Red Flag #: Swollen Lymph Nodes
If melanoma spreads, it often goes to the lymph nodes first, says Melinda L. Yushak, M.D., assistant professor of hematology and medical oncology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. The cancer cells will first travel to the nodes closest to the original tumor, she says. Lymph nodes are located throughout your entire body, but large clusters are found in the neck, underarms, chest, abdomen, and groin. If the cancer has made its way to the lymph nodes, it usually wont be painful, but theyll feel swollen or even hard to the touch, Dr. Zaba says.
Ways To Manage Fatigue
You may be advised to take these and other steps to feel better:
- Make a plan that balances rest and activity. Choose activities that are relaxing for you. Many people choose to listen to music, read, meditate, practice guided imagery, or spend time with people they enjoy. Relaxing can help you save your energy and lower stress. Light exercise may also be advised by your doctor to give you more energy and help you feel better.
- Plan time to rest. If you are tired, take short naps of less than 1 hour during the day. However, too much sleep during the day can make it difficult to sleep at night. Choose the activities that are most important to you and do them when you have the most energy. Ask for help with important tasks such as making meals or driving.
- Eat and drink well. Meet with a registered dietitian to learn about foods and drinks that can increase your level of energy. Foods high in protein and calories will help you keep up your strength. Some people find it easier to eat many small meals throughout the day instead of three big meals. Stay well hydrated. Limit your intake of caffeine and alcohol.
- Meet with a specialist. It may help to meet with a counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist. These experts help people to cope with difficult thoughts and feelings. Lowering stress may give you more energy. Since pain that is not controlled can also be major source of fatigue, it may help to meet with a pain or palliative care specialist.
If Youre Getting Radiation Therapy To The Head Or Neck
People who get radiation to the head and neck might have side effects such as:
- Soreness in the mouth or throat
- Dry mouth
- Jaw stiffness
How to care for your mouth during treatment
If you get radiation therapy to the head or neck, you need to take good care of your teeth, gums, mouth, and throat. Here are some tips that may help you manage mouth problems:
- Avoid spicy and rough foods, such as raw vegetables, dry crackers, and nuts.
- Dont eat or drink very hot or very cold foods or beverages.
- Dont smoke, chew tobacco, or drink alcohol these can make mouth sores worse.
- Stay away from sugary snacks.
- Ask your cancer care team to recommend a good mouthwash. The alcohol in some mouthwashes can dry and irritate mouth tissues.
- Rinse your mouth with warm salt and soda water every 1 to 2 hours as needed.
- Sip cool drinks often throughout the day.
- Eat sugar-free candy or chew gum to help keep your mouth moist.
- Moisten food with gravies and sauces to make it easier to eat.
- Ask your cancer care team about medicines to help treat mouth sores and control pain while eating.
If these measures are not enough, ask your cancer care team for advice. Mouth dryness may be a problem even after treatment is over. If so, talk to your team about what you can do.
How to care for your teeth during treatment
Radiation treatment to your head and neck can increase your chances of getting cavities. This is especially true if you have dry mouth as a result of treatment.
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How Sex Might Be Affected
With some types of radiation therapy involving the pelvis and/or sex organs, men and women may notice changes in their ability to enjoy sex or a decrease in their level of desire.
For women: During radiation treatment to the pelvis, some women are told not to have sex. Some women may find sex painful. Treatment can also cause vaginal itching, burning, and dryness. You most likely will be able to have sex within a few weeks after treatment ends, but check with your doctor first. Some types of treatment can have long-term effects, such as scar tissue that could affect the ability of the vagina to stretch during sex. Again, your cancer care team can offer ways to help if this happens to you. You can also get more information in Sex and Women With Cancer.
For men: Radiation may affect the nerves that allow a man to have erections. If erection problems do occur, they are usually gradual, over the course of many months or years. Talk with your doctor about treatment options if this is a concern for you. You can get more information in Sex and Men With Cancer.
If you get internal radiation therapy with seed implants, check with your cancer care team about safety precautions during sex
Where Does Bcc Develop
As the above pictures show, this skin cancer tends to develop on skin that has had lots of sun exposure, such as the face or ears. Its also common on the bald scalp and hands. Other common areas for BCC include, the shoulders, back, arms, and legs.
While rare, BCC can also form on parts of the body that get little or no sun exposure, such as the genitals.
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Radioprotective Drugs For Reducing Side Effects
One way to reduce side effects is by using radioprotective drugs, but these are only used for certain types of radiation given to certain parts of the body. These drugs are given before radiation treatment to protect certain normal tissues in the treatment area. The one most commonly used today is amifostine. This drug may be used in people with head and neck cancer to reduce the mouth problems caused by radiation therapy.
Not all doctors agree on how these drugs should be used in radiation therapy. These drugs have their own side effects, too, so be sure you understand what to look for.
Skin Cancer Fatigue: What Can You Do
Im seeing a lot of young people with a skin cancer diagnosis. They have to overcome a drop in energy levels which can be hard to deal with. With melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, this is even worse.
When found early, melanoma can be treated but the fatigue associated with it will be tough.
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How Does Nutrition Impact Energy Level
Cancer-related fatigue is often made worse if you are not eating enough or if you are not eating the right foods. Maintaining good nutrition can help you feel better and have more energy. The following are strategies to help improve nutritional intake:
Basal Cell Carcinoma Prognosis
Most basal cell carcinomas are cured by treatment. Cure is most likely if treatment is undertaken when the lesion is small.
About 50% of people with basal cell carcinoma develop a second one within 3 years of the first. They are also at increased risk of other skin cancers, especially melanoma. Regular self-skin examinations and long-term annual skin checks by an experienced health professional are recommended.
Primary radiation therapy may be used for
- older patients with large cancers
- patients with health problems who cannot have surgery
- tumours in areas which are hard to remove surgically, for example, on the eyelids, ears, or nose
- cancers that have come back after surgery and have become too large or too invasive to be removed with more surgery
- relieving symptoms
Primary radiation therapy can cure small nonmelanoma skin cancers and can delay the growth of more advanced cancers.
In some cases, radiation therapy is used after surgery as additional therapy to kill small deposits of cancer cells that may not have been removed during surgery, or to lower the risk of cancer recurring after surgery. Radiation may also be used to treat nonmelanoma skin cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes or other organs.
A patient receiving radiation therapy will likely visit a medical facility with special x-ray equipment between 15 and 30 times. Recovery times vary depending on the location of the cancer and the amount of radiation used.
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How Long Does Fatigue Last
Cancer-related fatigue is different to normal tiredness as it doesnt always go away after sleep or rest. Fatigue can continue throughout your treatment and even for some time after it. Most people will start to feel better 6-12 months after treatment ends but some may find the fatigue continues for longer than that.
Cancer Symptoms What Cancers Cause High Platelets
What Are Symptoms and Signs?
A symptom is an indication of disease, illness, gash, or that something is not right in their own bodies. Symptoms are felt or noticed by a person, but were not able to easily be noticed by anyone else. For example, chills, weakness, achiness, shortness of breath, and a cough are possible symptoms of pneumonia.
A sign is also an indication that something is not right in their own bodies. But signeds are defined as observances made by a doctor, nurse, or other health care professional. Fever, rapid breathing pace, and abnormal breathing announces heard through a stethoscope are possible indicates of pneumonia.
The presence of one evidence or sign were not able to present enough information to suggest a motive. For example, a rash in a child could be a symptom of a number of things including lethal ivy, an infectious disease like measles, an infection limited to the skin, or a menu reaction. But if the rash is checked together with other signalings and indications like a high fever, chills, achiness, and a absces throat, then a doctor can get a better picture of the illness. In many cases, a patients clues and indications do not render enough evidences by themselves to determine the cause of an illness, and medical measures such as x-rays, blood tests, or a biopsy may be needed.
How Does Cancer Produce Signs and Symptoms?
How Are Signs and Symptoms Helpful?
General Cancer Signs and Symptoms
Specific Cancer Signs and Symptoms
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Red Flag #: Abdominal Pain And Tenderness
Early on, there may be no noticeable symptoms that melanoma has spread to the liver. When symptoms do show up, they commonly include an enlarged, hard, or tender liver and pain in the upper right area of your abdomen, just below your ribs. Other signs cancer has spread to the liver are similar to symptoms of liver disease: fluid buildup in the belly and yellowing of the skin and eyes .
