cancers

#Tests and scans

Gastroscopy for stomach cancers

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

A gastroscopy is a test that looks at the inside of your food pipe (oesophagus), stomach and the first part of your small intestine (small bowel). A doctor or specialist nurse (endoscopist) does the test. They use a long flexible tube which has a tiny camera and light at the end. This tube is called a gastroscope or endoscope.  You may also hear this test called an endoscopy or oesophago gastric duodenoscopy (OGD). Why do I need a gastroscopy? You might have a gastroscopy to find out the cause of symptoms such as: abnormal bleeding indigestion or heartburn that doesn’t go away with

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#Tests and scans

Endoscopy for cancers

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

An endoscopy is a test that looks inside the body. The endoscope is a long flexible tube which has a tiny camera and light on the end of it.  There are many types of endoscopes and the doctor uses these to look inside different parts of the body. The name of the test you have will depend on which part of the body the doctor is looking at. Why do I need an endoscopy? You might have an endoscopy to help find out what is causing your symptoms. During this test a doctor or specialist nurse (endoscopist) can also take

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#Women - coping with sex hormone symptoms

Sex hormones, heart problems and diabetes in women

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Some cancer treatments lower the amount of sex hormones in the body. The main female sex hormones are oestrogen and progesterone.  Low levels of these hormones may increase your risk of heart problems and diabetes. Hormone therapy and the risk of heart problems There is some evidence to suggest that aromatase inhibitors may increase the risk of heart problems. Aromatase inhibitors are a type of hormone therapy used to treat breast cancer. The group of aromatase inhibitors includes: anastrozole (Arimidex) exemestane (Aromasin) letrozole (Femara)   Research into hormone therapies and heart problems Evidence shows that before the natural menopause, oestrogen

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#Women - coping with sex hormone symptoms

Sex hormones and weight changes in women

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Some cancer treatments lower the amount of sex hormones in the body. Low levels of sex hormones can sometimes make you put on weight. What are the sex hormones?  Hormones are natural substances made by the glands of our hormone (endocrine) 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. Sex hormones and weight changes After the menopause the way that fat is distributed around the body changes. Extra weight tends to build up around the waist, rather than on the hips and

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#Women - coping with sex hormone symptoms

Mood changes and sex hormones in women

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Some cancer treatments lower the levels of sex hormones in the body. Low levels of sex hormones can sometimes cause mood changes. Hormones and mood changes Hormones are natural substances made by the glands of our hormone (endocrine) system. They are carried around our body in our bloodstream. The main male sex hormone is testosterone. The main female sex hormones are oestrogen and progesterone. There is evidence that a fall in oestrogen levels can cause mood changes. This could be due to the cancer treatment, the menopause , or both.  The causes of mood changes can be difficult to assess

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#Women - coping with sex hormone symptoms

Thinking and memory changes in women

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Some cancer treatments lower the amount of sex hormones in the body. Low levels of sex hormones can cause problems with concentration, thinking, and memory. What are the sex hormones? 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. The main female sex hormones are oestrogen and progesterone.  Hormone therapy to treat breast cancer can work in one of two ways: lowering the levels of oestrogen blocking the effect of oestrogen on cancer cells 

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#Sex hormone symptoms and cancer

Bone problems and osteoporosis in prostate cancer

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Hormone therapy for prostate cancer can lower the levels of sex hormones (testosterone) in the blood. This can cause different side effects including problems with your bones. How does hormone therapy for prostate cancer affect the bones? Hormone therapy lowers the levels of testosterone. This can cause thinning and weakening of the bones. How can I reduce the risk of bone problems? Make sure your diet has enough calcium and vitamin D. This helps to keep your bones healthy.  Can I take medicines to help with bone loss? Your doctor may suggest you take medicines called bisphosphonates to help with bone

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#Sex hormone symptoms and cancer

Sex hormones, heart disease and diabetes 

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Hormone therapy for prostate cancer reduces the level of testosterone in the body. Low levels of testosterone can increase your risk of heart problems and diabetes. Does hormone therapy for prostate cancer affect the heart? Yes, research suggests that hormone therapy increases the risk of heart problems. Why does hormone therapy cause heart problems? Researchers think it’s because it increases the amount of fat in the body. Can hormone therapy cause diabetes? Yes, hormone therapy can increase the risk of diabetes. Some cancer treatments can lower the levels of sex hormones in the body. The sex hormones are oestrogen and

