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Question: what research or clinical trials is being done for retinoblastoma
Answer: new types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials information about clinical trials is available from the nci website patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial for some patients taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice clinical trials are part of the cancer research process clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment many of today s standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments they often answer important questions and help move research forward patients can enter clinical trials before during or after starting their cancer treatment some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten better there are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from recurring coming back or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country see the treatment options section that follows for links to current treatment clinical trials these have been retrieved from nci s listing of clinical trials
Keywords: trial, clinical, cancer, patient, part, new, treatment, research, standard, taking


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Question: what is are breast cancer
Answer: key points breast cancer is a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the tissues of the breast sometimes breast cancer occurs in women who are pregnant or have just given birth signs of breast cancer include a lump or change in the breast it may be difficult to detect find breast cancer early in pregnant or nursing women breast exams should be part of prenatal and postnatal care tests that examine the breasts are used to detect find and diagnose breast cancer if cancer is found tests are done to study the cancer cells certain factors affect prognosis chance of recovery and treatment options breast cancer is a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the tissues of the breast the breast is made up of lobes and ducts each breast has 15 to 20 sections called lobes each lobe has many smaller sections called lobules lobules end in dozens of tiny bulbs that can make milk the lobes lobules and bulbs are linked by thin tubes called ducts each breast also has blood vessels and lymph vessels the lymph vessels carry an almost colorless fluid called lymph lymph vessels carry lymph between lymph nodes lymph nodes are small bean shaped structures that are found throughout the body they filter substances in lymph and help fight infection and disease clusters of lymph nodes are found near the breast in the axilla under the arm above the collarbone and in the chest it may be difficult to detect find breast cancer early in pregnant or nursing women the breasts usually get larger tender or lumpy in women who are pregnant nursing or have just given birth this occurs because of normal hormone changes that take place during pregnancy these changes can make small lumps difficult to detect the breasts may also become denser it is more difficult to detect breast cancer in women with dense breasts using mammography because these breast changes can delay diagnosis breast cancer is often found at a later stage in these women other information about pregnancy and breast cancer key points lactation breast milk production and breast feeding should be stopped if surgery or chemotherapy is planned breast cancer does not appear to harm the unborn baby pregnancy does not seem to affect the survival of women who have had breast cancer in the past lactation breast milk production and breast feeding should be stopped if surgery or chemotherapy is planned if surgery is planned breast feeding should be stopped to reduce blood flow in the breasts and make them smaller breast feeding should also be stopped if chemotherapy is planned many anticancer drugs especially cyclophosphamide and methotrexate may occur in high levels in breast milk and may harm the nursing baby women receiving chemotherapy should not breast feed stopping lactation does not improve the mother s prognosis breast cancer does not appear to harm the unborn baby breast cancer cells do not seem to pass from the mother to the unborn baby pregnancy does not seem to affect the survival of women who have had breast cancer in the past for women who have had breast cancer pregnancy does not seem to affect their survival however some doctors recommend that a woman wait 2 years after treatment for breast cancer before trying to have a baby so that any early return of the cancer would be detected this may affect a womans decision to become pregnant the unborn baby does not seem to be affected if the mother has had breast cancer
Keywords: breast, cancer, woman, lymph, baby, affect, detect, pregnancy, pregnant, seem


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Question: who is at risk for breast cancer
Answer: sometimes breast cancer occurs in women who are pregnant or have just given birth breast cancer occurs about once in every 3 000 pregnancies it occurs most often between the ages of 32 and 38
Keywords: breast, cancer, occurs, age, birth, every, given, often, pregnancy, pregnant


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Question: what are the symptoms of breast cancer
Answer: signs of breast cancer include a lump or change in the breast these and other signs may be caused by breast cancer or by other conditions check with your doctor if you have any of the following a lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area a change in the size or shape of the breast a dimple or puckering in the skin of the breast a nipple turned inward into the breast fluid other than breast milk from the nipple especially if it s bloody scaly red or swollen skin on the breast nipple or areola the dark area of skin around the nipple dimples in the breast that look like the skin of an orange called peau dorange it may be difficult to detect find breast cancer early in pregnant or nursing women the breasts usually get larger tender or lumpy in women who are pregnant nursing or have just given birth this occurs because of normal hormone changes that take place during pregnancy these changes can make small lumps difficult to detect the breasts may also become denser it is more difficult to detect breast cancer in women with dense breasts using mammography because these breast changes can delay diagnosis breast cancer is often found at a later stage in these women
Keywords: breast, cancer, change, nipple, skin, woman, detect, difficult, lump, nursing


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Question: how to diagnose breast cancer
Answer: breast exams should be part of prenatal and postnatal care to detect breast cancer pregnant and nursing women should examine their breasts themselves women should also receive clinical breast exams during their regular prenatal and postnatal check ups talk to your doctor if you notice any changes in your breasts that you do not expect or that worry you tests that examine the breasts are used to detect find and diagnose breast cancer the following tests and procedures may be used physical exam and history an exam of the body to check general signs of health including checking for signs of disease such as lumps or anything else that seems unusual a history of the patients health habits and past illnesses and treatments will also be taken clinical breast exam cbe an exam of the breast by a doctor or other health professional the doctor will carefully feel the breasts and under the arms for lumps or anything else that seems unusual mri magnetic resonance imaging a procedure that uses a magnet radio waves and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of both breasts this procedure is also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging nmri ultrasound exam a procedure in which high energy sound waves ultrasound are bounced off internal tissues or organs and make echoes the echoes form a picture of body tissues called a sonogram the picture can be printed to look at later mammogram an x ray of the breast a mammogram can be done with little risk to the unborn baby mammograms in pregnant women may appear negative even though cancer is present blood chemistry studies a procedure in which a blood sample is checked to measure the amounts of certain substances released into the blood by organs and tissues in the body an unusual higher or lower than normal amount of a substance can be a sign of disease biopsy the removal of cells or tissues so they can be viewed under a microscope by a pathologist to check for signs of cancer if a lump in the breast is found a biopsy may be done there are four types of breast biopsies excisional biopsy the removal of an entire lump of tissue incisional biopsy the removal of part of a lump or a sample of tissue core biopsy the removal of tissue using a wide needle fine needle aspiration fna biopsy the removal of tissue or fluid using a thin needle if cancer is found tests are done to study the cancer cells decisions about the best treatment are based on the results of these tests and the age of the unborn baby the tests give information about how quickly the cancer may grow how likely it is that the cancer will spread to other parts of the body how well certain treatments might work how likely the cancer is to recur come back tests may include the following estrogen and progesterone receptor test a test to measure the amount of estrogen and progesterone hormones receptors in cancer tissue if there are more estrogen and progesterone receptors than normal the cancer is called estrogen and or progesterone receptor positive this type of breast cancer may grow more quickly the test results show whether treatment to block estrogen and progesterone given after the baby is born may stop the cancer from growing human epidermal growth factor type 2 receptor her2 neu test a laboratory test to measure how many her2 neu genes there are and how much her2 neu protein is made in a sample of tissue if there are more her2 neu genes or higher levels of her2 neu protein than normal the cancer is called her2 neu positive this type of breast cancer may grow more quickly and is more likely to spread to other parts of the body the cancer may be treated with drugs that target the her2 neu protein such as trastuzumab and pertuzumab after the baby is born multigene tests tests in which samples of tissue are studied to look at the activity of many genes at the same time these tests may help predict whether cancer will spread to other parts of the body or recur come back oncotype dx this test helps predict whether stage i or stage ii breast cancer that is estrogen receptor positive and node negative will spread to other parts of the body if the risk of the cancer spreading is high chemotherapy may be given to lower the risk mammaprint this test helps predict whether stage i or stage ii breast cancer that is node negative will spread to other parts of the body if the risk of the cancer spreading is high chemotherapy may be given to lower the risk
Keywords: cancer, breast, test, tissue, body, biopsy, exam, neu, part, estrogen


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Question: what is the outlook for breast cancer
Answer: certain factors affect prognosis chance of recovery and treatment options the prognosis chance of recovery and treatment options depend on the following the stage of the cancer the size of the tumor and whether it is in the breast only or has spread to other parts of the body the type of breast cancer the age of the unborn baby whether there are signs or symptoms the patients general health
Keywords: breast, cancer, chance, option, prognosis, recovery, whether, body, certain, depend


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Question: what are the stages of breast cancer
Answer: key points after breast cancer has been diagnosed tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the breast or to other parts of the body there are three ways that cancer spreads in the body cancer may spread from where it began to other parts of the body the following stages are used for breast cancer stage 0 carcinoma in situ stage i stage ii stage iiia stage iiib stage iiic stage iv after breast cancer has been diagnosed tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the breast or to other parts of the body the process used to find out if the cancer has spread within the breast or to other parts of the body is called staging the information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease it is important to know the stage in order to plan treatment some procedures may expose the unborn baby to harmful radiation or dyes these procedures are done only if absolutely necessary certain actions can be taken to expose the unborn baby to as little radiation as possible such as the use of a lead lined shield to cover the abdomen the following tests and procedures may be used to stage breast cancer during pregnancy sentinel lymph node biopsy the removal of the sentinel lymph node during surgery the sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node to receive lymphatic drainage from a tumor it is the first lymph node the cancer is likely to spread to from the tumor a radioactive substance and or blue dye is injected near the tumor the substance or dye flows through the lymph ducts to the lymph nodes the first lymph node to receive the substance or dye is removed a pathologist views the tissue under a microscope to look for cancer cells if cancer cells are not found it may not be necessary to remove more lymph nodes ct scan cat scan a procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body taken from different angles the pictures are made by a computer linked to an x ray machine this procedure is also called computed tomography computerized tomography or computerized axial tomography bone scan a procedure to check if there are rapidly dividing cells such as cancer cells in the bone a very small amount of radioactive material is injected into a vein and travels through the bloodstream the radioactive material collects in bones with cancer and is detected by a scanner pet scan positron emission tomography scan a procedure to find malignant tumor cells in the body a small amount of radioactive glucose sugar is injected into a vein the pet scanner rotates around the body and makes a picture of where glucose is being used in the body malignant tumor cells show up brighter in the picture because they are more active and take up more glucose than normal cells do mri magnetic resonance imaging a procedure that uses a magnet radio waves and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body such as the brain this procedure is also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging nmri ultrasound exam a procedure in which high energy sound waves ultrasound are bounced off internal tissues or organs such as the liver and make echoes the echoes form a picture of body tissues called a sonogram the picture can be printed to be looked at later chest x ray an x ray of the organs and bones inside the chest an x ray is a type of energy beam that can go through the body and onto film making a picture of areas inside the body there are three ways that cancer spreads in the body cancer can spread through tissue the lymph system and the blood tissue the cancer spreads from where it began by growing into nearby areas lymph system the cancer spreads from where it began by getting into the lymph system the cancer travels through the lymph vessels to other parts of the body blood the cancer spreads from where it began by getting into the blood the cancer travels through the blood vessels to other parts of the body cancer may spread from where it began to other parts of the body when cancer spreads to another part of the body it is called metastasis cancer cells break away from where they began the primary tumor and travel through the lymph system or blood lymph system the cancer gets into the lymph system travels through the lymph vessels and forms a tumor metastatic tumor in another part of the body blood the cancer gets into the blood travels through the blood vessels and forms a tumor metastatic tumor in another part of the body the metastatic tumor is the same type of cancer as the primary tumor for example if breast cancer spreads to the bone the cancer cells in the bone are actually breast cancer cells the disease is metastatic breast cancer not bone cancer the following stages are used for breast cancer this section describes the stages of breast cancer the breast cancer stage is based on the results of testing that is done on the tumor and lymph nodes removed during surgery and other tests stage 0 carcinoma in situ there are 3 types of breast carcinoma in situ ductal carcinoma in situ dcis is a noninvasive condition in which abnormal cells are found in the lining of a breast duct the abnormal cells have not spread outside the duct to other tissues in the breast in some cases dcis may become invasive cancer and spread to other tissues at this time there is no way to know which lesions could become invasive lobular carcinoma in situ lcis is a condition in which abnormal cells are found in the lobules of the breast this condition seldom becomes invasive cancer however having lcis in one breast increases the risk of developing breast cancer in either breast paget disease of the nipple is a condition in which abnormal cells are found in the nipple only stage i in stage i cancer has formed stage i is divided into stages ia and ib in stage ia the tumor is 2 centimeters or smaller cancer has not spread outside the breast in stage ib small clusters of breast cancer cells larger than 0 2 millimeter but not larger than 2 millimeters are found in the lymph nodes and either no tumor is found in the breast or the tumor is 2 centimeters or smaller stage ii stage ii is divided into stages iia and iib in stage iia no tumor is found in the breast or the tumor is 2 centimeters or smaller cancer larger than 2 millimeters is found in 1 to 3 axillary lymph nodes or in the lymph nodes near the breastbone found during a sentinel lymph node biopsy or the tumor is larger than 2 centimeters but not larger than 5 centimeters cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes in stage iib the tumor is larger than 2 centimeters but not larger than 5 centimeters small clusters of breast cancer cells larger than 0 2 millimeter but not larger than 2 millimeters are found in the lymph nodes or larger than 2 centimeters but not larger than 5 centimeters cancer has spread to 1 to 3 axillary lymph nodes or to the lymph nodes near the breastbone found during a sentinel lymph node biopsy or larger than 5 centimeters cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes stage iiia in stage iiia no tumor is found in the breast or the tumor may be any size cancer is found in 4 to 9 axillary lymph nodes or in the lymph nodes near the breastbone found during imaging tests or a physical exam or the tumor is larger than 5 centimeters small clusters of breast cancer cells larger than 0 2 millimeter but not larger than 2 millimeters are found in the lymph nodes or the tumor is larger than 5 centimeters cancer has spread to 1 to 3 axillary lymph nodes or to the lymph nodes near the breastbone found during a sentinel lymph node biopsy stage iiib in stage iiib the tumor may be any size and cancer has spread to the chest wall and or to the skin of the breast and caused swelling or an ulcer also cancer may have spread to up to 9 axillary lymph nodes or the lymph nodes near the breastbone cancer that has spread to the skin of the breast may also be inflammatory breast cancer see the section on inflammatory breast cancer for more information stage iiic in stage iiic no tumor is found in the breast or the tumor may be any size cancer may have spread to the skin of the breast and caused swelling or an ulcer and or has spread to the chest wall also cancer has spread to 10 or more axillary lymph nodes or lymph nodes above or below the collarbone or axillary lymph nodes and lymph nodes near the breastbone cancer that has spread to the skin of the breast may also be inflammatory breast cancer see the section on inflammatory breast cancer for more information for treatment stage iiic breast cancer is divided into operable and inoperable stage iiic stage iv in stage iv cancer has spread to other organs of the body most often the bones lungs liver or brain
Keywords: cancer, lymph, breast, stage, node, spread, tumor, body, cell, found


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Question: what are the treatments for breast cancer
Answer: key points treatment options for pregnant women depend on the stage of the disease and the age of the unborn baby three types of standard treatment are used surgery radiation therapy chemotherapy ending the pregnancy does not seem to improve the mothers chance of survival treatment for breast cancer may cause side effects treatment options for pregnant women depend on the stage of the disease and the age of the unborn baby three types of standard treatment are used surgery most pregnant women with breast cancer have surgery to remove the breast some of the lymph nodes under the arm may be removed and checked under a microscope for signs of cancer types of surgery to remove the cancer include modified radical mastectomy surgery to remove the whole breast that has cancer many of the lymph nodes under the arm the lining over the chest muscles and sometimes part of the chest wall muscles this type of surgery is most common in pregnant women breast conserving surgery surgery to remove the cancer and some normal tissue around it but not the breast itself part of the chest wall lining may also be removed if the cancer is near it this type of surgery may also be called lumpectomy partial mastectomy segmental mastectomy quadrantectomy or breast sparing surgery even if the doctor removes all of the cancer that can be seen at the time of surgery the patient may be given radiation therapy or chemotherapy after surgery to try to kill any cancer cells that may be left for pregnant women with early stage breast cancer radiation therapy and hormone therapy are given after the baby is born treatment given after surgery to lower the risk that the cancer will come back is called adjuvant therapy radiation therapy radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high energy x rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing there are two types of radiation therapy external radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles seeds wires or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer the way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated external radiation therapy is not given to pregnant women with early stage stage i or ii breast cancer because it can harm the unborn baby for women with late stage stage iii or iv breast cancer radiation therapy is not given during the first 3 months of pregnancy and is delayed until after the baby is born if possible chemotherapy chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing when chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body systemic chemotherapy when chemotherapy is placed directly into the cerebrospinal fluid an organ or a body cavity such as the abdomen the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas regional chemotherapy the way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated chemotherapy is usually not given during the first 3 months of pregnancy chemotherapy given after this time does not usually harm the unborn baby but may cause early labor and low birth weight see drugs approved for breast cancer for more information ending the pregnancy does not seem to improve the mothers chance of survival because ending the pregnancy is not likely to improve the mothers chance of survival it is not usually a treatment option treatment for breast cancer may cause side effects for information about side effects caused by treatment for cancer see our side effects page treatment options by stage early stage breast cancer stage i and stage ii treatment of early stage breast cancer stage i and stage ii may include the following modified radical mastectomy breast conserving surgery followed by radiation therapy in pregnant women radiation therapy is delayed until after the baby is born modified radical mastectomy or breast conserving surgery during pregnancy followed by chemotherapy after the first 3 months of pregnancy late stage breast cancer stage iii and stage iv treatment of late stage breast cancer stage iii and stage iv may include the following radiation therapy chemotherapy radiation therapy and chemotherapy should not be given during the first 3 months of pregnancy
Keywords: cancer, stage, breast, radiation, therapy, surgery, chemotherapy, given, type, woman


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Question: what is are gastrointestinal stromal tumors
Answer: key points gastrointestinal stromal tumor is a disease in which abnormal cells form in the tissues of the gastrointestinal tract genetic factors can increase the risk of having a gastrointestinal stromal tumor signs of gastrointestinal stromal tumors include blood in the stool or vomit tests that examine the gi tract are used to detect find and diagnose gastrointestinal stromal tumors very small gists are common certain factors affect prognosis chance of recovery and treatment options gastrointestinal stromal tumor is a disease in which abnormal cells form in the tissues of the gastrointestinal tract the gastrointestinal gi tract is part of the bodys digestive system it helps to digest food and takes nutrients vitamins minerals carbohydrates fats proteins and water from food so they can be used by the body the gi tract is made up of the following organs stomach small intestine large intestine colon gastrointestinal stromal tumors gists may be malignant cancer or benign not cancer they are most common in the stomach and small intestine but may be found anywhere in or near the gi tract some scientists believe that gists begin in cells called interstitial cells of cajal icc in the wall of the gi tract see the pdq summary about unusual cancers of childhood treatment for information on the treatment of gist in children very small gists are common sometimes gists are smaller than the eraser on top of a pencil tumors may be found during a procedure that is done for another reason such as an x ray or surgery some of these small tumors will not grow and cause signs or symptoms or spread to the abdomen or other parts of the body doctors do not agree on whether these small tumors should be removed or whether they should be watched to see if they begin to grow
Keywords: gastrointestinal, tumor, stromal, tract, gist, small, cell, cancer, common, intestine


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Question: who is at risk for gastrointestinal stromal tumors
Answer: genetic factors can increase the risk of having a gastrointestinal stromal tumor anything that increases your risk of getting a disease is called a risk factor having a risk factor does not mean that you will get cancer not having risk factors doesn t mean that you will not get cancer talk with your doctor if you think you may be at risk the genes in cells carry the hereditary information received from a persons parents the risk of gist is increased in people who have inherited a mutation change in a certain gene in rare cases gists can be found in several members of the same family gist may be part of a genetic syndrome but this is rare a genetic syndrome is a set of symptoms or conditions that occur together and is usually caused by abnormal genes the following genetic syndromes have been linked to gist neurofibromatosis type 1 nf1 carney triad
Keywords: risk, factor, genetic, gist, gene, syndrome, cancer, gastrointestinal, mean, stromal


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Question: what are the stages of gastrointestinal stromal tumors
Answer: key points after a gastrointestinal stromal tumor has been diagnosed tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the gastrointestinal tract or to other parts of the body there are three ways that cancer spreads in the body cancer may spread from where it began to other parts of the body the results of diagnostic and staging tests are used to plan treatment after a gastrointestinal stromal tumor has been diagnosed tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the gastrointestinal tract or to other parts of the body the process used to find out if cancer has spread within the gastrointestinal gi tract or to other parts of the body is called staging the information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease the following tests and procedures may be used in the staging process pet scan positron emission tomography scan a procedure to find malignant tumor cells in the body a small amount of radioactive glucose sugar is injected into a vein the pet scanner rotates around the body and makes a picture of where glucose is being used in the body malignant tumor cells show up brighter in the picture because they are more active and take up more glucose than normal cells do ct scan cat scan a procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body taken from different angles the pictures are made by a computer linked to an x ray machine a dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the organs or tissues show up more clearly this procedure is also called computed tomography computerized tomography or computerized axial tomography mri magnetic resonance imaging a procedure that uses a magnet radio waves and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body this procedure is also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging nmri chest x ray an x ray of the organs and bones inside the chest an x ray is a type of energy beam that can go through the body and onto film making a picture of areas inside the body bone scan a procedure to check if there are rapidly dividing cells such as cancer cells in the bone a very small amount of radioactive material is injected into a vein and travels through the bloodstream the radioactive material collects in the bones and is detected by a scanner there are three ways that cancer spreads in the body cancer can spread through tissue the lymph system and the blood tissue the cancer spreads from where it began by growing into nearby areas lymph system the cancer spreads from where it began by getting into the lymph system the cancer travels through the lymph vessels to other parts of the body blood the cancer spreads from where it began by getting into the blood the cancer travels through the blood vessels to other parts of the body cancer may spread from where it began to other parts of the body when cancer spreads to another part of the body it is called metastasis cancer cells break away from where they began the primary tumor and travel through the lymph system or blood lymph system the cancer gets into the lymph system travels through the lymph vessels and forms a tumor metastatic tumor in another part of the body blood the cancer gets into the blood travels through the blood vessels and forms a tumor metastatic tumor in another part of the body the metastatic tumor is the same type of tumor as the primary tumor for example if a gastrointestinal stromal tumor gist spreads to the liver the tumor cells in the liver are actually gist cells the disease is metastatic gist not liver cancer the results of diagnostic and staging tests are used to plan treatment for many cancers it is important to know the stage of the cancer in order to plan treatment however the treatment of gist is not based on the stage of the cancer treatment is based on whether the tumor can be removed by surgery and if the tumor has spread to other parts of the abdomen or to distant parts of the body treatment is based on whether the tumor is resectable these tumors can be removed by surgery unresectable these tumors cannot be completely removed by surgery metastatic and recurrent metastatic tumors have spread to other parts of the body recurrent tumors have recurred come back after treatment recurrent gists may come back in the gastrointestinal tract or in other parts of the body they are usually found in the abdomen peritoneum and or liver refractory these tumors have not gotten better with treatment
Keywords: tumor, body, cancer, spread, part, cell, blood, gastrointestinal, lymph, procedure


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Question: what research or clinical trials is being done for gastrointestinal stromal tumors
Answer: new types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials information about clinical trials is available from the nci website patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial for some patients taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice clinical trials are part of the cancer research process clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment many of today s standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments they often answer important questions and help move research forward patients can enter clinical trials before during or after starting their cancer treatment some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten better there are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from recurring coming back or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country see the treatment options section that follows for links to current treatment clinical trials these have been retrieved from nci s listing of clinical trials
