28/02/2012 by Medschool2013.

As part of my preperation for applying to medical school this coming year, I have been researching the differences between benign and malignant tumours, and this is what I have found.

Malignant tumors are invasive. They tend to invade and start growing in surrounding tissues . They can be very fast growing and can kill. They may also spread to other parts of the body (metastasis) through the blood stream & the lymphatic system. A common example of  a malignant or cancerous tumour is breast cancer. If a malignant tumor has spread and cannot be completely removed by surgery, then chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or a combination of both is often required. Chemotherapy & radiotherapy may also be used where the malignant tumour appears to have been removed completely to prevent recurrence at the same site or spread to other parts of the body.

Radiation therapy can last from 3-6 weeks and is used to kill the cancer cells and so reduces the size of the tumor. The genetic material of the cell is destroyed making it impossible for that cell to divide. However, this can cause short or long term effects. Skin soreness, nausea and tiredness may be caused, and long term effects may be shrinking of breasts and tiny broken blood vessels may leave marks on the skin.

Chemotherapy is used to damage the DNA of the cell and affects therefore the growth and the proliferation of the cell. Chemotherapy slows down the growth of any tumour cells. Chemotherapy drugs attack rapidly growing cells, however this might not just be cancer, the drugs can interfere with normal dividing cells too, such as cells in the blood, nails, hair and nose. The normal cells can repair themselves after treatment.

Benign tumors are not invasive. They have well defined boundaries and therefore do not invade surrounding tissues. They are slow growing and will not usually kill. Benign tumors can often be left where they are as long as they are in a safe place and are not affecting the function of surrounding organs, however otherwise they can be removed surgically and the patient should then recover.

Posted in Malignant Tumours, Benign Tumours, Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy, Breast cancer, Guest blogger | Print | 3 Comments »

20/07/2011 by admin.

According to recent research conducted by Oxford university & funded by Cancer Research, obesity is now the a leading modifiable factor that can affect a womens chance of developing breat cancer. Alcohol consumption and smoking are other modifiable risk factors that were identified after obesity. The research was published in the Journal of Cancer.

Dr Julie Sharp, Cancer Research UK’s senior science information manager, said: “There’s already strong evidence that drinking alcohol and being overweight can increase the risk of breast cancer but it’s important to understand why these links exist. This is an important study as it helps to show how alcohol and weight can influence hormone levels. Understanding their role in breast cancer is vital and this analysis sheds light on how they could affect breast cancer risk.

“We know that the risk of the disease can be affected by family history and getting older, but there are also things women can do help reduce the risk of the disease. Maintaining a healthy body weight and reducing alcohol consumption are key to reducing breast cancer risk.”

Visit cancer research’s website to read full information http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/news/archive/pressrelease/2011-07-20-weight-strongest%20influence-on-post-menopausal-breast-cancer?view=rss

Posted in Obesity, Cancer research, Breast cancer | Print | 1 Comment »