Cancer Archive

Research we're watching

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) differs from breast cancer because it is noninvasive, so it cannot spread to other parts of the body. However, it can progress to an invasive breast cancer, which can be life-threatening. Researchers from the Netherlands Cancer Institute wanted to determine how DCIS affected long-term survival.

The team studied almost 10,000 postmenopausal women who were diagnosed with DCIS between 1989 and 2004. They tracked the patients over an average of 10 years and compared their death rates with the expected mortality rates of the general population. They found that women who had been treated for DCIS had a 2.5% risk of dying of breast cancer over 10 years and a 4% risk at 15 years — rates that were higher than in the general population. But they also found that DCIS survivors had a 10% lower risk of dying from any cause compared with the general population. They presented their results Jan. 27, 2017, at the European Cancer Congress.

Data from more than 200,000 people indicates that the risk of developing melanoma increases by 13% for every glass of white wine consumed per day. Drinking beer, red wine, or liquor was not associated with increased risk.

Women with early cancer in one breast may opt to remove the other, healthy breast because they overestimate their risk of a second cancer.

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

• Have you had fevers, chills, fatigue, or weight loss?
• Have you had any recent infections?
• Do you have a cough?
• Do you have sinus congestion?
• Do you know when to seek medical attention for infections?
• Do your gums bleed when you brush your teeth?
• Have you had nosebleeds or easy bruising?
• Do you get short of breath with minimal exertion?
• Are you lightheaded?
• Have you been unusually tired?
• Have you had abdominal pain or swelling?
• Have you noticed swollen lymph nodes?

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

• Lymph nodes (neck, axilla, groin)
• Heart
• Lungs
• Abdomen (for enlargement or tenderness of the liver or spleen)

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

• Complete blood count
• Routine blood chemistries
• Immunoglobulin levels
• Blood test for flow cytometry
• Bone marrow biopsy.

Colonic Polyps

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

• Do you have a family history of colonic polyps?
• Do you have bleeding from the rectum or bloody stools?
• Do you frequently have rectal pain or the sensation of needing to have a bowel movement?
• Do you have anemia (low blood count)?
• Do you have a family history of colon cancer?

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

• Abdominal exam
• Rectal exam

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

• Stool testing for blood
• Complete blood count
• Sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy, possibly with a biopsy or removal of a polyp (if one is found)

Hodgkin's Disease (after the disease has been treated)

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

• Have you had fevers, heavy sweating at night, weight loss, itchy skin, or swollen lymph nodes?
• Do you have pain in any of your bones?
• Do you have a cough?
• Are you fatigued?
• Do you get lightheaded?
• Do you bruise easily or have nosebleeds?
• Do your gums bleed when you brush your teeth?
• Have you had any recent infections?
• Do you have a cough?
• Do you have sinus congestion?
• Do you have nasal discharge?
• Do you know when to seek medical attention for signs of infection?
• Do you know that you still need to practice birth control (both men and women)?
• Infertility is uncommon with newer chemotherapy regimens. If you are a woman and have undergone early menopause, have you considered hormone replacement therapy?
• Are you short of breath at rest or with minimal exertion?
• Do you get chest pain or pressure with exertion?
• Do you have swelling in your legs?
• Do you know that chemotherapy and radiation can increase your risk of developing certain other cancers?
• Are you up-to-date on all of your cancer screening tests?
• If you are a woman, have you discussed the need for regular mammograms and breast examinations with your doctor?
• Are you gaining weight?
• Are you constipated?
• Are you always cold?
• Do you have dry skin?

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

• Neck veins
• Heart
• Lungs
• Abdomen (for enlargement or tenderness of the liver or spleen)
• Bones and spine (looking for areas of tenderness)
• Skin (looking for skin cancers)
• Lymph Nodes (neck, axilla, elbow, groin)

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

• Blood tests for complete blood counts, kidney and liver function tests
• CT scans of the chest and abdomen

Multiple Myeloma

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

• Have you had any recent infections?
• Do you know when to call your doctor with symptoms of infection?
• Do you have pain in any of your bones? If so, is it constant, or does it occur only when you move?
• Have you had any recent fractures?
• Do you have pain in your spine? Does it radiate to another part of your body?
• Have you noticed a decrease in sensation or strength in your hands or feet?
• Have you had loss of bladder or bowel control?
• Do you know when to seek medical attention for back pain?
• Have you been fatigued?
• Have you been lightheaded?
• Have you been short of breath with minimal exertion?
• Do your gums bleed when you brush your teeth?
• Do you bruise easily, or get nosebleeds?
• Have you been weak, nauseated, constipated, or confused?
• Have you had a headache or a change in your vision?
• Can you feel any lumps or masses under your skin?
• Are you aware of the possible complications that can develop from multiple myeloma?
• Do you know which symptoms should cause you to call your doctor?

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

• Skin
• Heart
• Lungs
• Arms and legs
• Spine
• Neurology examination (to check for strength and sensation in your hands and feet)
• Lymph nodes (neck, axilla, and groin)

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

• Blood tests for complete blood count, electrolytes, kidney function, uric acid, calcium, and beta-2 microglobulin
• Serum protein electrophoresis or SPEP
• Urine protein electrophoresis or UPEP
• Quantitative immunoglobulin levels in the urine and blood
• Immunoelectrophoresis
• 24-hour urine collection for protein
• Bone marrow biopsy
• Skeletal radiographs
• CT scan
• MRI scan

Hard to detect and quick to spread, pancreatic cancer is among the deadliest of cancers. Scientists hope that genetic research will make it more like other cancers-a treatable disease. But even if it's caught while confined to the pancreas-and it rarely is-just 16% of patients are alive five years after the initial diagnosis. By comparison, the five-year survival rate for localized breast cancer is 86%. If the cancer has spread beyond the pancreas, the likelihood of living another five years is just 2%. Only the statistics for liver cancer are as grim.

Fortunately, pancreatic cancer is uncommon compared with other major cancers. About 50,000 new cases are diagnosed every year in the United States, in contrast to about 250,000 new cases of breast cancer, and 225,000 new cases of lung cancer. But because it's so untreatable, pancreatic cancer causes about 40,000 deaths each year. It is the 4^th leading cause of cancer death.