In today’s podcast, Dr. Murali Subramanian – Best Medical Oncologist in Kalyan Nagar is going to discuss about “Head and Neck Cancer“
Head and neck cancer refers to a group of cancers that arise in the tissues of the head and neck region, which includes the throat, larynx, nose, sinuses, mouth, salivary glands, and the lymph nodes in the neck.
Yes, you heard it right “forgotten cancer” , that is Sarcoma. Read on to gather valuable insights on what is Sarcoma, and how it affects the common and the elderly population?
About Sarcoma
Sarcoma is a type of cancer that is rare, and made up of soft tissue. There are various subtypes, as they emerge from different tissue structures like muscles, nerves, bone, blood, fat, joints, or blood vessels that are the connective tissues in the body. Besides, Sarcoma can also crop up in the bones. Primarily, as these tissues are found everywhere in the body, Sarcoma can be found in any place.
Most commonly, Sarcoma is a cancer found in the arms and legs where most of the connective tissues are present. The disease starts very deep in the body that is not identified until a lump is noticed, and cancer may be difficult to treat at this stage. There are two categories of sarcoma – soft tissue and bone sarcoma. In all probability, Sarcoma reasonably affects children and young adults more than the aged population. Bone and joint cancer are found more in teenagers whereas, soft tissue cancer attacks fifty-five years and above.
All about Sarcoma Cancer | Best Cancer Specialist in Kalyan Nagar- Dr. Murali Subramanian
Specifically, Sarcoma can be grouped as,
Soft tissue sarcoma – they form in cartilage, muscles, fat, nerves, tendons, vessels, and joint muscles.
Ewing sarcoma – they form in bone and soft tissue.
Osteosarcomas – mostly develop in bone, and liposarcomas form in fat.
Rhabdomyosarcomas – develop in muscle.
Potential Reasons
The root cause and the development of sarcomas are unknown. After much evaluation, researchers have come up with some hints that may have a role in affecting sarcomas. While the core reason is unknown, there are some known risk factors.
In some cases, phenoxy acetic acid found in herbicides or chlorophenols increases the risk. Angiosarcoma, a rare blood vessel cancer is found to develop due to exposure to vinyl chloride. High exposure to radiation is also a cause of sarcoma in some populations.
Some inherited diseases are also associated with an increase in soft tissue sarcoma.
Von Recklinghausen’s disease (neurofibromatosis) – is associated with the NF1 gene
Li-Fraumeni syndrome – associated with alterations in the p53 gene
Research shows alterations in genetic conditions have contributed to the development of sarcomas. It can also affect future generations and may be a random event in the family cancer history.
Detection
At substantial times, lumps and bumps found are benign. But, people must be proactive enough to have a consultation to rule out any sarcoma scare. As sarcoma is hard to detect from other types of cancer, they effect the organs where their evidence is underestimated.
A reliable source to determine a malignant, benign, or tumor can be done by a surgical biopsy, where all soft tissues and bone lumps found are taken for biopsy. The procedure involves a special needle used to make an incision and remove a small portion of tumor tissue which is studied under a microscope. If it is positive for cancer, the pathologist assesses the grade and the type of cancer.
Though low-grade sarcomas are cancerous, they are unexpected to proliferate, high-grade sarcomas have a great chance to spread to other parts of the body. The survival rate for five years can be estimated as fifty percent for soft tissue sarcoma, whereas sixty-six percent for bone sarcomas.
Remedy
The treatment for sarcoma depends on the cancer stage, based on the grade of tumor and size, and whether cancer has advanced to the other parts of the body. The main treatment options include,
Surgery – It is the most common treatment where there is a removal of cancer and a safe margin of healthy tissue surrounding it. Most of the tumor is extracted by surgery, but radiation or chemotherapy is given before surgery to shrink the tumor or after surgery to eliminate leftover cancer cells.
Radiation – It involves high-dose x-rays that are used before surgery to shrink the tumor or post-surgery to do away with the remaining cancer cells.
