Cervical cancer is cancer that originates in the cervix, the lower part of the uterus. After the disease is diagnosed, the cancer is then staged, based on standardized guidelines according to the extent and spread of the cancer. Cervical cancer...
Cervical cancer is cancer that grows in the cells of the cervix, located at the lower end of the uterus. It may also be called the uterine cervix. This cancer is typically slow-growing, and Pap smears can help detect precancerous changes in these...
Lymphedema occurs when a blockage develops in the lymph system, causing a backup of fluid in the lymphatic system, which leads to swelling as lymph leaks into tissue. Swelling normally affects the extremities -- one or both arms or legs. Primary...
When the lymphatic system is unhealthy, it does not adequately transport and drain the lymph fluid in the skin of the thighs. The lymph fluid that remains in the skin leads to swelling, otherwise known as lymphedema. The term "secondary" denotes...
Breast cancer originates when healthy breast cells develop genetic mutations, causing the cell to proliferate out of control. In the early stages of cancer, the cancer cells form a tumor that invades healthy breast tissue to allow for more tumor...
Breast cancer develops from mutated breast cells that begin to divide uncontrollably and form a tumor. One of the first-line treatments for breast cancer is surgery. There are a number of breast cancer removal surgeries, which vary by how...
A mastectomy is a surgical procedure performed to remove one or both breasts. It is usually performed to treat or prevent breast cancer and involves removal of all breast tissue and nearby lymph nodes. Like any major surgery, a mastectomy can lead...
Swollen lymph nodes in your neck usually come from exposure to a virus or bacteria but can come from a blockage or even cancer. Your doctor may have prescribed physical therapy following your neck dissection, or the removal of the lymph nodes and...
A breast cancer patient will typically have a team of specialized doctors. Some members of the medical team will be part of the patient's medical care on a recurring basis. Others doctors on the team are part of the breast cancer treatment process...
Undergoing treatment for breast cancer can weaken the muscles in your chest, arms and shoulders. Cancer treatment procedures like a breast biopsy, mastectomy, lymph node removal or radiation therapy can affect your chest, arms and shoulders, notes...
For many women, breast cancer is a dreaded diagnosis. One in eight women will be diagnosed with this disease, according to the National Institutes of Health. Breast cancer can be categorized into different types: type 1 is early in the cancer...
The growth of a breast tumor occurs in characteristic stages. Tumor growth begins with a small population of mutated cells, which divide uncontrollably to form a tumor within the breast, called the primary tumor. If left untreated, the cancer...
Lymphedema is a chronic condition with no definitive cure, however it can be effectively managed with the proper treatment. It is defined as a swelling from an accumulation of interstitial fluid due to a breakdown of the lymph circulatory system....
Native to eastern and southern Africa, aloe vera has been used for thousands of years for cosmetic and medicinal purposes. According to the MedlinePlus, the clear gel obtained from the leaves of this herb was used as a topical remedy for a broad...
Ankles swell when fluid is retained for any reason, a condition also called peripheral edema. Ankle swelling can also occur as a result of injury or trauma to the extremity. It is normally painless, unless the ankle is injured, but the swollen...
Breast cancer begins with the development of tumor-like cancer cells found in the breast, which can spread to other areas of the body. This type of cancer occurs mostly in women but occasionally happens in men. The reality is that many people do...
The uterus is the female reproductive organ where a fetus grows during pregnancy. The lining of the uterus is called the endometrium; when cancer cells originate in this lining, uterine cancer is diagnosed. Endometrial cancer is the most common...
After a cancer diagnosis, staging of the cancer takes place. Staging involves classifying cancer in a standardized way, according to the spread of disease and diagnostic markers. The stage of disease helps guide treatment plans as well as...
Lymphedema is the buildup of fluid in soft body tissues that occurs when the lymph system is damaged or blocked. It causes swelling and usually affects an arm or leg. Since the lymph system has no pump, like a heart, it depends on everyday muscle...
Lymphedema is an abnormal lymph fluid buildup. Blockages or interruptions of lymph fluid within the lymphatic system produce swelling. Depending on the cause of the lymphedema, doctors suggest different treatment options. If an infection is the...
According to the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, breast cancer occurs in about one of every 3,000 pregnancies. But since women are having babies at older ages and the risk of developing breast cancer increases as women get older, more...
As with any period of recovery from illness, injury or surgery, exercise enhances your ability to heal following breast cancer treatment. Strengthening the body and increasing your endurance are essential to returning to normal activities and...
Cancer that starts in the gingiva, or gums, is grouped with other cancers of the oral cavity. Oral cancers typically start in instances of leukoplakia, which are areas of white patches of cells that are persistent and do not go away, and in cells...
The Pilates system of exercise enhances strength and flexibility, while correcting postural misalignment and muscular imbalance and faulty movement patterns. These benefits are particularly important after any type of surgery. Most Pilates...
Though breast cancer affects men as well as women, it occurs more frequently in women, and is the most common cancer among women, second only to skin cancer, according to the Mayo Clinic. A variety of treatments exists, and the type of treatment...
Until recently, axillary lymph node surgery, the removal of the lymph nodes in the arms, was routinely performed in women with breast cancer. Because breast cancer can sometimes spread to the lymph nodes, the conventional wisdom postulated that it...
Cancer of the lymph nodes comes in two basic forms. Lymphoma is a cancer that starts directly in the lymph nodes and causes an overgrowth of lymphoid cells that the body produces to fight infections. Cancer of the lymph nodes can also result from...
Your hands can swell for seemingly no reason when the mercury on the thermometer climbs or when you exercise. Swollen hands can also be a sign of lymphedema, a type of swelling that occurs after lymph nodes are removed from your upper body....
If you’ve discovered a nodule or “lump” on your body, you probably have a swollen lymph node, or lymphadenopathy, which can indicate a variety of diseases or disorders, such as the common cold, mouth sores or Graves’...
Melanoma is a serious skin cancer, generally caused by sun damage. Learn more about melanoma skin cancer in this video.
Following a mastectomy, many women choose to have breast reconstruction surgery. This surgery attempts to restore breast to a normal shape, appearance, and size. Learn about the process of breast reconstruction surgery in this video from a...
