Day: March 25, 2024

#Sex hormone symptoms and cancer

Treatments that cause sex hormone symptoms

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Some treatments for cancer can affect the levels of sex hormones. This can cause a range of different symptoms. There are things you can do, and there are other treatments to help you cope with these symptoms. What are sex hormones? Hormones are natural substances made by the glands of our hormone system. They are carried around our body in our bloodstream. The main female sex hormones are oestrogen and progesterone. The main male sex hormone is testosterone. Treatments that can affect the levels of sex hormones include: surgery chemotherapy radiotherapy hormone treatment The effect of targeted and immunotherapy cancer

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#Sex hormone symptoms and cancer

Sex hormones and cancer

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Hormones are natural substances made by the glands of our hormone system. They are carried around our body in our bloodstream. They act as messengers to carry signals between one part of the body and another. There are many different types of hormones. Each one controls the growth and activity of particular cells and organs. What are the sex hormones? The main sex hormones in women are oestrogen and progesterone. The ovaries produce most of these sex hormones. In men, the main sex hormone is testosterone. Most of this is produced by the testes. Small amounts of these sex hormones

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#Body systems and cancer

The hormone system and how cancer affects it

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

The hormone system The hormone system is a network of glands and organs in the body that produce hormones. It is also called the endocrine system. The diagram shows the main parts of the hormone system. Hormones and how they work Hormones are natural substances made by the glands and organs of the hormone system. Each gland makes a different hormone and most make more than one. There are many different hormones. They are carried around our body in our bloodstream and act as messengers between one part of our body and another.  Each hormone has a different function. They control

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#Body systems and cancer

The immune system and how cancer affects it

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

What the immune system does The immune system protects the body against illness and infection that bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites can cause. It is a collection of reactions and responses that the body makes to damaged cells or infection. So it is sometimes called the immune response. The immune system is important to people with cancer because: cancer can weaken the immune system cancer treatments might weaken the immune system the immune system may help to fight cancer Cancer and treatments may weaken immunity Cancer can weaken the immune system by spreading into the bone marrow. The bone marrow makes blood cells that help to fight infection. This

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#Body systems and cancer

How does cancer affect the lymphatic system?

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

What the lymphatic system is The lymphatic system is a system of thin tubes and lymph nodes that run throughout the body. These tubes are called lymph vessels or lymphatic vessels. The lymph system is an important part of our immune system. It plays a role in: fighting bacteria and other infections destroying old or abnormal cells, such as cancer cells The lymphatic system The diagram shows the lymph vessels, lymph nodes and the other organs that make up the lymphatic system. How it works The lymphatic system is similar to the blood circulation system. The lymph vessels branch through all parts of

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#Body systems and cancer

Cancer, the blood and circulation

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

What the blood does The blood flows throughout the body. It: carries food (nutrients) and oxygen to all the cells of the body carries away waste products that the body needs to get rid of Without a blood supply, cells and body tissues die. How blood circulates The blood flows around the body in blood vessels (tubes) called arteries, veins and capillaries. This is the circulatory system. The heart pumps the blood through the circulatory system. Arteries Arteries carry blood that is full of oxygen from the heart to all parts of the body. As the arteries get further and further away from the

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#What is cancer?

How cancer can spread

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Primary and secondary cancer The place where a cancer starts in the body is called the primary cancer or primary site. Cells from the primary site may break away and spread to other parts of the body. These cells can then grow and form other tumours. These are called secondary cancers or metastases. How cancer can spread to other areas of the body Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body. They do this through the bloodstream or lymphatic system . There they can start to grow into new tumours. Cancers are named according to where they first started developing. For example, bowel cancer

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#What is cancer?

Cancer grows as cells multiply over and over

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Benign and cancerous (malignant) tumours Tumours (lumps) can be benign or cancerous (malignant). Benign means it is not cancer. Benign tumours: usually grow quite slowly don’t spread to other parts of the body usually have a covering made up of normal cells Benign tumours are made up of cells that are quite similar to normal cells. They only cause a problem if they: grow very large become uncomfortable or painful are visible and unpleasant to look at  press on other body organs take up space inside the skull (such as a brain tumour) release hormones that affect how the body works

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