Dream Meaning: Bit by Animal, Wound Bleeding, Can’t Find ER
In the dream you’re bit by a small animal, usually a raccoon, squirrel, etc., and the wound begins drawing blood.
Then you’re in a mad rush to find an ER but never get to see a doctor. (more…)
Cancers that Can Cause Pain Under Right Ribcage: 11 of Them
Pain under the right ribcage has a ton of causes, and 11 are cancer.
A nagging pain under the right ribcage that won’t go away can be a symptom of cancer; do not take a diagnosis of “muscle pull” as the gospel if that tiny voice inside of you isn’t quite agreeing with this.
It is perfectly okay to seek out a second opinion. Gallstones, too, can cause sharp pains in this area — and an ultrasound will pick this up. But an ultrasound and CT scan can also pick up more serious causes.
Cancers that May Cause Pain Under the Right Rib (no particular order)
1. Liver. This isn’t surprising, being that the liver is located in the upper right of the abdomen. Cancer of the liver may be primary (arising from liver cells) or secondary – a spread from another cancer such as colon.
2. Gallbladder. This organ is located right under the liver. A malignancy can be primary or secondary.
3. Lung. It’s no surprise that a lung cancer can cause pain under the right rib, considering the location of the lungs (inside the ribcage).
4. Bone.
5. Hodgkin lymphoma
6. Pancreatic
Metastases to the Ribcage
7. Colon
8. Kidney
9. Prostate
10. Thyroid
11. Breast
Breast Cancer Spread to the Ribcage
Shutterstock/Andrey_Popov
“The pain is from expansion or breaking down of the bony structure,” says Mark Levandovsky, MD, Founder and Medical Director of Preventive Medicine and Cancer Care. Dr. Levandovsky is a board certified internist and oncologist/hematologist in practice for 20 years.
If expansion, the nerve ending may be affected,” continues Dr. Levandovsky. “If breakdown, the integrity of the bone architecture is compromised, often affecting other bones/structure or organs.”
A pain under the right ribcage isn’t always from the rib bone itself, and is most often caused by a musculoskeletal issue or a harmless gas bubble.
In short, many other causes are possible that do not involve cancer.
Dr. Levandovsky provides personalized care to health conscious individuals as well as cancer patients and survivors, focusing on an integration of genetic/molecular risk assessments, prevention, education, nutrition and psycho-oncology.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Top image: Shutterstock/wavebreakmedia
Sources:
cancersupportivecare.com/gallbladder.html
cancercenter.com/bone-cancer/symptoms/
cancercenter.com/colorectal-cancer/symptoms/tab/metastatic-colorectal-cancer-symptoms/
cancercenter.com/liver-cancer/symptoms/
pennstatehershey.adam.com/content.aspx?productId=117&pid=1&gid=000580
urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=34&ContentID=25952-1
blog.dana-farber.org/insight/2013/11/lung-cancer-five-things-you-need-to-know/
josevelizmd.com/written-education/2-uncategorised/240-pain-and-pancreatic-cancer/
Deadliest Brain Tumor: Glioblastoma Multiforme vs. DIPG
The DIPG brain tumor is the deadliest – more vicious than glioblastoma multiforme.
What makes diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma especially brutal is that most diagnoses occur in children between age five and nine. (more…)
Why Does Acid Reflux Interfere with Breathing in Healthy People?
You already know acid reflux can sometimes cause problems with breathing, but just how does this happen in otherwise healthy people?
There’s more than one way that acid reflux—or the more serious variant, GERD, can interfere with breathing. (more…)
When Is Anemia a Symptom of Cancer?
Some cancers can cause anemia when they cause internal bleeding or disrupt red blood cell production and function.
Anemia is the inadequate supply of healthy red blood cells.
Anemia can be caused by many factors, and one of them is cancer.
If a person suspects anemia due to having symptoms such as tiring easily, getting winded easily, pale skin, dizziness and chest pain, they may jump to the conclusion they have cancer – if they know that cancer is associated with some cases of anemia.
However, anemia normally has non-malignant causes such as an intestinal ulcer, menstruation, poor diet and low iron levels. But some non-malignant causes are serious such as liver disease or lupus.
When Cancer Is Associated with Anemia
The association is infrequent, but the explanation is that “Any advanced cancer can cause anemia by causing inflammation, causing bone marrow suppression and decrease in production of red cells or sometimes destruction of red cells,” says Mark Levandovsky, MD, Founder and Medical Director of Preventive Medicine and Cancer Care. Dr. Levandovsky is a board certified internist and oncologist/hematologist in practice for 20 years.
“In a more advanced setting bleeding is also possible, with anemia as a result,” continues Dr. Levandovsky.
Some cancers that can result in anemia.
• Cervical
• Colon
• Head and neck
• Leukemia
• Lymphoma
• Metastases to the bone marrow
• Myeloma
• Prostate
• Urinary tract
• Vaginal
“Typically, for anemia to be present, cancer burden would be significant enough for other symptoms to be noted also…so anemia alone would be atypical,” says Levandovsky.
:Potential exceptions may be gastrointestinal cancers, especially colorectal ones – where early stage cancers can cause iron-deficiency anemias without other symptoms.”
If your doctor, during a routine physical or an exam for a benign condition, happens to mention that you look really pale and wants to order a blood test for anemia, do not panic.
It’s logical to suppose that dermatologists would make this observation less frequently than would physicians of other specialties, as they would more likely associate pale skin with healthy skin (the paleness suggesting low sun exposure), while skin “with color” could suggest overexposure to the sun.
The doctor who ordered a blood test for me, due to my pale facial skin (low sun exposure and no makeup) was an OBGYN. My blood test was normal.
But it’s good when doctors are making these observations when the patient is being examined for an unrelated issue.
Dr. Levandovsky provides personalized care to health conscious individuals as well as cancer patients and survivors, focusing on an integration of genetic/molecular risk assessments, prevention, education, nutrition and psycho-oncology.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/uzhursky
Sources:
everydayhealth.com/anemia/anemia-cancer-link.aspx
cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/low-blood-counts/anemia.html
What Does Early Detection Mean for Melanoma?
Here’s a simple explanation of what exactly “early detection” of melanoma means.
Melanoma is actually highly curable when caught early.
The problem is that the opportunities for an early detection are often passed over! (more…)
What Causes Angina Threshold to Change During Exercise?
Here are two explanations for what can cause angina threshold to change during exercise or physical activity.
Angina refers to chest pain, usually from blocked arteries causing impeded blood flow through the heart. (more…)
What Can a Mass on the Pancreas Be Other than Cancer?
“There are many different types of masses that can occur in the pancreas,” says Jordan Winter, MD, a hepato-pancreatic-biliary and oncology surgeon and Chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center.
“However, the majority of asymptomatic masses are benign and are typically benign cysts,” says Dr. Winter.
However, if a cancerous mass is discovered on the pancreas, there’s an 85 percent chance that it will be the deadly adenocarcinoma.
“If a patient presents with jaundice [yellowing of the skin] and a mass, there is a about a 90 percent chance” that the mass will be malignant, adds Dr. Winter.
“Masses can be tumors [benign or malignant] or non-tumors,” says Dr. Winter.
“Those masses that aren’t tumors can be simple cysts or pancreatitis. Benign tumors can be solid or cystic (sacs with fluid).”
Most Deadly
About 30,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed every year with an adenocarcinoma — the deadliest of pancreatic cancers, comprising 85 percent of all the tumors that are found in this organ.
Other Pancreatic Masses
“Solid benign tumors include low grade neuroendocrine tumors,” says Dr. Winter.
“Cystic benign tumors have complex names like intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms, mucinous cystic neoplasms, serous cystadenomas, and solid and cystic pseudopapillary tumors.”
Cystic tumors comprise the majority of masses found in the pancreas.
“Two to three percent of people walking around in their 60s likely have an asymptomatic, benign and not worrisome cyst,” says Dr. Winter.
Dr. Winter also explains, “Many of these benign cysts can develop into cancer over time, but they do not in the majority of cases.
“Therefore, sometimes we recommend removing them, but not always.”
Most pancreatic cysts are mucinous, and these are usually benign.
But if untreated they will likely turn malignant.
A cyst is defined as a non-solid mass.
“Cysts occur equally in men and woman,” says Dr. Winter.
“There are certain rare cystic tumors that are more common in woman, including mucinous cystadenomas and solid and pseudopapillary tumors.”
Serous cystadenoma. This has a distinct honeycomb appearance on a CT scan and is usually benign.
Papillary cystic neoplasm. These are precancerous lesions that need to be removed; otherwise they may morph into adenocarcinoma.
“Solid malignancies of the pancreas include conventional ductal adenocarcinoma and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.”
Pancreatic pseudocyst. This is a benign collection of fluid around the organ and is associated with pancreatitis.
“Again, all masses should be evaluated by a pancreatic surgeon or pancreatic gastroenterologist, but the majority are not cancer.”
In addition to surgical management of pancreatic and related cancers, Dr. Winter treats other upper gastrointestinal malignancies and abdominal tumors. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles, many on pancreatic cancer.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/uzhursky
Sources:
surgery.usc.edu/divisions/tumor/pancreasdiseases/pancreas%20cancer%20overview.html
surgery.usc.edu/divisions/tumor/pancreasdiseases/web%20pages/PANCREATITIS/pancreatic%20pseudocys1.html
pathology.jhu.edu/pc/BasicTypes2.php?area=ba
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pancreatic-cysts/basics/definition/con-20024331
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3848054/
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3772258
Time It Takes for Pancreatic Cancer to Cause Symptoms
Pancreatic cancer is usually diagnosed after it starts causing symptoms, but does this mean it necessarily grows faster than “less deadly” cancers? (more…)
Accutane Can Cause Tinnitus? Case Report that It Does
Yes, Accutane can definitely cause tinnitus, as was the case of a 15-year-old boy who developed the ringing in his ears.
Tinnitus has been commonly described as any of the following sounds that only the sufferer can hear in the case of subjective noise: (more…)
