World Cancer Day - Theme n survivors quotes

World Cancer Day 2016: Theme, facts and inspiring quotes by cancer survivors and celebrities:

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  World Cancer Day 2016World Cancer Day/Facebook

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  Cancer SurviviorsFacebook, Varinder Chawla

World Cancer Day is being observed this year on Thursday, 4 February, with the theme "We can. I can." as a step to fight the deadly disease that is prominent these days.

The day is observed worldwide in order to raise awareness about cancer and to apprise governments of the importance of taking action to prevent its rate of increase in the society.

The most common cancer deaths in our society are due to the disease affecting the lung, stomach, liver, colorectal area and the breast. According to studies, almost 30 percent of cancer deaths are preventable through a healthy diet and non-use of tobacco products.

"We must do more to end the many tragedies that cancer inflicts. About one-third of cancers can be prevented, while others are curable if diagnosed and treated early. And even when cancer is advanced, patients should benefit from palliative care," United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said in an official statement.

A social media campaign named "Talking Hands" has been initiated for everyone to get involved on World Cancer Day 2016.

Step 1: Write a supportive WCD message on your hand using the 'We can. I can.' theme.

Step 2: Take a picture of your hand featuring the message.

Step 3: Share the picture on your social media accounts using both the hashtags #WorldCancerDay and #WeCanICan.

Step 4: Visit worldcancerday.org to see your picture featured on the Wall of support.

Check out some important facts to know about cancer (courtesy the official UN andWHO websites):

More than 8.2 million people died in 2012 due to cancer, making it a leading cause of death through out the world.

It is understood that almost 30% of cancer deaths are due to high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake, lack of physical activity, tobacco use and alcohol use.

Tobacco use is said to be the most important risk factor for cancer, as it causes 22% of global cancer deaths and 71% of lung cancer deaths worldwide.

Breast, cervical and colorectal cancer can be cured if detected early and treated well.

Check out some inspiring quotes by cancer survivors and other celebrities:

Cancer has taught me a lot of things. Maybe it is the best thing that has happened to me. I can't say right now, but maybe some years down the line, I would realise. When I was taking chemotherapy, there were a lot of elderly patients, and that would inspire me. I thought, 'If they can be cured, why can't I be?' – Yuvraj Singh, Indian cricketer

The battle against cancer has made me strong. It's like winning a war! When I was diagnosed, I was told by doctors my kidney, liver and other organs could fail. It was tough. I didn't know if I could save my life. But I was positive, and because of that, the doctor told me that I would be a man who would never have cancer. – Yuvraj Singh.

Cancer affects all of us, whether you're a daughter, mother, sister, friend, coworker, doctor, or patient. –Jennifer Aniston, American actress

 Cancer is a word, not a sentence. –John Diamond, British Journalist

There can be life after breast cancer. The prerequisite is early detection. –Ann Jillian, American actress

Cancer is a great wake-up call. A call to take the tag off the new lingerie and wear that black lacy slip. To open the box of pearls and put them on. To crack open the bath oil beads before they shrivel up in a bowl on the toilet tank. – Regina Brett, Author

Cancer didn't bring me to my knees, it brought me to my feet. – Michael Douglas, American actor

I was a vegetarian first. I had high blood pressure at 27, everybody in my family died of cancer, and I knew it was in the food, so I changed my diet. – John Salley, Basketball player

When someone has cancer, the whole family and everyone who loves them does, too. – Terri Clark, Musical Artist

I think cancer is a hard battle to fight alone or with another person at your side, but I will say having someone to pick you up when you fall, stand by your side through every appointment and delivery of bad news, is priceless. – Jenna Morasca, American actress

I keep dreaming of a future, a future with a long and healthy life, not lived in the shadow of cancer but in the light. – Patrick Swayze, American actor

World Cancer Day - 4th February

Hi, 

On the occasion of World Cancer Day on 4th Feb, Lybrate presents Ask the Specialist, a platform where you and your loved ones can get their cancer queries answered for FREE by one of the most renowned Oncologists/Cancer Specialists in India. 

Submit your queries and Dr. Harit Chaturvedi, Chief - Consultant & Director, Surgical Oncology at Max Healthcare, will answer them on 4th Feb between 2PM to 4PM. 

Ask free question now. 

