BRCA gene mutations are mutations that occur in BRCA genes. These are linked to increased risk of breast and other cancers. Read more about Breast Cancer: Risk Factors, classification, Diagnosis, and Treatment Image credit: https://www.jgershon.com/ What are BRCA Genes? BRCA stands for “BReast CAncer gene”. There are two types of BRCA genes – BRCA1 and […]
Oncology
Metastasis or Metastatic Disease
Metastasis or metastatic disease occurs when the cancer cells spread from the site of their origin to the other distant parts of the body. The most common organs involved by metastases are the lungs, liver, bone, and brain. In Greek, the word metastasis means displacement. What is Metastasis? In metastasis, cancer cells break away from […]
Staging of Breast Cancer
Staging of breast cancer helps to describe the extent and spread of cancer within the body. It describes the location of cancer, how much cancer has grown, and whether it has spread to nearby or distant organs or lymph nodes. Read more about Breast Cancer: Risk Factors, Classification, Diagnosis and Treatment A battery of tests is […]
Male Breast Cancer
Male breast cancer is a rare type of cancer that occurs in the male breast. Though breast cancer affects women much more commonly, it can also occur in men. Causes, diagnosis, and treatment of male breast cancer are generally similar to that in females. However, breast cancer in men is rare in comparison with female […]
Karnofsky Performance Scale
The Karnofsky Performance Scale Index is an assessment tool for functional impairment. Karfnofsky performance scale can be used to compare the effectiveness of different therapies and to assess the prognosis in individual patients. Lower the Karnofsky score, the worse the likelihood of survival. Lower Karnofsky score indicates a severe disease. The scale is frequently used […]
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin – Structure, Function, Test and Uses
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone produced during pregnancy by the placenta. It provides nourishment to the egg after it has been fertilized and attached to the uterine wall. HCG is used to detect pregnancy as well as to monitor it. It is also elevated in certain cancers, hence is used as a tumor […]
PSA or Prostate Specific Antigen – Structure, Function and Uses
Prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, is a glycoprotein enzyme produced by prostate gland. It. It is a marker of prostate cell activity and is present in small quantities in the serum of all healthy men. Blood levels of prostate specific antigen are raised in men having prostatic infection and prostate cancer or other prostatic disorders. It […]
Alpha fetoprotein – Structure Function and Uses
Alpha fetoprotein is a plasma glycoprotein found in humans. It is the most abundant plasma protein synthesized by the human fetus. It is produced mainly by fetal liver and yolk sac during fetal development. Although synthesis drops markedly after birth, small amounts of alpha fetoprotein continue to be produced in the adult. Alpha fetoprotein levels in […]
Bethesda System for Reporting Cervical and Vaginal Cytology
Bethesda system is a system for reporting cervical and vaginal cytology or Pap smear results. It was developed during a workshop sponsored by the National Cancer Institute at Bethesda, Maryland in the United States. It was first introduced in 1988 and later revised in 1991 and 2001. The primary objective of this system was to […]
Tumor – Causes, Types and Treatment
A tumor is a new growth of tissue (a mass). The tumor is also called neoplasm. But there is a slight difference between the usage. A neoplasm is an abnormal new growth of cells which could be benign or malignant (cancerous) growths. A tumor in an ideal situation is a synonym for neoplasm. But its […]