Chemotherapy – Here, anticancer drugs are used along with radiation therapy either before or after surgery. If cancer cells have already made their way to other parts of the body, chemotherapy is done to shrink tumors and reduce the discomfort and pain caused, but doubtful on the disease elimination.
Chemotherapy has been found effective in preventing its spread where the treatment is done intravenously. Doctors and researchers are continually working to identify new, effective treatments and better ways to utilize the current procedure
July is Sarcoma Awareness Month | Best Cancer Specialist in Kalyan Nagar | Dr. Murali Subramanian
Encouraging Awareness for Sarcoma Spread
As Sarcoma is a rare type of cancer, people are still uninformed about the disease unless it has been affected personally. This July, make an attempt to share a message through social media or discuss the underlying conditions with family and friends.
To spread awareness on social media, a tag using #curesarcoma #sarcomaawarenessmonth
Donate in honor of “Sarcoma Awareness Month”
Be a part of the Race to Cure Sarcoma held in the US, made up of a family-oriented 5k walk/run.
Get in touch with curesarcoma.org and related social media channels.
The Sarcoma Awareness Month attempts to underline the extensive challenges faced by those affected by Sarcoma, and renders the necessity for a deeper sarcoma research, therapies, and treatment.
In today’s podcast, Dr. Murali Subramanian – Best Oncologist in Kalyan Nagar is going to discuss about “Prostate Cancer “
Prostate is a small gland and is responsible for the production of the semen. It is located below the bladder. There are several nerves and blood vessels that help in erectile function. They get affected by prostate cancer.
FAQ on lung cancer - Best Lung Cancer Doctor in Bangalore
Best Lung Cancer Doctor in Bangalore | Dr Murali Subramanian
Cancer has become the evilest word for this world. In the last few years, the rate of lung cancer is on a rapid hike. Repeated attacks of cough and cold, mild chest pain are very common but these might be symptoms of lung cancer also.
1. What are the risk factors of lung cancer?
We all know both first-hand and second-hand smoking and the use of tobacco is the most identified risk. Apart from this, you should be aware of
Family history.
Smoking
Exposure rate to a cancer-causing agent like air pollution, arsenic, and radioactive elements (such as radon).
Some of the dietary supplements like beta carotene.
2. What are the most common symptoms?
Cough staying for a long time and getting worse with time is the foremost symptom of lung cancer. However as the cancer cell approach the advance stage you might experience continuous chest pain, breathing problem, blood with cough, repeated attack of pneumonia or bronchitis, swelling of neck and face, and weight and appetite loss.
3. Do lung tumors always indicate cancer?
Non-cancerous lung tumors also exist but unfortunately, they are very rare. Moreover, before surgery, it’s quite hard to identify if the tumor is cancerous or not. So, in most of the case, we treat the non-cancerous tumors in the same way as of the cancerous one.
4. Do large doses of antioxidants prevent lung cancer?
Nowadays, before consulting a doctor, most of us keep searching the internet if we experience any unusual health symptoms. There has been a myth those antioxidants like vitamin E lowers the risk of lung cancer.
However, the fact is a bit different. At present, no medically proven concept indicates the lowering of lung cancer risk with the help of vitamin E, rather ongoing studies reveal that few antioxidants, like vitamin-A, beta-carotene foster the risk, mainly in the case of smokers.
5. Do death is the destiny of lungs cancer patients?
In, 2020, the answer is ‘no.’ The treatments like, radiation therapy, immune therapy, surgery targeted therapy, and chemotherapy are now too advanced. These can now completely cure cancer in some cases. For the rest of the cases, patients can live significantly longer with this disease.
6. Does a negative chest X-ray confirm that I don’t have lung cancer?
Unfortunately ‘no’. The tumors might appear as just shows behind the ribs, which is hard to detect.
7. How many types of lung cancer are there?
Two main types are there.
