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Cervical cancer - causes, symptoms, treatment, prevention Cervical cancer usually develops over many years, often with no symptoms.  It can be prevented, however, through screening and early detection. Smear tests are recommended for women between ages 20 and 70 as a means of detecting cervical cells that may develop into cancer.     Cervical cancer most commonly occurs in women over 35 years of age.  It rarely occurs before the age of 25 years. The cervix The cervix is the lower part of the uterus (womb). It is approximately 2.5cm long and forms a canal to the vagina, which in turn leads to the outside of the body. During pregnancy the cervix remains tightly closed to help protect and retain the developing baby. During labour the cervix effaces (thins out) and dilates (opens up) to enable the birth of the baby.  The cervix is made up of different types of microscopic cells. Individual cells have a limited lifespan and divid...

Leukaemia – symptoms, diagnosis, treatment Leukaemia /Blood Cancer is a general name for a group of cancers that originate in the bone marrow and cause abnormal blood cell production. Cure can be achieved in some forms of the disease but treatment options and outcomes will depend on a range of factors, including the type of leukaemia, the extent of the disease and the age and health of the patient. What is leukaemia? Bone marrow is soft, “spongy” material in our bones that in healthy people produces a steady supply of new blood cells (including red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body, white blood cells that help fight infection, and platelets that have a role in blood clotting).  In people with leukaemia, the bone marrow produces large numbers of abnormal white blood cells that grow and multiply “out of control”. These abnormal cells may not function properly and may affect the ability of normal blood cells to perform their usual functions.  There are many typ...

Melanoma skin cancer - signs, symptoms, prevention A melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer, the first symptom of which is a change in an existing mole or freckle, or the appearance of a new mole or freckle.  Melanoma can be successfully tr What is melanoma? Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer and the fourth most common cancer in Bangladesh.   Each year approximately 2500 people are diagnosed with the condition and over 300 die from it. Melanomas can occur at any stage in life, though it is rare for melanomas to oe most commonly registered cancer in men aged 25-44 and the second most commonly registered canceccur in children and teenagers.  The chances of developing a melanoma increase with age.  Melanoma is thr in women of the same age group.     Melanomas develop from specialised skin cells called melanocytes.  These cells produce melanin, which is the pigment that causes the skin to darken when...

Lung cancer – causes, symptoms, treatment, prevention   Lung cancer is a malignant lung disease primarily caused by cigarette smoking. It often has no obvious symptoms until the disease is quite advanced, and has a low rate of survival. Treatment for lung cancer mainly involves surgery and chemotherapy, while radiation therapy and targeted drug therapies may also be used. What is lung cancer? Lung cancer results from abnormal growth of cells in the lining of the lungs, leading to the growth of a malignant tumour.  There are two different types of lung cancer – small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) – which differ in terms of how they grow and spread to other parts of the body and how they’re treated.  Lung cancer is usually fatal – the overall survival rate is about 16% at five years after diagnosis. The reason for the low rate of survival is that lung cancer tends to spread (metastasize) rapidly to other parts of the body very e...

Prostate cancer - symptoms, diagnosis, treatment Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer, and the third most common cause of cancer deaths,  Prostate cancer that is found early has a better chance of successful treatment. Causes   The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland (normally about 4 cm across) that surrounds the neck of the bladder and the beginning of the urethra (the tube that drains urine from the bladder out through the penis).  Its main function is to produce semen, a fluid that protects and enriches sperm. Prostate cancer occurs when cells within the prostate gland become cancerous (malignant) forming a tumour.  When the cancer is contained within the prostate gland, this is referred to as "localised" prostate cancer.  When the cancer has spread to the tissues surrounding the prostate gland, this is referred to as "extracapsular" prostate cancer.  If the cancer cells spread to other parts of the body, this is referred...

Bowel (Colorectal) Cancer - symptoms, treatment, prevention   Bowel cancer is a cancer that affects the digestive system between the stomach and the anus. It can affect either the small bowel where our food is digested, or the large bowel (colon and rectum) where what remains of our food is turned into solid waste and expelled from the body. This page deals primarily with cancer of the large bowel (also known as colon or colorectal cancer) which is more common than small bowel cancer. Characteristic symptoms of colorectal cancer include changes in bowel habits and bleeding from the bottom. Treatment will involve surgery, followed in some cases by chemotherapy or radiation therapy. In many cases colorectal cancer is curable if detected sufficiently early in the course of the disease. Signs, symptoms, and diagnosis Signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer are many and varied, including: Blood in the stools and/or bleeding from the rectum A change in bowel habit lasting lon...