Cigars and Throat Cancer | Free Article

Free article with topic Cigars and Throat Cancer. Douglas has revealed that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 throat cancer. He confesses that for most of his adult life he has been a smoker and drinker, two behaviors that have been linked to increased oral cancer risk. This is a very serious diagnosis and not surprisingly his physicians are treating him aggressively with radiation and chemotherapy.According to the American Cancer Society close to 38,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year. It causes over 8,000 deaths annually in the US. The death rate for oropharyngeal cancer is so high partly due to the difficulty in early detection. It can be painless and go unnoticed with few physical changes until the disease is quite advanced.Cigar smoking has a long history of being associated with wealth and achievement (think of Mr. Douglas' character of Gordon Gekko in his movie Wall Street). But cigars might also be known for being more toxic than cigarette smoke. The larger size of most cigars, implies more tobacco and longer smoking time which results in higher exposures to many toxic compounds (including carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, ammonia, cadmium, and other substances).90% of oral cancer patients use tobacco. Diagnosis increases with the amount and duration of smoking. Cigarette and Cigar smoking can cause cancer of the oral cavity (lip, tongue, mouth and throat), larynx (voice box), esophagus and the lung. Men are more than twice as likely to develop oral cancers. But, this might be more due to lifestyle choices such as drinking and smoking.George Karl, the head coach for the Denver Nuggets was diagnosed with Squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil back in February of 2009. He too has been fighting with multiple rounds of radiation and chemotherapy. He was recently seen at the ESPY Awards in July looking 40 pounds thinner.In Mr. Douglas' case he reports having suffered a sore throat for a while. "I had a really sore throat….and I actually went through a litany of doctors and tests and they didn't find anything," he said on the David Letterman Show. Doctors performed a biopsy and discovered a stage 4 tumor in the back of his throat. His doctors expect him to make a full recovery.

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6 types of brain tumors do not begin in glial cells

The most common brain tumors do not begin in glial cells are:

• Medulloblastoma - This tumor usually arises in the cerebellum. This is the most common brain tumor in children. This is sometimes called primitive neuroectodermal tumor.
• Meningioma - This cancer arises in the meninges. Typically, rising slowly.
• Schwannoma - A tumor that arises from SCHWANN cell. The cell line of nerve that controls balance and hearing. This nerve in the inner ear. The tumor is also known as acoustic neuroma. Occurs most often in adults.
• Craniopharyngioma - The tumor is growing at the base of the brain near the pituitary gland. This type of tumor usually occurs in children.
• Germ cell tumor in the brain - tumor results from the embryonic cell. The majority of embryonic tumor cells that arise in the brain occur in people younger than 30. The most common type of tumor cells in the embryonic brain is the germinoma.
• Pineal region tumor - This is a rare brain tumor near the pineal gland. The pineal gland is located between the brain and cerebellum.

4 types of gliomas

Cancers that begin in brain tissue are known as primary tumors in the brain. Primary brain tumors are named according to the type of cells or parts of the brain.
The most common primary brain tumors are gliomas. They begin in glial cells. There are many types of gliomas:

• Astrocytoma - tumor results from the star-shaped glial cells called astrocytes. In adults, astrocytomas most often occur in the brain. In children, which occur in the brain stem, cerebellum and the brain. A grade III astrocytoma is sometimes called anaplastic astrocytoma. A grade IV astrocytoma usually called glioblastoma multiforme.
• Brain stem glioma - The tumor occurs in the lowest part of the brain. Brain stem gliomas are usually diagnosed in young children and adults in middle age.
• Ependymoma - The tumor cell lines results from the ventricles or the spinal cord central channel. They are most often in children and young adults.
• Oligodendroglioma - This rare tumor arises from fat cells that make the substance that covers and protects nerves. These tumors usually occur in the brain. They grow slowly and usually do not spread into surrounding brain tissue. They are most often in middle-aged adults.

What are benign and malignant brain tumor?

Brain tumor may be benign or malignant. Benign brain tumors do not contain cancer cells. The usual benign tumors can be removed, and they seldom grow back. On the border or edge of the benign brain tumor can be clearly seen. Cells from benign tumors do not invade tissues around them or spread to other parts of the body. However, benign tumors can press on sensitive areas of the brain and cause serious health problems. With benign tumors in most other parts of the body, benign brain tumors are sometimes life-threatening. Very rare cases of benign brain tumor may become malignant.

Malignant brain tumors contain cancer cells are generally more serious and often life-threatening. Malignant brain tumors can grow rapidly and crowd or invade the surrounding healthy brain tissue. Very rarely, cancer cells detach from May malignant brain tumor and spread to other parts of the brain to the spinal cord, and even to other parts of the body. The spread of cancer is metastasis.

Sometimes, a malignant tumor does not extend to healthy tissues. The tumor may be contained within the layers of tissue. Or the skull bones or other structures in the head may restrict it. This type of tumor is encapsulated.