Non-small cell
Small-cell
Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common one. The growth and spread of this type of cancer are much slower than those of the other type. Non-small cell has three subtypes.
The first one is adenocarcinoma. In most cases, women and non-smokers get attacked by this. There remain no symptoms at the earlier stage and spread at the slowest rate.
The second one is squamous cell carcinoma. This type is very common in smokers and starts showing the signs at an earlier stage.
The third one is ‘large-cell carcinoma.’ This type is rarely identified and shows the fastest growth. It spread to distant body parts.
8. Can lung cancer be prevented?
Sorry, but the answer is ‘no.’ Yet, you can lower the risks by avoiding the mentioned risk factor. Early detection always offers a better chance to fully recover but as discussed, in the most common type of lung cancer, there remain almost no signs.
Best Esophageal Cancer doctor in Bangalore-Causes and Prevention of Esophageal Cancer
In today’s article, I will be talking about some of the frequently asked questions about breast cancer.
As the rate of breast cancer is increasing rapidly so, people are getting afraid nowadays. To identify or detect the onset of this disease everyone asked lots of questions to us. I will try my best to answers all of those questions in this episode.
Breast Cancer | Best Breast Cancer Doctors in Bangalore
What is breast cancer?
It’s the cancerous tumor formed within your breast tissues or ducts.
What causes breast cancer?
Till now there is no clear idea about the causes of breast cancer. Medical science has only identified risk factors. Those include:
Hormonal changes
Lifestyles
Growing age
Having a baby after the age of 30.
Use of oral contraceptives for a longer time.
History of chest radiation therapy.
Long-term combined hormone therapy.
Excessive alcohol consumption.
Obesity
Hormonal changes after menopause.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of Breast Cancer | Best Breast Cancer Doctors in Bangalore
Formation of a new lump is the most common symptom. But it might happen that the lump does not form in the earlier stage because sometimes the cancerous cell remains tender or soft. So you have to be aware of the other symptoms too.
Swelling of the entire or a part of the breast, excessive nipple discharge other than breast milk, redness or scaliness of nipples, breast pain, irritation of breast skin, and swelling of lymph nodes might be your sign of breast cancer.
When should I go for breast cancer screening?
You should not wait for screening until you face any of the above symptoms. Because sometimes the symptoms become visible only at the advanced stage. So it’s recommended that once you cross the age of 40, start annual screening.
How to lower the risk of breast cancer?
Risk of Breast Cancer | Best Breast Cancer Doctors in Bangalore
Here you should keep one thing in mind; nothing can eliminate the risk of breast cancer. The preventions I am going to tell can only lower the risks.
Try to avoid alcohol consumption as much as possible.
Do regular physical exercises.
Breastfeed at least up to 12 months’ age of your baby.
Try maintaining healthy body weight.
You can discuss hormone replacement therapy with your doctor.
I feel a movable lump in my breast, is it breast cancer?
It’s not always true that movable lumps might not be cancerous. Whatever the type of your lump is, immediately visit your doctor and get the all prescribed screening done.
What kinds of treatment options are available?
Presently two options are there.
Surgery
Radiation therapy
In surgery, depending on the specific situation several sub-options are available. The doctor might remove your entire breast or might remove a part of breast tissue or the tumors. But no need to worry, you can go with oncoplastic or breast reconstruction surgery to rebuild your breast shape.
In radiation therapy, you have to bear a high-energy radiation wave that destroys your cancerous tumor.
Apart from these two options, depending on your cancer type your doctor might provide you with Chemotherapy or hormonal therapy options. In the first one anti-cancer drug are delivered to your body for killing the cancerous cell. In the second hormone therapy, the drug used prevents the growth of cancer cells.
However, there is another latest therapy that is targeted therapy about which I have already discussed in detail in one of my earlier sessions.
Treatment for Breast Cancer | Best Breast Cancer Doctors in Bangalore
What are the possible side-effects of these treatments?
Whatever treatment you have to choose you can’t avoid sides-effects.