Red Flag #: Chest Pain And Trouble Breathing
Melanoma is also known to spread to the lungs, though Dr. Zaba notes that most people dont experience noticeable symptoms in the lungs until a tumor has gotten pretty large. A cough that just wont quit or recurring chest infections can signal that the cancer has traveled to the lungs, Dr. Polsky says. Shortness of breath or trouble breathing can also be a red flag.
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How Can Fatigue Be Managed
Some people say that fatigue is the most difficult side effect of cancer and it can be distressing. To help manage your fatigue talk to your GP, specialist doctor or nurse about how you are feeling and how long you have been experiencing fatigue. Some ways to manage fatigue include regular exercise, setting up a bedtime routine to help you relax, eating well and avoiding smoking and alcohol.
Not Sleeping Well Causes Fatigue
Some people with cancer are not able to get enough sleep. The following problems related to sleep may cause fatigue:
- Waking up during the night.
- Going to sleep at different times every night.
- Sleeping duringthe day and less at night.
- Being inactive during the day.
- The time of day that cancer treatment is given.
Poor sleep affects people in different ways. For example, the time of day that fatigue is worse may be different. Some people with cancer who have trouble sleeping may feel more fatigue in the morning. Others may have severe fatigue in both the morning and the evening. People with cancer who are inactive during the day, have restless sleep, or who have obesity may have higher levels of fatigue.
Even in people with cancer who have poor sleep, fixing sleep problems does not always improve fatigue. A lack of sleep may not be the cause of the fatigue. See the PDQ summary on Sleep Disorders for more information.
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What Is Skin Cancer
Cancer can start any place in the body. Skin cancer starts when cells in the skin grow out of control.
Skin cancer cells can sometimes spread to other parts of the body, but this is not common. When cancer cells do this, its called metastasis. To doctors, the cancer cells in the new place look just like the ones from the skin.
Cancer is always named based on the place where it starts. So if skin cancer spreads to another part of the body, its still called skin cancer.
The skin
Ask your doctor to use this picture to show you where your cancer is
Nutrition Needs Change And Cause Or Increase Fatigue
For many patients, the effects of cancer and cancer treatments make it hard to eat well. The body’s energy comes from food. Fatigue may occur if the body does not take in enough food to give the body the energy it needs. In people with cancer, three major factors may affect nutrition:
- A change in the way the body uses food. A patient may eat the same amount as before having cancer, but the body may not be able to absorb and use all the nutrients from the food. This is caused by the cancer or its treatment.
- An increase in the amount of energy needed by the body because of a growing tumor, infection, fever, or shortness of breath.
- A decrease in the amount of food eaten because of low appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or a blocked bowel.
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Signs That Your Cancer Has Spread
Skin changes are the most obvious symptom of skin cancer. Other symptoms are subtler and easier to overlook.
Melanoma can spread to other parts of your body, including your bones, liver, and lungs. Your symptoms can give clues to where your cancer has spread.
Symptoms of skin cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes:
- hard bumps under the skin in your neck, armpit, or groin
- trouble swallowing
- swelling of your neck or face
Symptoms of skin cancer that has spread to the lungs:
- shortness of breath
Uv Exposure And Overexposure
UV exposure stimulates melanocytes to produce melanin, often resulting in a tan or sunburn, both of which indicate overexposure and damage to the skin, skin cells, and DNA within those skin cells., The underlying biology of skin cancer risk is directly related to damage to the skin and its genetic material. Although all UV exposures can affect skin cancer risk, entirely avoiding UV rays from the sun is neither realistic nor advisable for most Americans. Spending time outdoors is associated with positive health benefits, such as increased levels of physical activity and improved mental health.-
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How Can I Tell If I Have Cancer Fatigue
- Think of your personal energy stores as a “bank.” Deposits and withdrawals have to be made over the course of the day or the week to ensure a balance between energy conservation, restoration and expenditure.
- Keep a diary for one week to identify the time of day when you are either most fatigued or have the most energy. Note what you think may be contributing factors.
- Be alert to the warning signs of impending cancer fatigue tired eyes, tired legs, whole-body tiredness, stiff shoulders, decreased energy or a lack of energy, inability to concentrate, weakness or malaise, boredom or lack of motivation, sleepiness, increased irritability, nervousness, anxiety or impatience.