Wishing you good health and happiness. :) 

Team Lybrate.

A Mental Illness That Changes Perceptions of Reality

Crucial New Genetic Discovery Made About Schizophrenia — A Mental Illness That Changes Perceptions of Reality:

The research involved 700 people who had schizophrenia and donated their brains for research after their deaths.

Scientist have made a major breakthrough in the understanding of schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a very serious mental health condition which tends to run in families.

It’s long been suspected that there is a strong genetic component (it’s about 90% inherited).

Now scientists have discovered the genes that cause problems with a process called synaptic pruning.

Synaptic pruning is the process by which unneeded connections between brain cells are destroyed during childhood.

In normal development this helps speed up the brain — we don’t need the incredible number of neurons and connections we grow as infants.

In schizophrenia, though, it looks like this process of pruning goes into overdrive.

Dr Thomas Lehner, a director at the National Institute of Mental Health, explained:

“Normally, pruning gets rid of excess connections we no longer need, streamlining our brain for optimal performance, but too much pruning can impair mental function.

It could help explain schizophrenia’s delayed age-of-onset of symptoms in late adolescence/early adulthood and shrinkage of the brain’s working tissue.

Interventions that put the brakes on this pruning process-gone-awry could prove transformative.”

The research involved 700 people who had schizophrenia and donated their brains for research after their deaths.

This and other genetic data was compared with people who did not have schizophrenia.

Finding the gene that is responsible, at least in part, is a major breakthrough.

However, it will be years before new treatments or preventative strategies can be developed from this information.

Dr Steve McCarroll, one of the study’s authors, said:

“Since schizophrenia was first described over a century ago, its underlying biology has been a black box, in part because it has been virtually impossible to model the disorder in cells or animals.
The human genome is providing a powerful new way in to this disease.
Understanding these genetic effects on risk is a way of prying open that block box, peering inside and starting to see actual biological mechanisms.”

Read it at least once. It may concern you too.

"Good friends are like quilts-they age with you, yet never lose their warmth."

I am forwarding this to those on my Senior ’s email list because it is so well written.

Please send back. (I did) It's neat. Don't delete this one, you'll laugh when you see the return message. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world, too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it, if I choose to read, or play on the computer, until 4 AM, or sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those 

 wonderful tunes of the 50s, 60s & 70s, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love, I will.

I will walk the beach, in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves, with abandon, if I choose to,
Despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And, eventually, I remember the important things.

Sure, over the years, my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break, when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength, and understanding, and compassion. A heart never broken, is pristine, and sterile, and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turn gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think.. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day (if I feel like it).

MAY OUR FRIENDSHIP NEVER COME APART, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART!

Forward this to at least 7 people, and see what happens on your screen. You will laugh and cry!

Bone marrow test

This page tells you about bone marrow tests, what they are and what happens when you have one. You can find the following information

 

A quick guide to what’s on this page

Why you might have a bone marrow test

This test looks for cancer cells in your bone marrow. You may have it if you have alymphoma, leukaemia or myeloma, or if your doctor wants to check if your cancer has spread to the bone marrow.

How you have the test

A doctor or specialist nurse removes a tiny sample of bone marrow cells to look at under a microscope. There are 2 types of bone marrow test.
Bone marrow aspiration – the doctor or nurse sucks out some bone marrow cells from your hip bone or breast bone (sternum) using a needle and syringe. A pathologistexamines the bone marrow cells in the laboratory.
Bone marrow trephine biopsy – the doctor or nurse removes a small core of bone marrow in one piece from the hip bone. This test shows the structure of the bone marrow inside the bone.
Each test only takes a few minutes and you can have them as an outpatient. First, your doctor gives you an injection of local anaesthetic into the skin over the area of the test. Then they put a needle with a syringe attached to it into the bone marrow. With an aspiration you may feel a pulling sensation as they draw the cells out. With a biopsy you may feel the needle turning. This can be painful but only for a short time. You may have a sedative to make you drowsy before the test.

After the test

The area may ache for a few days. Taking a mild painkiller such as paracetamol helps. It can take up to 2 weeks to get the full results of the bone marrow tests.

 

What a bone marrow test is for

This test is to see whether there are cancer cells in your bone marrow. For this test, a doctor or specialist nurse removes a tiny sample of bone marrow cells to look at under the microscope.