Surgery: Common side-effects include short-term pain and swelling, weakness and swelling of arms, or lymphedema.
Radiation therapy: Excessive skin irritation and breast pain. Some of the patients face this discomfort at the beginning of the treatment; however, in case of the good immunity power, these symptoms might be visible in the latter settings.
Chemotherapy: The most common side-effect of chemotherapy is vomiting, diarrhea, lowering of blood count, and even nerve damage.
Do breast cancer treatments affect my ability to conceive?
Unfortunately yes. Both chemotherapy and radiation therapy affect the functionality of your ovary. In the case of radiation therapy, the radiation kills some of the healthy tissues also that might make you temporary or permanently fertile.
Through this article, I have tried to cover the most frequently asked questions about breast cancer.
Also, check out other blogs related to breast cancer:
Breast Cancer Doctors in Bangalore | Dr. Murali Subramanian is one of the Best Cancer Specialist in Bangalore. Breast cancers have become a very common disease nowadays. People are getting conscious about this disease. However, there are lots of myths that create misconceptions among the general public and hamper their preventive effort toward this evil disease. Let’s know the fact against those myths.
Myth 1: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, e.g. healthy diet, regular exercises, limited alcohol consumption, and regular exercise eliminate the risk of breast cancer.
Fact: These lifestyle behaviors lower the risk but can’t eliminate it.
Presently no one is 100% safe from breast cancer. Yes, it’s always better to take precaution and lots of evidence is there that proves a healthy lifestyle lowers the risk of breast cancer to a greater extent. But again I am saying it can’t assure you that you will not have it. So, I would suggest, besides your healthy lifestyle also do a regular screening of breast cancer. This disease can be treated better as early as it gets disorganized.
Myth 2: Use of underarm antiperspirants can cause breast cancer.
Fact: No evidence is found until now. But yes, studies are under process.
The fact it few studies have revealed absorption of aluminum and other chemical containing product through the lymph increase the concentration aluminum in breast tissues. Sometimes, not always, a higher concentration of aluminum in breast tissue might cause cancer. Harmful chemical free antiperspirant has a connection with breast cancer.
Myth 3: If my family history is free from breast cancer, I am safe.
Fact: Most of the diagnosed patient has no such family history of breast cancer.
Only 5 to 10% of breast cancer patient owns a family history of the same disease. Rests don’t have any cancer patient in their family.
It’s true, extra tight bra hampers limit the flow of lymph flow out of your breast and encourage the toxic substance build-up. But no evidence is there that proves the direct link between wearing a bra and breast cancer.
Myth 5: Keeping mobile phones inside the bra causes breast cancer.
Fact: No evidence yet. But the safety measures of mobile phone rays are under study.
Researchers are going on to evidence if there is any link between the radiofrequency of mobile phones and cancer but still not proved. However, it better not to carry a mobile in bra.
Myth 6: Annual mammogram guarantees the early detection of breast cancer.
Fact: Although it’s not false completely. Yet, there have been cases in which mammograms failed to detect breast cancer at an early stage.
There is no doubt mammography has been the best tool for detecting breast cancer till death but still, there are 20% cases, in which mammograms missed out on the early-stage detection of this disease.
Myth 7: Consumption of excessive sugar causes breast cancer.
Fact: No such evidence is there that proves sugar-rich food cause breast cancer.
Cancer cell consumes for sugar than normal cells but it doesn’t mean eating more sugar-rich food will cause cancer.
Myth 8: I don’t have any lump in my breast so I don’t have breast cancer.
Fact: The lump might not form in case of breast cancer, especially during the early stage.
In some cases we find, cancer gets already spread to lymph but there is no lump in the breast.
Myth 9: If treated at an early stage there will be no chance of recurrence.
Fact: There always remains the possibility of cancer to reappear.
The chances of recurrence lie between 15 to 20%.
Myth 10: Breast cancer attack only to women of middle and older age.
Fact: Breast cancer does have age preferences; even it can attack the men.