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#Sex hormone symptoms and cancer

Breast swelling (gynaecomastia)

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Some hormone therapies for prostate cancer can cause swelling and tenderness in the breasts. This is gynaecomastia (pronounced guy-nee-co-mass-tee-ah). What is gynaecomastia? Gynaecomastia is swelling or enlargement of the breast in men. What causes breast swelling in men with prostate cancer? Hormone therapy is a common treatment for prostate cancer. This can change the balance of hormones in your body and cause breast tissue to grow. What is the treatment for gynaecomastia? You might have radiotherapy, a drug called tamoxifen or surgery to remove the breast tissue. Talk to your doctor about what is best for you. Why does hormone

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#Sex hormone symptoms and cancer

Bowel problems and sex after radiotherapy for prostate cancer 

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Radiotherapy uses radiation to kill cancer cells. It is a common treatment for prostate cancer. Radiotherapy to the prostate gland can affect your sex life in several ways. For example, daily treatments for several weeks can make you very tired. You might not feel like having sex. Other side effects can affect you when having anal sex. Side effects include: loose poo or diarrhoea irritation and pain around the back passage and anus leaking poo How diarrhoea affects your sex life You might get diarrhoea during radiotherapy and for some time afterwards. This can be unpleasant and tiring. It may put you

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#Sex hormone symptoms and cancer

Infertility after prostate cancer treatment 

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

You might not be able to have children after prostate cancer treatment. This can be difficult to cope with. Understanding why your fertility can be affected and what can help may help you to cope with these changes. How prostate cancer surgery affects your fertility A common treatment for prostate cancer is surgery to remove the prostate gland. This is a radical prostatectomy.  After a radical prostatectomy, you will not be able to have children by sexual intercourse. If you want to have children, your doctor might suggest collecting sperm before surgery. The sperm is frozen and stored until you

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#Sex hormone symptoms and cancer

Sex and erection problems after treatment for prostate cancer

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Prostate cancer treatments can affect your sex life. Some treatments can damage the nerves that you need to get an erection. Other treatments can affect the levels of hormones needed to get and maintain an erection.   Even if you can’t get a full erection, you can still have a sex life. There are several treatments that may help you but not everyone chooses to have treatment. Treatments might include: drug treatments such as tablets and creams vacuum pumps implants Sex therapy and counselling can also help. Speak to your doctor or specialist nurse if this is something you think might help.  

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#Sex hormone symptoms and cancer

Problems with sleeping

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Hormone therapy for prostate cancer can change the levels of sex hormones in your body. This can cause different side effects including difficulty sleeping (insomnia).  What is insomnia? Insomnia is when you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep at night. Does hormone therapy for prostate cancer cause insomnia? Hormone therapy can cause side effects such as hot flushes and anxiety. This can make it difficult to sleep. What are the best treatments for insomnia?   Relaxation techniques such as meditation can help. Your doctor might also suggest medicines if you’re finding it very difficult to sleep. Difficulty sleeping and

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#Sex hormone symptoms and cancer

Hot flushes in men 

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Hormone therapy for prostate cancer can change the levels of sex hormones in your body. This can cause hot flushes.  This page is about hot flushes in men with prostate cancer. But some of the tips on how to cope with hot flushes are also applicable to men who have hot flushes for other reasons.  What causes hot flushes in men? Some prostate cancer treatments lower the amount of sex hormones in the body. These lower levels of hormones can cause hot flushes. What do they feel like? They usually start as a feeling of warmth in your neck and

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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

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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#What is cancer?

Cancer starts when cells change abnormally

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Cell changes and cancer All cancers begin in cells. Our bodies are made up of more than a hundred million million (100,000,000,000,000) cells. Cancer starts with changes in one cell or a small group of cells.  Usually, we have just the right number of each type of cell. This is because cells produce signals to control how much and how often the cells divide. If any of these signals are faulty or missing, cells might start to grow and multiply too much and form a lump called a tumour. A primary tumour is where the cancer starts. Some types of cancer start from blood cells. These

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