symptoms, your doctor might want you to schedule an in-person visit so you can be examined. As part of a physical exam, your doctor will carefully feel your abdomen for masses or enlarged organs, and also examine the rest of your body. You may also have a digital rectal exam . During this test, the doctor inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into your rectum to feel for any abnormal areas.
Your doctor may also want you to get more tests such as:
Other tests, such as MRI scans, x-rays and blood tests may also be done to look at how big the cancer is and whether it has spread.
Are Bleeding Polyps Cancerous
While there is no direct causation between bleeding polyps and developing colon cancer, we can safely say that bleeding polyps usually occur amongst larger polyps, and larger polyps are more likely to become cancerous.
If you believe that blood in your stool or your abdominal pain may be connected to bleeding polyps, then it is best to see your doctor for a colonoscopy.
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Signs And Symptoms Of Small Intestine Cancer
The symptoms of small intestine cancers are often vague and can have other, more common causes. Unfortunately, this means that its often at least several months from the time symptoms start until the cancer is diagnosed.
Some of the more common symptoms of small intestine cancer are:
- Pain in the belly
- Nausea and vomiting
- Weakness and feeling tired
- Dark-colored stools
- Low red blood cell counts
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes
Often, the first symptom is pain in the stomach area. This pain is often crampy and may not be constant. For example, it may start or get worse after you eat.
As the tumor gets larger, it can slow the passage of digested food through the intestine. This can lead to increased pain. If the tumor gets large enough, it can cause an obstruction, in which the intestine is completely blocked and nothing can move through. This leads to pain with severe nausea and vomiting.
Rarely, a cancer will cause a hole to form in the wall of the intestine. This hole lets the contents of the intestine spill into the abdomen. Symptoms of perforation can include sudden severe pain, nausea, and vomiting.
Sometimes a tumor will start bleeding into the intestine. If the bleeding is slow, it could lead to a low red blood cell count over time. Symptoms of anemia include weakness and fatigue. If the bleeding is rapid, the stool can become black and tarry from digested blood, and the person may feel lightheaded or even pass out.
Diagnosis Of Stomach Cancer In Cats
When a cat develops gastrointestinal signs, your veterinarian will first perform a comprehensive physical exam.
Your cats overall health will be assessed, including body weight, hydration, mucous membrane color, and your cats mental attitude . Next, your veterinarian will focus on your cats abdomen.
If an obvious cause for your cats gastrointestinal signs is not found on physical exam, your veterinarian will recommend a further workup.
A complete blood panel, including a complete blood cell count and serum biochemistry panel, will often be performed first.
In a cat with stomach cancer, this bloodwork may show signs of anemia , increased white blood cells , and decreased blood protein . If your cats liver is also affected, your veterinarian may also notice increases in one or more of your cats liver values.
Next, your veterinarian will recommend imaging.
Radiographs and ultrasound can both be used to provide a view of what is going on in your cats abdomen. Radiographs are less expensive than ultrasound, but they also show less abdominal detail than an ultrasound.
Ultrasound is more informative, providing a three-dimensional view of all structures in the abdomen, including the lymph nodes, and provides the ability to detect small metastases. However, ultrasound often requires referral to a veterinary specialist, as well as sedation.
In order to definitively diagnose stomach cancer, a cellular diagnosis is needed.
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When Metastatic Cancer Can No Longer Be Controlled
If you have been told your cancer can no longer be controlled, you and your loved ones may want to discuss end-of-life care. Whether or not you choose to continue treatment to shrink the cancer or control its growth, you can always receive palliative care to control the symptoms of cancer and the side effects of treatment. Information on coping with and planning for end-of-life care is available in the Advanced Cancer section of this site.
Tests For Stomach Cancer
Your doctor may do some tests to check for stomach cancer:
- Endoscopy a doctor passes a long, flexible tube with a light and small camera on the end into your mouth, down your throat and oesophagus, and into your stomach and small bowel. This allows the doctor to look inside your digestive tract to examine the lining.
- Biopsy during an endoscopy if the doctor sees any suspicious-looking areas they may remove a small amount of tissue from the stomach lining, known as a biopsy, a pathologist will then examine the tissue under a microscope to check for signs of disease.
- Endoscopic ultrasound a doctor passes an endoscope with an ultrasound probe on the end into your mouth, down your throat and oesophagus, and into your stomach and small bowel. The ultrasound probe then uses sound waves to create a picture of your stomach.
If these tests show you have stomach cancer you will then have some of the following tests to check your general health and to find out if the cancer has spread to other parts of your body:
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Side Effects Of Stomach Cancer Treatments
All cancer treatments can have side effects. Your treatment team will discuss these with you before you start treatment. Talk to your doctor or nurse about any side effects you are experiencing.
Some side effects can be upsetting and difficult, but there is help if you need it. Call Cancer Council Victoria Tel. or email to speak with a caring cancer nurse for support.
Exploring Stomach Cancer Concerns
by Jason Howland, Mayo Clinic
Stomach cancer, also called gastric cancer, is an abnormal growth of cells that begins in the stomach. It can affect several areas of the stomach, including the main stomach lining or where the esophagus meets the stomach.
Stomach cancer is relatively rare in the U.S. It’s often diagnosed at later stages in the disease, when symptoms like nausea, heartburn and feeling bloated are more pronounced.
“In general, when we talk about gastric cancer, we usually talk about a cancer that’s arising from the lining of the stomach,” says Dr. Mohamad Sonbol, a Mayo Clinic oncologist.
Early signs of stomach cancer vary, and can include abdominal pain, blood in the stool or just feeling tired.
“If you have a cancer in the stomach, it might ooze blood very slowly, and that can cause anemia, or low hemoglobin, and that can lead to fatigue,” says Dr. Sonbol.
If you’re a man, you’re at higher risk for stomach cancer than a woman. Other risk factors include obesity, smoking and drinking alcohol.
“And then there are other risk factors, such as there are some hereditary syndromes or things that we inherit from our parents that put us at higher risk of developing gastric cancer, stomach cancer,” says Dr. Sonbol.
Treatment options depend on the cancer’s location in the stomach, its size and stage, but can include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy.
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