As you grow older the risk of breast cancer gets increases but you can have this disease at any age. Even men can also experience breast cancer.
Best Esophageal Cancer doctor in Bangalore-Causes and Prevention of Esophageal Cancer
Lung Cancer Treatment in Bangalore | Dr. Murali Subramanian | Get Lung Cancer Treatment and diagnosis from our Cancer Specialist in Bangalore. This blog is to all smokers, past smokers who are living with the fear of lung cancer, and those who are very confident about not getting attacked by this disease even after smoking.
Cancer has already become evil to our civilization. Apart from several risk factors smoking is the topmost risk factor of lung cancer. Around 90% of lung cancer deaths cause due to smoking.
Risks in active smokers. Smoking cigarettes increase the risk of lung cancer by 15 to 30 times. Even you smoke 1 to 2 cigarettes a day; you take yourself closer to the risk of lung cancer by the risk 3 to five times. Trachea and bronchus are the two parts of the lungs that get mostly affected by smoking caused cancer.
Risk in second-hand smokers. Some people think that only active smoking causes lung cancer. But researches show the majority of non-smoker lung cancer patients have a history of staying around or living with regular or chain smokers.
In actual the traces of cancer-causing chemicals in tobacco smoke has a greater occurrence in a second-hand smoker than the active smoker. If you are living with a chain smoker then your risk of getting lung cancer increases by 20 to 30 percent.
The most alarming point is that there is no ‘safe’ level in case of such second-hand smoker.
Risk in Smokers who already quit smoking. I have heard a lot of people saying, ‘I have smoked for long. So quitting now will not provide any effect on my lung cancer risk.’ Somehow it’s true. Long-term smoking causes permanent damage to different parts of our lungs making it more feasible to cancer attack but quitting smoking at any stage lower the risk of severity of this disease. It benefits you with better tolerance power to the cancer treatments. Even quitting smoking at age of 30 might lower your cancer risk by 90 percent while quitting at 50 lower the risk by 50 percent.
Pipe, cigar, bidis, or hookah. I found a very common myth among people that smoking cigar, bidis, or hookahs are associated with a lower risk of lung cancer. This is completely wrong. These tobacco materials contain more tar than cigarettes, leading to a greater risk of lung cancer than cigarette smokers.
Antioxidant vitamins. If you think that you will continue smoking and consume antioxidant vitamins at the same time to inhibit lung cancer risk. Yes, you can reduce the risk but can’t undo it. Even there are lots of proofs that reveal the activities of antioxidant vitamins are lower in the case of a smoker than the nonsmokers.
E-cigarettes. This has already been banned in India. If you from another country and using as an option of quitting smoking then you should be aware of a few facts.
FDI found several cancer-causing substances in half of the sample they tested.
Most of the components are still unknown.
Since you are getting nicotine hit, hence it’s discouraging your smoking quitting effort.
Tips to lower the risk of lung cancer from smoking
For Non-smokers
Don’t start smoking, even occasionally.
Avoid standing around the person, who is smoking.
Follow a healthy diet, rich in antioxidant vitamins, do an ample amount of physical exercise.
Try to generate awareness among smokers.
For Ex-smokers
Apart from following the recommendation for non-smokers, carry out an annual lung cancer screening test for at least 15 years after smoking cessation.
For smokers, the only suggestion as of now is, ‘Stop smoking immediately.’
Breast Cancer Specialist in Bangalore | Dr. Murali Subramanian
The rate of new breast cancer cases is in rapid hike nowadays. As per WHO’s analysis, this rate might increase to 50% by the end of 2020, with around 15 million new cases.
While things are going beyond our hands, still we can at least remain conscious about this disease to ensure a better handling plan for it.
In this article, let’s know about the various risk factors that boost up the possibility of breast cancer.
