Cancer Questions

1. What are the signs and symptoms of salivary gland cancer?

   The most common early sign of salivary gland cancer is a lump or swelling in the area of the salivary gland, which is between your neck and your jawline. If you detect an area of swelling in your mouth, neck, along your jaw, or higher up in your face closer to your ear, see a doctor...
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer

2. FAQ: Does Sugar Feed Cancer Cells?

   The short answer is no -- with a big qualifying "but." Glucose (sugar) is the primary fuel for most of the cells in the body, including the brain, muscles, and -- yes -- even cancer cells. It's the preferred fuel because it's easily taken up by most cells throughout the body to use as an energy source...
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 3 Community Answers

3. What are the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer

   The problem with ovarian cancer is that many of the symptoms are easily confused with digestive disorders and bladder problems, so the cancer goes unrecognized until it’s advanced. But in retrospect, many women with ovarian cancer realize they were experiencing unexplained symptoms for months, even n years, before their cancer was diagnosed...
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 4 Community Answers

4. What are the signs and symptoms of bone cancer?

   Bone cancer can have many different signs and symptoms because there are several types of bone cancer. There is cancer that originates in the bone, called primary bone cancer, and there are tumors that spreads, or metastasizes, from other locations such as the breast, lungs, or prostate, to the bone...
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

5. How can I stop feeling resentful that my parent with cancer has become so self-involved?

   Feelings of anger and resentment are perfectly natural. This is one of the things I hear most often from caregivers, and the first thing I always say is, "It's OK that you feel this way." Because of the cancer diagnosis, your father's life has been turned upside down, and so has yours...
   1 Expert Answer

6. What do I do when my mother, who has ovarian cancer, expresses resentment about my siblings not coming to visit her enough?

   It's easy for resentment to divide siblings when you're care giving for a parent with cancer, so you're wise to be concerned about this issue. And if your mother's complaining and resentment are making you uncomfortable, you need to talk to her about it, or it will damage your relationship with her, too...
   1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

7. Can laughter really help in treating cancer?

   In my work running support groups for cancer patients, I've found that humor and laughter are highly important. That's why I call my support group Strength Through Laughter. Most people going through cancer treatment are in for a very bumpy ride, and laughter helps them face the ups and downs with resilience and a positive outlook...
   1 Expert Answer, 10 Community Answers

8. How can I stop feeling so guilty that I'm not doing enough for my mother?

   The short answer is that you can't get your mother to stop making you feel guilty, because nobody outside yourself can make you feel guilty. Guilt is one of those things that we have to take charge of for ourselves and make our peace with. There's not a dial on your forehead that someone else can use to dial in guilt...
   1 Expert Answer

9. Can you get pregnant if your husband has leukemia?

   The answer to this question depends on what type of leukemia your husband has and which chemotherapy drugs his doctor has prescribed to combat the leukemia. Leukemia is usually treated with a combination of various chemotherapy drugs and other medications. A few of these drugs cause infertility as a side effect...
   1 Expert Answer

10. For a person who is in remission from blood cancer, would getting a tattoo be dangerous?

    Probably not any more dangerous than someone who is not a cancer survivor. The challenges with tattoos are related to the needles, which have usual risks of carrying hepatitis, AIDS, and other blood-born infectious agents. However, patients that have a history of blood cancer can be more susceptible to infectious complications...
    1 Expert Answer

11. I had a sonargram and my doctor told me that I had a small...

    Upon reading this question, I had some thoughts. First, why was an ultrasound of your kidneys ordered? Are you having problems? Or, was this just an incidental finding on an ultrasound of the abdomen?
    1 Expert Answer

12. How necessary is it to treat cancer?

    Refusing cancer treatment is tricky. It depends on the type of cancer and how aggressive the cancer is as well as what, if any, treatment options exist as to whether it is a good idea to refuse treatment.
    1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

13. Can you please tell me about Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)?

    Myelodysplastic syndrome is a complex disorder that causes abnormalities of the blood counts. It is usually discovered by doing blood tests, where an anemia, low white blood cell count, or low platelet count is found. It is not really a cancer, but rather a blood disorder...
    1 Expert Answer

14. What are the signs of skin cancer?

    The signs of skin cancer can be obvious or subtle. There are three main types of skin cancer, depending on which skin cell type has gone bad: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma, in order of increasing danger. Each can have many different appearances, and all three can also look like each other...
    1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

15. Do hot spots on a cat scan mean you have cancer?

    In general, CT scans are screening tests. Just because spots show up on your CT scan, it doesn't mean you have cancer. To diagnose cancer in those "hot spots", we would have to have the spots biopsied, and the results would have to show cancerous growth...
    1 Expert Answer

16. How do I support my friend whose spouse has cancer?

    When we hear that a loved one, friend, or their spouse has received a terminal diagnosis, we’re often reluctant to talk to them out of concern that we might say the wrong thing or be unable to give comforting answers for their pain and approaching lo...
    1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

17. What tests can be done to diagnose cancer early?

    Based on your description of your family history, you may benefit by arranging an appt to see a certified genetic counselor. Genetic counselors provide information, education and support to individuals who may have a genetic condition or may be at risk for developing a condition...
    1 Expert Answer

18. What can we expect in the final stages of renal cancer?

    You've been so strong for your family, while several things are going on. Let's address each one.
    1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

19. Can vitamin C help fight pancreatic cancer?

    There are some animal studies pointing to the use of intravenous Vitamin C to help treat pancreatic cancer. In addition, it has been shown that pancreatic cancer cells have much lower levels of antioxidant activity, making these cancer cells especially vulnerable to Vitamin C which functions as a pro-oxidant for cancer cells at higher intravenous dosages...
    1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

20. What are the different stages of bone cancer?

    The term bone cancer has several meanings. Thus what is meant by bone cancer stages depends on the type of cancer, as described below. The word bone cancer means a malignant tumor that involves bone, either secondarily (metastasis from another site) or primarily (arising directly from within bone).
    1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers