Melanoma, a pigmented skin tumor that is quite serious and may be life-threatening. Melanoma is a cancerous (malignant) tumor that begins in the melanocytes. Melanocytes are the cells that produce the skin coloring or protective pigment called melanin. Melanin helps protect the deeper layers of the skin from the harmful effects of sun rays. Melanoma cells still produce melanin, but the cells grow uncontrollably. This is why melanoma cancers have mixed shades of tan, brown and black skin cells.

Causes

It is not certain how all cases of melanoma develop. However, it is clear that excessive sun exposure, especially severe blistering sunburns early in life, can promote melanoma development. There is evidence that ultraviolet radiation used in indoor tanning equipment may cause melanoma. The risk for developing melanoma may also be inherited.

Immunosuppression—impairment of the immune system, which protects the body from foreign entities, such as germs or substances that cause an allergic reaction. This may occur as a consequence of some diseases or can be due to medications prescribed to combat autoimmune diseases or prevent organ transplant rejection.

Types

Lentigo maligna melanoma usually occurs in the elderly. It is most common in sun-damaged skin on the face, neck, and arms. The abnormal skin areas are usually large, flat, and tan with intermixed areas of brown.

Acral-lentiginous melanoma: is the least common form of melanoma. It appears as a black discoloration on palms, fingers, soles and toes (including the skin under the nails). African-Americans and Asians are more likely to develop this form of melanoma.

Symptoms

Often, the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, color, or feel of an existing mole. Most melanomas have a black or blue-black area. Melanoma also may appear as a new mole. It may be black, abnormal, or “ugly looking.”

Prevention

Minimizing sun exposure is the best way to prevent skin damage, including many types of skin cancer

rotect your skin from the sun when you can — wear protective clothing such as hats, long-sleeved shirts, long skirts, or pants.

Try to avoid exposure during midday, when the sun is most intense.

Use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Apply sunscreen at least one-half hour before sun exposure, and reapply frequently.

Treatment

Treatment for melanoma begins with the surgical removal of the melanoma and some normal-looking skin around the growth. Removal of the normal-looking skin is known as taking margins, and is done to be sure no melanoma is left behind. Early melanoma limited to the outermost layer of the skin (the epidermis) is known as melanoma in situ (in place), and simple surgical removal produces virtually a 100 percent cure rate. If left untreated, the melanoma grows deeper in the skin and is more likely to produce a life-threatening situation.

The most commonly used treatments are surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Surgery requires removal of part of the skin. Radiation therapy involves the use of high-energy rays to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer medications given intravenously or taken by mouth.

Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill cancer cells, or involves the injection of radioisotopes in the areas where cancer has been found. The use of Alpha-Interferon to bolster the immune system has been tried with about a 10% success rate.

cancer Cancer become any age group person may cancer, but nearly all types are more common in middle aged and elderly people than in young people. Skin is the most common type of cancer for both men and women. The next most common type among men is prostate cancer; among women, it is breast cancer. Lung cancer, however, is the leading cause of death from cancer for both men and women . Brain cancer and leukemia are the most common cancers in children and young adults.

The more we can learn about what causes cancer, the more likely we are to find ways to prevent it. Scientists study patterns of cancer in the population to look for factors that affect the risk of developing this disease. In the laboratory, they explore possible causes of cancer and try to determine what actually happens when normal cells become cancerous.

Our current understanding of the causes of cancer is incomplete, but it is clear that cancer is not caused by an injury, such as a bump or bruise. And although being infected with certain viruses may increase the risk of some types of cancer, cancer is not contagious no one can “catch” cancer from another person.

Cancer develops gradually as a result of a complex mix of factors related to environment, lifestyle, and heredity. Scientists have identified many risk factors that increase the chance of getting cancer. They estimate that about 80 percent of all cancers are related to the use of tobacco products, to what we eat and drink, or, to a lesser extent, to exposure to radiation or cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) in the environment and the workplace. Some people are more sensitive than others to factors that can cause cancer.

Many risk factors can be avoided. Others, such as inherited risk factors, are, unavoidable. It is helpful to be aware of them, but it Is also important to keep in mind that not everyone with a particular risk factor for cancer actually gets the disease; in fact, most do not. People at risk can help protect themselves by avoiding risk factors where possible and by getting regular checkups so that, if cancer develops, it is likely to be found early.

These are some of the factors that are known to increase the risk of cancer.

Tobacco – Tobacco causes cancer. In fact, smoking tobacco, using ?smokeless? tobacco, and being regularly exposed to environmental tobacco smoke without smoking are responsible for one-third of all cancer deaths. Smoking accounts for more than 85 percent of all lung cancer deaths. If you smoke, your risk of getting lung cancer is affected by the number and type of cigarettes you smoke and how long you have been smoking. Overall, for those who smoke one pack a day, the chance of setting lung cancer is about 10 times greater than for nonsmokers.

Smokers are also more likely than nonsmokers to develop several other types of cancer (such as oral cancer and cancers of the larynx, esophagus, pancreas, bladder, kidney, and cervix). The risk of cancer begins to decrease when a smoker quits, and the risk continues to decline gradually each year after quitting.

The use of smokeless tobacco (chewing, tobacco and snuff) causes cancer of the mouth and throat. Pre-cancerous conditions, or tissue changes that may lead to cancer, begin to go away after a person stops using smokeless tobacco.

Exposure to environmental tobacco smokes, also called involuntary smoking, increases the risk of lung cancer for nonsmokers. The risk goes up 30 percent or more for a nonsmoking spouse of a person who smokes. Involuntary smoking causes about 4,000 lung cancer deaths in this country each year.

If you use tobacco in any form and you need help quitting, talk with your doctor or dentist, or join a smoking cessation group sponsored by a local hospital or voluntary organization.

Diet : Your choice of foods may affect your chance of developing cancer. Evidence points to a link between a high-fat diet and certain cancers, such as cancer of the breast, colon, uterus, and prostate. Being seriously overweight appears to be linked to increased rates of cancer of the prostate, pancreas, uterus, Colon, and ovary, and to breast cancer in older women. On the other hand, studies suggest that foods containing fiber and certain nutrients help protect us against some types of cancer. You may be able to reduce your cancer risk by making some simple food choices. Try to have a varied, well-balanced diet that includes generous amounts of foods that are high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. At the same time, try to cut down on fatty foods. You should eat five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, choose more whole-grain breads and cereals, and cut down on eggs, high-fat meat, high-fat dairy products (such as whole milk, butter, and most cheeses), salad dressings, margarine, and cooking oils.

Sunlight : Ultraviolet radiation from the sun and from other sources (such as sunlamps and tanning booths) damages the skin and can cause skin cancer. (Two types of ultraviolet radiation–UVA and UVB–are explained in the Medical Terms section.) Repeated exposure to ultraviolet radiation increases the risk of skin cancer, especially if you have fair skin or freckle easily. The sun is ultraviolet rays are strongest during the summer from about 11 a.m. to about 3 p.m. (daylight saving time). The risk is greatest at this time, when the sun is high overhead and shadows are short. As a rule, it is best to avoid the sun when your shadow is shorter than you are.

Protective clothing, such as a hat and, long sleeves, can help block the sun’s harmful rays. You can also use sunscreens to help protect yourself. Sunscreens are rated in strength according to their SPF (sun protection factor), which ranges from 2 to 30 and higher. Those rated 15 to 30 block most of the sun’s harmful rays.

Alcohol. Drinking, large amount of alcohol increases the risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and larynx. (People who smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol have an especially high risk of getting these cancers.) Alcohol can damage the liver and increase the risk of liver cancer. Some studies suggest that drinking alcohol also increases the risk of breast cancer. So if you drink at all, do so in moderation-not more than one or two drinks a day.

Radiation : X-rays used for diagnosis expose you to very little radiation and the benefits nearly always outweigh the risks. However, repeated exposure can be harmful, so it is a good idea to talk with your doctor or dentist about the need for each x-ray and ask about the use of shields to protect other parts of your body. Before 1950, X-rays were used to treat non-cancerous conditions (such as an enlarged thymus, enlarged tonsils and adenoids, ringworm of the scalp, and acne) in children and young adults. People who have received radiation to the head and neck have a higher-than-average risk of developing thyroid cancer years later. People with a history of such treatments should report it to their doctor and should have a careful exam of the neck every 1 or 2 years.

Also, radiation used in the treatment of some types of cancer can increase the risk of developing a second cancer. Patients having radiation therapy may want to discuss this issue with their doctor.

Chemicals and other substances in the workplace being exposed to substances such as metals, dust chemicals, or pesticides at work can increase the risk of cancer. Asbestos, nickel, cadmium, uranium, radon, vinyl chloride, benzidene, and benzene are well-known examples of carcinogens in the workplace. These may act alone or along with another carcinogen, such as cigarette smoke. For example, inhaling asbestos fibers increases the risk of lung diseases, including cancer, and the cancer risk is especially high for asbestos workers who smoke. It is important to follow work and safety rules to avoid contact with dangerous materials.

Hormone replacement therapy: Many women use estrogen therapy to control the hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and osteoporosis (thinning of the bones) that may occur during menopause. However, studies show that estrogen use increases the risk of cancer of the uterus. Other studies suggest an increased risk of breast cancer among women who have used high doses of estrogen or have used estrogen for a long time. At the same time, taking estrogen may reduce the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis.

The risk of uterine cancer appears to be less when progesterone is used with estrogen than when estrogen is used alone. But some scientists are concerned that the addition of progesterone may also increase the CANCER risk of breast cancer.

HOMEOPATHY APPCHOCH IN STOMACH

Out of ten person, one person suffering fron gestrities and out of them hundred one person suffering from stoch cancer.If the cancer can be identified at a time when it only involves the superficial lining layer of the stomach and only involves a few cells and such a stomach cancer is surgically removed 90 % of these individuals are likely to have a normal life span . However if the stomach cancer has involved all the layers of the stomach this chance decreases to 50% and if it has spread outside the stomach or to distant organs of the body the chances of surviving in the long term are extremely gloomy .

CAUSE FOR STOMACH CANCER

1. Benign stomach (gastric ) ulcer , in most instances these benign ulcers in the stomach do not become malignant although in a few cancerous change can supervene after many years . Helicobacter pylori infection of the stomach appears to be an important cause of gastric ulcers .

2. Chronic duodenal ulcer , this is a common condition of the duodenum , the organ situated next to the stomach . we can reassure those with this condition that even after many years of having a chronic duodenal ulcer , the chances of it becoming malignant are almost nil.

3. Gastritis with low or absent stomach acid production . This situation can occur in an uncommon illness. Pernicious anemia and it can also occur without any obvious reason . Here absent or low levels of stomach acid which is normally produced to aid digestion is associated with the disappearance of gastric glands and this is called atrophic gastritis . Atrophic gastritis is a pre malignant condition .

GENATIC DISPOSITION OF STOMACH CANCER

Inherited causes :family history of stomach cancer ,such a history in a near relative doubles a person?s chances of developing stomach cancer during their life time

Type A blood group ,the common blood groups are A,B,O ,and AB. A person with type A blood has a 20% increased chance of developing stomach cancer during their life time compared to those with other blood groups

Personal health risks: presence of Helicobacter pylori in the stomach .this is an organism which in recent has been associated not only with stomach cancer but also with gastric and duodenal ulcers and with inflammatory changes called gastritis . why Helicobacter infection is present in some individuals but not in others is at present in some individuals but not in others is at present is uncertain , although it may be linked to both undesirable Helicobacter infection probably cause no symptoms . Helicobacter Pylori infection can usually be eradicated by the use of suitable antibiotics . It has also been suggested recently by Australian scientists that the regular intake of acidophilus bacteria (found in some brands of yoghurt and in some bacteria supplements )can also eradicate Helicobacter infection. Previous surgical removal of part of the stomach (partial gastrectomy ) for a non malignant condition , such as a gastric or duodenal ulcer . This become a stomach cancer risk some 15-40 years after the stomach has been removed . Pernicious anemia ,Individuals with this uncommon condition not only have anemia but also have no normal stomach acid production . They develop the condition previously described , atrophic gastritis . Individuals with atrophic gastritis have a 10 %chance of developing stomach cancer during their life time . Low or absent stomach acid production with atrophic gastritis , even in the absence of pernicious anemia , this is a risk for the future development of stomach cancer

Life style health risks : Dietary factors, a special risk for stomach cancer is a diet which is low in vegetables , fruit and cereals and particularly those fruits , vegetables and cereals which contain a lot of beta-carotene , vitamin-c and vitamin-e

A diet high in pickled . smoked , salted or cured food or foods preserved with nitrate , such as salami ,sausages , hot dogs , smoked meat , smoked fish or pickled food of any kind are also risks for stomach cancer . These dietary factors are probably important because the risk foods described above all seem to produce carcinogens

called nitrosamines . Also vitamin-C acts as antioxidant and has other actions which neutralize the effects of nitrosamines . Dietary factors are probably the most important single cause of stomach cancer . Smoking , a recent Australian study which examined all the scientific evidence published over the years has found that smoking is likely to be an important contributory cause of stomach cancer .

PRIMARY PREVENTION CANCER :

1.Dietary changes it is particularly important to have a high consumption of fruit ,vegetables and cereals which contain beta-carotene ,vitamin-c and vitamin-e and at the same time avoid or eat very little pickled ,smoked ,salted ,cured and nitrate ?preserved foods .In a recently reported study from China ,where stomach cancer is still relatively common ,the daily use of vitamin-e ,beta carotene and selenium supplements decreased stomach cancer risk by one-fifth .

2. Avoid smoking ,hints and guidance about quitting smoking are described

3. Eradicate Helicobacter Pylori , if helicobacter infection has been shown to be present ,suitable antibiotics can be used recent research suggests that the acidophilus bacteria found in some dietary supplements may also been effective way to eliminate helicobacter infection

4. Aspirin based mainly on experimental data ,the regular use of aspirin as a preventive for stomach cancer has been advanced . However the human evidence of a preventive role for aspirin in stomach cancer is insufficient at present to make such a recommendation .

ROLE FOR HOMEOPATHY TREATMENT

In alternative medicine in homoeopathy medicine can cure cancer in various age group of person. In early stage of cancer may help to patient life Many people with cancer want to learn all they can about their disease and their treatment choices so they can take an active part in decisions about their medical care. Often, it helps to make a list of questions to ask the doctor. Patients may take notes or, with the doctor’s consent, tape record the discussion. Some patients also find it helps to have a family member or friend with them when they talk with the doctor to take part in the discussion, to take notes, or just to listen.

? Here are some questions may want to ask the doctor: What are the chances that the treatment will be successful?
? Would a clinical trial be appropriate for me?
? What are the risks and possible side effects of each treatment?

Although the side effects of radiation therapy can be unpleasant, the doctor can usually treat or control them. It also helps to know that, in most cases, they are not permanent.
number of white blood cells, cells that help protect the body against infection
Chemotherapy ?the side effects of chemotherapy depends mainly on the drugs and doses the patient receives. Generally, anticancer drugs affect cells that divide rapidly. These include blood cells, which fight infection, help the blood to clot, or carry oxygen to all parts of the body. When blood cells are affected by anticancer drugs, patients are more likely to get infections, may bruise or bleed easily, and may have less energy. Cells that line the digestive tract also divide rapidly. As a result of chemotherapy, patients may have side effects, such as loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, hair loss, or mouth sores. For some patients, the doctor may prescribe medicine to help with side effects, especially with nausea and vomiting. Usually, these side effects gradually go away during the recovery period or after treatment stops. Hair loss another side effect of chemotherapy, is a major concern for many patients. Some chemotherapy drugs only cause the hair to thin out, while others may result in the loss of all body hair. Patients may feel better if they decide how to handle hair loss before starting treatment.

In some men and women, chemotherapy drugs cause changes that may result in a loss of fertility (the ability to have children). Loss of fertility may be temporary or permanent depending on the drugs used and the patient’s age. For men, sperm banking before treatment may be a choice. Women’s menstrual periods may stop, and they may have hot flashes and vaginal dryness. Periods are more likely to return in young women. In some cases, bone marrow transplantation and peripheral stem cell support are used to replace tissue that forms blood cells when that tissue has been destroyed by the effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Hormone Therapy –Hormone therapy can cause a number of side effects. Patients may have nausea and vomiting, swelling or weight gain, and, in some cases, hot flashes. In women, hormone therapy also may cause interrupted menstrual periods, vaginal dryness, and, sometimes, loss of fertility. Hormone therapy in men may cause impotence, loss of sexual desire, or loss of fertility. These changes may be temporary, long lasting, or permanent.

HOMOEOPATHIC TREATMENT/MEDICINES

CHELIDINIUM : It has also cured cancer of the stomach when in a ,vomiting for cancer of throat , mouth or stomach .

Condurango : In cancer of oesophagus or stomach . There are many other medicines , only few have been mentioned

Melanoma is the most risky type of skin cancer. Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes which are found predominantly in skin but also in the bowel and the eye. It is due to wild growth of pigment cells, called melanocytes. Melanin also protects the deeper layers of the skin from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV). Melanoma is most common in white skinned individuals, but it may rarely develop in those with dark skin as well. About one in fifteen white skinned New Zealanders are expected to develop melanoma in their lifetime. Melanoma can occur in adults of any age but is very rare in children.

Melanoma can also include the colored area of the eye. Malignant melanoma accounts for 75 percent of all deaths linked with skin cancer. There are four main types of melanoma. Superficial spreading melanoma is the most frequent type of melanoma. It is usually flat and irregular in shape and color, with varying shades of black and brown. Nodular melanoma usually starts as a raised area that is dark blackish-blue or bluish-red, although some are without color. Lentigo maligna melanoma usually occurs in the elderly. It is most common in sun-damaged skin on the face, neck, and arms.

Acral lentiginous melanoma is the least common form of melanoma. It generally occurs on the palms, soles, or under the nails and is more familiar in African Americans. Melanoma can extend very quickly. Melanoma may show on normal skin, or it may begin at a mole or other area that has changed in appearance. Some moles present at birth may develop into melanomas. The development of melanoma is related to sun exposure, particularly to sunburns during childhood, and is most common among people with fair skin, blue or green eyes, and red or blond hair. Melanomas are removed surgically.

The level of surgery depends on the thickness of the melanoma and its site. Most thin melanomas do not require widespread surgery. They are generally removed using a local anaesthetic, and the fault stitched up. A small area of normal skin around the melanoma is also excised to make sure that all the melanoma cells have been removed. Radiation therapy is frequently used after surgical resection for patients with locally or regionally advanced melanoma. High risk melanomas may require adjuvant treatment. Various chemotherapy agents are used, including dacarbazine; immunotherapies as well as local perfusion are used.

Smoking of tobacco causes lung cancer for sure. 87 percent cases of the lung cancer are due to smoking of tobacco. Smoking is also responsible for causing oral cavity, thyroid and bladder cancer .Even second hand smoke is causing 3000 lung cancer death cases per every year. Tobacco smoke produces harmful chemical agents that cause cancer. Total lifetime exposure to cigarettes causes to have increase in having risk factors of death. Taking smoking cessation will really useful in decreasing the risk factor of lung cancer and also other cancer related disease.

Smoking causes several cancers like:

? Lung cancer
? Head and neck cancer
? Urinary and kidney cancer
? Pancreatic cancer
? Colon cancer
? Breast cancer

Effects of cigarette smoking:

? Cigarette smoking easily lead to lung cancer. In which 87 percent of the cases are related to death cases due to its effect.
? Lung cancer is the leading cancer death rate in both men and women.
? Smoking also causes pancreatic, stomach, kidney, cervical and leukemia cancer.
Second hand smokers also have risk factors for lung cancer, heart stroke and respiratory illness. They have 25 percent chances in the occurrence of lung cancer. The combination of smoking and alcohol causes laryngeal cancer, they are more than 4000 death cases occurred due to this cancer disease.