Types of cancer it is used for

Bone marrow tests are usually done for cancers that are most likely to affect the bone marrow, such as

• Lymphomas
• Leukaemias
• Myeloma

But it can be done for any type of cancer if your doctor thinks your bone marrow could contain cancer cells, or needs to rule this out for any reason.

 

The types of biopsy

There are 2 main types of bone marrow test – a bone marrow aspiration and a bone marrow trephine biopsy. Aspiration means the doctor or nurse sucks some bone marrow cells up into a syringe. A bone marrow trephine means that they remove a 1 or 2cm core of bone marrow in one piece.
You usually have both of these tests done at the same time. They give some of the same information to the doctor, but there are differences. The bone marrow trephine biopsy shows the structure of the bone marrow inside the bone, whereas the aspiration takes just the bone marrow cells.

 

Having the test

Either test only takes a few minutes and you can have them done as an outpatient. The doctor or nurse usually takes the bone marrow sample from your hip bone. You can have a bone marrow aspiration from your breast bone (sternum) but not a bone marrow biopsy.
Below is an animation showing what to expect when you have a bone marrow test.

View a transcript of the video about bone marrow tests (opens in a new window).
You usually lie on your side with your knees tucked up into your chest. First the doctor or nurse cleans the area with some antiseptic fluid, which can feel cold. Then you have a local anaesthetic injection into the skin over the biopsy site to numb it. When this has worked, the doctor or nurse puts the needle in through the skin. It goes into the hip bone or sternum, and into the centre of the bone, where the marrow is. The needle is attached to a syringe. For a bone marrow aspiration, the needle is quite thin. For a bone marrow trephine, the needle is thicker.
If you are having a marrow aspiration, the doctor or nurse sucks a small amount of liquid bone marrow into the needle. You will feel a pulling sensation when they start drawing the bone marrow cells out. Some people have a sudden, sharp pain. If you are having a trephine biopsy as well, the doctor or nurse will take this needle out and put the second one in.
If you are having a trephine, the doctor or nurse will turn the needle back and forth while pushing it further into the marrow. The aim is to get a small amount of marrow out in one piece. Once it is in far enough, the doctor or nurse draws out the needle, containing its core of marrow. The needle going into the hip bone can be painful, but this only lasts a short time. The whole test takes 15 to 20 minutes.

Some people prefer to have some type of sedative before the test so that they are a bit drowsy. Sedation of some sort is certainly a good idea for children. If you have a sedative, you will need to stay at the hospital for a few hours until it has worn off. And you will need someone with you so that you don't have to go home on your own. Some hospitals may use gas and air (Entonox) to help relax you instead of sedation.
After the test, your hip may ache for a couple of days. You may need some mild painkillers such as paracetamol to take at home.

 

Possible risks from a bone marrow test

A bone marrow test is very safe and any risks are small.
Some people have a small amount of bleeding from the site where the needle went in. If you are on medication to thin your blood, such as warfarin, you may need to stop taking these before the test. Your doctor will advise you when and how long to stop taking them. You will have a dressing over the site which you should keep on for 24 hours. If you notice any bleeding apply pressure to the area. If it doesn't stop, contact the hospital.
There is a small risk of getting an infection in the wound. If you have a temperature or the area becomes red and sore let your doctor know.
During the procedure there is a very small risk of damage to nearby structures. The needles doctor use have a guard on them now which stops the needle going too deep so it is unlikely to be a problem.  

 

The results

It can take time for results to come through. Exactly how long may depend on why you are having the test. Generally, it can take a couple of days to get the results of the bone marrow aspirate, but the trephine result may take up to a couple of weeks.
The bone marrow sample is sent to the medical laboratory as soon as it has been removed. A pathologist examines it under a microscope. To do this, they may need to stain the cells so that the different types show up more clearly. The staining techniques can take a couple of days, depending on what needs to be done. The pathologist's report on the bone marrow sample will be typed up and sent to your specialist.
Understandably, waiting for results can make you very anxious. Try to remember to ask when you can expect the results when your specialist first suggests you have the test. If your doctor needs the test results urgently, they will have written that on the request form. If it isn't an emergency and you haven't heard after a couple of weeks, you can ring your doctor's secretary or specialist nurse to check if your results are back.

