All About Mesothelioma

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All About Mesothelioma

According to a report by the World Health Organization, Mesothelioma might lead to 43,000 deaths per year. This cancer which mostly occurs in men is usually diagnosed in the age group of 65 and 74 years old. This disease is a global issue and is mostly caused due to asbestos exposure. This cancer is mostly developed in a lining covering the outer surface of some of the body’s organs. Usually, it is found in the lining of the lungs, tummy, testicles or heart. Here’s a detailed guide regarding the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and cure of Mesothelioma.

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Have You Heard About These Common Types of Birth Defects and Their Causes?

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A defect that occurs when a baby is developing in utero is commonly termed a birth defect. They might vary in severity and be detected in different organs, but some of them are harmless too. These defects are formed when the mother is just three months pregnant and the organs are still in the developing stage. 

Also, known as congenital disorders or congenital malformations, surprisingly these defects are believed to affect about 100,000 babies every year. When these defects are diagnosed, it is a piece of devastating news for the parents, but if given the right treatment and care, the baby can have a healthy future ahead. Here’s a compilation of a few common birth defects causes and common types.

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Female Infertility: Diagnosis and Treatment

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If you’re trying to get pregnant for over a year with frequent, unprotected sex and still there’s no success, it can be a result of female infertility. Though the causes are undetermined, it is due to female factors one-third of time and due to male factors, the other one-third time. If a woman’s menstrual cycle is too long or too short or irregular, it might be a symptom that you are not ovulating. 

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Hypertension and Pregnancy: Know the Facts

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Hypertension or commonly known as high blood pressure is an extremely common condition found in pregnant women. But, at the same time, if taken care of and monitored well, it is preventable and can be cured. 

If the force of blood against your arteries is extremely high, this condition is defined as hypertension. It is believed that hypertension can complicate up to 2-3% of pregnancies. If a woman is suffering from hypertension, she is at higher risk of having complications before, during and after childbirth.  

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All You Need to Know About Cervical Cancer

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The fourth most common cancer in women, cervical cancer has created havoc. This cancer usually develops in a woman’s cervix and 99% are linked to infection due to HPV. It is frequently diagnosed in women of the age range of 35 to 44. This rarely develops in women less than age 20. Cancer is named based on where it starts. As this type of cancer originates at the cervix, it is known as cervical cancer.

Here we have listed the entire details about the symptoms, stages, causes and prevention of cervical cancer.

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Obesity Epidemic: Causes and the Ways to Avoid and Treat Them

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According to the World Health Organization, since 1975 the obesity ratio has nearly tripled. This excessive fat accumulation is a serious problem according to nutritionists and dieticians worldwide. 

Over the years, our shift towards junk food, fast-paced lifestyle and pollution are leading us to these health problems. If we talk about the previous years, over 39 million children under the age of 5 have been overweight. So, what is causing us this, and how exactly can we avoid this, lies the question. Here’s a brief guide covering the details.

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Everything You Need to Know About MRI

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MRI, or Magnetic Resonance Imaging, as the name suggests is a technology used to capture detailed images of the body organs as well as tissues. This widely used technique of radiology creates a strong magnetic field to capture the images.

How Does It work?

For an MRI scan, a large cylindrical machine is used which creates a strong magnetic field around the patient. A radiofrequency is associated with the magnetic field which alters the natural alignment of the hydrogen atoms in the body. Physicians usually inject a substance called gadolinium into a vein to get a more clearer image of the cells. The images are captured in form of slices and can be combined on a computer. Using these images, the doctors and physicians can detect the issues.

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All About Mammography

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According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it is believed that more than 40 million mammograms are performed every year. The increasing awareness amongst people towards their health and regular screenings have helped in improving the healthcare conditions worldwide.

But on the other hand, the World Journal of Surgical Oncology published a report, which stated that currently, Africa had the highest age-standardized breast cancer mortality rate globally. So, it’s advisable to work towards increasing awareness and decreasing the cases of breast cancer using timely screenings.

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Immunization

Everything you need to know about Immunization!

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We all have been witness to the havoc COVID-19 has created in our lives. But thanks to the vaccines, in just the initial 300 days it reduced the attack rate to 4.6% from 9.0%. Not just the covid-19, but over the years due to vaccines we are now able to prevent more than 20 life-threatening diseases and currently prevent 2-3 million deaths every year. Here’s a brief about everything related to immunization. 

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Lung Cancer in Tanzania

Lung Cancer Awareness Month 2021

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Lung Cancer, the second most common cancer in both men and women, is estimated to report 1.9 million new cases in 2021. These alarming statistics have made it important more than ever to spread awareness amongst people and instead of getting disheartened, fight against it to overcome this deadly disease. Here’s a detailed excerpt of the whats, hows and whos of lung cancer.

What exactly is Lung Cancer?

Cancer is basically caused when the cells of the body start growing out of control. If cancer starts in the lungs, it is known as lung cancer.

Lung Cancer starts infecting and damaging your lungs and if immediate treatment is delayed, it may start spreading to other internal organs, mostly the brain. Similarly, cancer from other organs can also affect the lungs too. 

Types of Lung Cancer

There are two types of lung cancers, based on causes and treatment:

  • Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC): Also known as Oat Cell Cancer, about 10% to 15% of all lung cancers are small cell lung cancer. This type of cancer tends to grow very quickly and 70% of people will have highly-spread cancer cells by the time they are diagnosed with it. Since it grows very rapidly, it is mostly treated through chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
  • Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)This type of lung cancer accounts for 80% to 85% of cases. It is any type of epithelial lung cancer and the most common types are adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and large cell carcinoma. 
    NCSCLC is usually less sensitive to chemotherapy and radiation and is often treated through surgery. Though, at times chemotherapy is recommended post-surgery for long-term survival.

Risk Factors that cause Lung Cancer

Increasing age is one of the biggest driving forces of accounts for most of the cases. But there are various other risk factors to look out for, including,

  • Smoking – Smoking cigars, pipes, or cigarettes are the leading factor and is the cause of almost 80% of lung cancer deaths. 
  • Second-Hand Smoking – Even if you don’t smoke, inhaling second-hand smoke highly affects your lungs and makes you prone to lung cancer.
  • Radons and other Toxins – With the drastic increase in air pollution and deteriorating air quality, we inhale quite an amount of harmful toxins which highly affect our lung health.
  • Family History – The siblings and family members of the person who had lung cancer at a very young age have likely chances of developing lung cancer.
  • Radiation Therapy – People who have had radiation therapy at the chest for other treatments, have very high chances of getting affected by lung cancer. 

How can one know if they are having lung cancer?

Though in most of the cases, the patients of lung cancer have observed the symptoms at a very later stage, here are a few commonly found symptoms:

  • Extensive coughing
  • Shortness of breath
  • Coughing with blood
  • Feeling tired most of the times
  • Chest pain
  • No cause weight loss

Apart from these common symptoms, people experience swelling in their lymph glands. If you even have the slightest of doubt, you can visit your doctor and get it checked.

What is Cancer Screening, and who should ideally opt for it?

In simple terms, screening refers to early testing for a disease when you have no symptoms or history of the disease. The only recommended screening test for lung cancer is Low-Dose Computed Tomography, also known as LDCT.

Anyone who has a history of heavy smoking should definitely opt for an LDCT test. Adding to that, even if you fall in the age group of 50-80, you should opt for LDCT. 

Lung Cancer in Tanzania

According to the reports, in the list of medical diseases and deaths caused due to it, Lung Cancer ranks number 14 in Tanzania. Due to the alarming statistics and risk factors associated with it, a lung cancer registry was set up. The lung Cancer repository collects in detail all the information of the people who have been affected by lung cancer, their medical history as well as their medical representatives, guardians, and caretakers. This helps the researchers and medical experts study the causes, symptoms and can create an effective prevention strategy based on that.

Dr. Nestory Masalu, Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza City, explained that the lung cancer control program was set up due to the similarity of symptoms to the condition of pulmonary Tuberculosis.

There was yet another initiative that was a part of the Multinational Lung Cancer Control Program (MLCCP) with the aim to spread awareness, provide understanding and provide access to early diagnostic services. 

The month of November is dedicated to Lung Cancer Awareness to spread awareness since 1995. Over the years, the government as well as the medical centers have played their part and made significant improvements in providing advanced medical support. It’s time to combat this disease, overcome our fears, play our part and work towards making the world a better place to live.

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