In 2003, around 58000 cases of bladder cancer were diagnosed due to smoking effect and around 13000 people died from the risk factors of bladder disease. The risk factors of lung cancer increases by the increase of number of cigarettes smoked daily and also increase in number of years smoked will increase the risk factor.

Cigarettes with low tar will have low risk factor of causing lung cancer. Cigarette smoking also causes mouth cancer along with increase in death factor.
If there is a reduction in the number of people who smoke tobacco could prevent 35000 new lung cancer cases and 8000 deaths from its risk factors.

The smoke from the tobacco consists of more than 4000 harmful chemical agents in which over 60 percent of them were carcinogens. In addition to these agents we can find carbon monoxide , tar lead and arsenic which acts as toxins to the body. Mainly there is a presence of nicotine drug in the tobacco which causes people to addict permanently .During the inhale of tobacco smoke, the nicotine enters directly into the blood stream and travels to the brain causing addiction immediately to smoke.

Smoking causes damages the major organ. The risk of developing smoking habits can be reduced by consulting doctor and by taking some smoking cessation classes to avoid smoking .Lung cancer can be treated by chemotherapy in the early stages of the occurrence. In the later stages it can?t be cured.

Melanoma can be sporadically spotted in children and young people. The cancer generally grows in an already existing mole or a new mole that appears on the skin. Men commonly get melanomas on the area between the hips and the shoulders, the neck or the head. Women, on the other hand, contract the disease mostly on the arms of the legs. In exceptional cases, it can grow in body parts that are not covered by the skin, such as mouth, eyes, large intestines or vagina. Melanoma can be cured if diagnosed early. Unlike other types of skin cancer, however, it can rapidly reach other parts of the body through the lymph system or the blood.

Melanoma is a skin disease. Cancerous cells are produced in the melanocytes, cells that are responsible for skin color. Melanocytes, in the skin, are also found in other parts of the body, like the eyes. A majority of documented melanoma infection originates in the skin. It is a skin cancer. Melanoma is also known as malignant melanoma or cutaneous melanoma. It is curable, but an early diagnosis and treatment is very important. According to scientific research on melanoma, an exposure to ultraviolet radiation is a major cause.
Dermatologists often debate on the association of sunlight with melanoma.

Melanoma treatment in the beginning of the disease itself. There are various methods to treat melanoma. The methods are surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and palliative care. A good way for melanoma treatment is surgery. Here the tumor is removed and so also is a tiny region from the skin which is normal. In the beginning stage just a biopsy can cure melanoma. After a surgery a skin grafting is done if necessary to cover the wounded part of the skin. After this melanoma treatment painkillers would be given in order to reduce the pain. It will take some time for the wound to cure and the skin grafting to look normal as any other part of the skin.

Melanomas are divided into four groups. The first three start as insitu and later become invasive. The fourth form of melanoma is invasive from the beginning. The most common type of melanoma is superficial spreading melanoma. The maximum number of cases reported, are cases of superficial spreading melanoma. It occupies the top layer of the skin for a long time before becoming invasive. Lentigo maligna is an invasive form of melonama. It affects the top layer of the skin for a long time before going deeper. It mainly affects the older age group. Due to a constantly exposure to the sun, this condition occurs in the ears, arms and upper trunk.

Melanoma did not come until the 1960s; at least the oldest known case was discovered until the 1960s. Scientists were working on a group of mummies when they noticed deformities in their skin. It was determined that these mummies did have some type of malignant melanoma. The mummies dated back at least 2,400 years. The first operation related to melanoma occurred in 1787 by a man named John Hunter. The tumor that was removed from the skin was preserved in the Hunterian Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. The mass was not examined until the year of 1968. Upon examination and testing it was concluded that the mass was in fact a form of metastatic melanoma.