Bone Marrow biopsy

What Is a Bone Marrow Biopsy?

A bone marrow biopsy is a procedure that takes a small sample of the marrow inside your bones for testing in a laboratory. This test is used to see if you have an infection, disease, or other problem in your bone marrow.

Bone marrow is the spongy tissue found inside your bones. In the larger bones— such as your spine, breastbone, hips, ribs, legs, or skull—bone marrow contains cells that produce white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Your white blood cells help fight infection, your red blood cells carry oxygen and nutrients, and your platelets enable the blood to clot.

Marrow has both solid and liquid parts. If the solid portion of the bone is sampled, this is called a biopsy. Aspiration is the procedure used to collect the liquid part of the marrow.

Problems with bone marrow can create lasting, serious health concerns. A bone marrow biopsy is one of many tests that can be done to check the cells of your bone marrow for problems.

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Why Is a Bone Marrow Biopsy Done?

Numerous conditions are associated with unhealthy bone marrow. If blood tests show low levels of platelets or white or red blood cells, your doctor may order a bone marrow biopsy.

This test also allows your doctor to check for a suspected disease, see how far a disease has progressed, or monitor the effects of a treatment method.

According to the Mayo Clinic, conditions and diseases that can affect your bone marrow include:

• anemia, or a low red blood cell count
• bone marrow diseases, such as myelofibrosis or myelodysplastic syndrome
• blood cell conditions, such as leukopenia or polycythemia
• cancers of the bone marrow or blood, such as leukemias or lymphomas
• hemochromatosis, a genetic disorder in which iron builds in the blood
• infection, such as sepsis

A bone marrow biopsy is also an important test if you are undergoing cancer treatment, since it can help determine if the cancer has spread to your bones. (Mayo Clinic, 2011)

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Risks of a Bone Marrow Biopsy

All medical procedures carry some type of risk. The Mayo Clinic states that bone marrow exams are safe. (Mayo Clinic, 2011)

However in some rare instances, the following complications are possible:

• allergic reaction to anesthesia
• excessive bleeding
• infection
• long-lasting discomfort at the spot where the biopsy was taken

These risks are rare and most often occur among people who have other conditions that weaken their immune systems or lower their platelet counts.

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How to Prepare for a Bone Marrow Biopsy

Your doctor will perform several examinations prior to the biopsy. During these tests, be sure to tell your doctor about any medications you take—including over-the-counter medicines or nutritional supplements—and any known allergies you have.

Your doctor may ask you to stop taking certain medications prior to the procedure. Never stop taking a medication unless your doctor instructs you to do so.

Tell your doctor if you are nervous. He or she may give you a mild sedative to help you through your procedure.

Follow all of your doctor’s instructions before the procedure. Do not forget to show up on time for your biopsy. You may also want to arrange for a ride home.

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How a Bone Marrow Biopsy Is Performed

Before the test, you will be asked to change into a hospital gown. Then you will sit on your side or lie on your belly in a room where the procedure will take place.

A doctor or nurse will give you a local anesthesia to numb the area where the biopsy will be taken. Typically this will be at the top ridge of your rear hipbone. Occasionally it may be taken from your chest bone.

You might feel a brief sting as the anesthesia is injected.

Your doctor will make a small incision so a hollow needle can easily get past the skin. The needle then goes into the bone. It collects a cylinder-shaped sample known as a core sample.

According to the National Institutes of Health, some people feel a dull pain or discomfort as the biopsy is taken, since the inside of your bones cannot be numbed. However, not everyone will experience this. (NIH, 2010)

Immediately after the procedure, the incision will be bandaged, and you will be taken into another room to rest before going home.

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After a Bone Marrow Biopsy

You may feel some slight pain for about a week after the procedure. This is easily managed with over-the-counter pain relievers. You will also need to care for the incision wound, which involves keeping it dry for 24 hours after the biopsy.

While you are caring for your wound, your bone marrow sample will be sent to a laboratory for testing. Once the results are back, your doctor may call you or have you come to his or her office for a follow-up appointment to discuss the findings.

Abnormal results may be due to cancer, anemia, or another condition. Your doctor may need to order more tests to confirm a diagnosis or to see how far the condition has gone. He or she will discuss your treatment options with you and help you plan your next steps during your follow-up appointment.