The risk factor for breast cancer is mapped under two types:
Controllable
Uncontrollable
1. Controllable factors
Obesity. Besides breast cancer, obesity has become an additional threat to the entire world. Among all of its downsides, the increased risk of breast cancer is the most concerning one. Apart from general obesity, most of the women face post-menopausal weight gaining. Excessive fat tissues boost up the estrogen level, leading to a higher risk of breast cancer. Weight gain during adulthood and excessive fat around the waist also increase the risk.
Diet. Ongoing researches indicate consumption of foods with a higher level of fat increase the risk of breast cancer. Tans-fat rich foods, processed meat, smoked foods fall under this category.
Alcohol consumption. I have found many women saying that they consume a limited amount of alcohol. But the fact is, even a small amount of alcohol opens up the possibility of breast cancer. The percentage of risk rises as the alcohol consumption amount increases.
Smoking: Although it has the lowest effect on breast cancer, still it smoking boosts the risk of breast cancer by 1 percent.
Oral Contraceptive pill: Use of oral contraceptive pill also increases the risk of breast cancer to some extent. However, the risk persists only up to 10 years after you stop taking the pills.
These were the risk factors that you can control by changing your lifestyles a bit.
2. Uncontrollable Factors
Age: Here, you have to accept a hard truth. As you are growing older, the more you are getting exposed to the risk of breast cancer. The possibility of breast cancer is 1 in 225 women between the ages of 30 to 39 but for age above 60, the number becomes 1 in 29.
Gender: While women are more exposed to breast cancer due to ever-changing breast cell growth and the activities of the female hormone, men can also suffer from this disease.
Race: Researches and surveys reveal that European women are more likely to get attacked by breast cancer than Asian and Native American women.
Family and personal history of breast cancer. Sorry to say, but if your first degrees relative like mother, father, sister has a history of breast cancer then you are at a high risk of disease. The risk factor becomes stronger for you if your relative had breast cancer before the age of 50.
Radiation therapy. If you received any chest radiation therapy in your childhood and young adult stage of life, then you might get breast cancer at a later age.
Exposure to estrogen. Estrogen exposure for a longer period, without any break, facilitates the risk of breast cancer. Due to this reason, if your menstrual cycle starts earlier than normal age, like at 12 or lasts for late ager, after 55, you might have greater degrees of breast cancer risk.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Women having no history of full-term pregnancy or pregnancy after 30 are more prone to the breast cancer risk. Breastfeeding also plays a vital role in this regard. Women, who stopped breastfeeding before the 1.5 year or 2 years age of their baby bear the greater risk of breast cancer than the women, those could continue the breastfeeding up to this certain age.
DES exposure. From the year 1940 to 1971, diethylstilbestrol(DES) was randomly used to prevent miscarriages. Women, who consumed these medicines, are now bear a very high risk of breast cancer.
Combined post-menopausal hormone therapy (PHT). I found women are now becoming more interested in PHT to get rid of the irritating symptoms they face after menopause. As the biggest side-effect of this therapy, you become more exposed to breast cancer risk. Besides, you might be diagnosed with breast cancer at a more advanced stage due to this therapy.
Coping with Cancer - Day to Day Life | Best Cancer Doctors in Bangalore
Best Cancer Doctors in Bangalore | Dr. Murali Subramanian
This is Dr. Murali Subramanian, a medical oncologist, practicing in Bengaluru. Welcome back to my podcast channel “ cancer care”
Dealing with cancer is obviously a life-changing event for most people fighting cancer. Stories of brave heart cancer-fighters are worth reading and listening to as it can be a time to reduce regrets and make new priorities. Their lives are a true inspiration for many as they learn to live each day as normally as they can. It is all about enjoying the simple things you like to do.
Common cancer in Indian women | Best Cancer Specialists in Bangalore
Cancer Specialist in Bangalore | Dr. Murali Subramanian
In this Podcast, we will try to highlight about common cancer in Indian women.
Listen to the podcast audio down below to know more about “Common cancer in Indian Women” by Dr. Murali Subramanian, Best Medical Oncologist in Bangalore.