Keywords: trial, clinical, cancer, patient, part, new, treatment, research, standard, taking


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Question: what are the treatments for gastrointestinal stromal tumors
Answer: key points there are different types of treatment for patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors four types of standard treatment are used surgery targeted therapy watchful waiting supportive care new types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial patients can enter clinical trials before during or after starting their cancer treatment follow up tests may be needed there are different types of treatment for patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors different types of treatments are available for patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors gists some treatments are standard the currently used treatment and some are being tested in clinical trials a treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients with cancer when clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the standard treatment the new treatment may become the standard treatment patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment four types of standard treatment are used surgery if the gist has not spread and is in a place where surgery can be safely done the tumor and some of the tissue around it may be removed sometimes surgery is done using a laparoscope a thin lighted tube to see inside the body small incisions cuts are made in the wall of the abdomen and a laparoscope is inserted into one of the incisions instruments may be inserted through the same incision or through other incisions to remove organs or tissues targeted therapy targeted therapy is a type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells tyrosine kinase inhibitors tkis are targeted therapy drugs that block signals needed for tumors to grow tkis may be used to treat gists that cannot be removed by surgery or to shrink gists so they become small enough to be removed by surgery imatinib mesylate and sunitinib are two tkis used to treat gists tkis are sometimes given for as long as the tumor does not grow and serious side effects do not occur see drugs approved for gastrointestinal stromal tumors for more information watchful waiting watchful waiting is closely monitoring a patients condition without giving any treatment until signs or symptoms appear or change supportive care if a gist gets worse during treatment or there are side effects supportive care is usually given the goal of supportive care is to prevent or treat the symptoms of a disease side effects caused by treatment and psychological social and spiritual problems related to a disease or its treatment supportive care helps improve the quality of life of patients who have a serious or life threatening disease radiation therapy is sometimes given as supportive care to relieve pain in patients with large tumors that have spread new types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials information about clinical trials is available from the nci website patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial for some patients taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice clinical trials are part of the cancer research process clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment many of today s standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments they often answer important questions and help move research forward patients can enter clinical trials before during or after starting their cancer treatment some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten better there are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from recurring coming back or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country see the treatment options section that follows for links to current treatment clinical trials these have been retrieved from nci s listing of clinical trials follow up tests may be needed some of the tests that were done to diagnose the cancer or to find out the stage of the cancer may be repeated some tests will be repeated in order to see how well the treatment is working decisions about whether to continue change or stop treatment may be based on the results of these tests some of the tests will continue to be done from time to time after treatment has ended the results of these tests can show if your condition has changed or if the cancer has recurred come back these tests are sometimes called follow up tests or check ups follow up for gists that were removed by surgery may include ct scan of the liver and pelvis or watchful waiting for gists that are treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors follow up tests such as ct mri or pet scans may be done to check how well the targeted therapy is working treatment options for gastrointestinal stromal tumors resectable gastrointestinal stromal tumors resectable gastrointestinal stromal tumors gists can be completely or almost completely removed by surgery treatment may include the following surgery to remove tumors that are 2 centimeters or larger laparoscopic surgery may be done if the tumor is 5 cm or smaller if there are cancer cells remaining at the edges of the area where the tumor was removed watchful waiting or targeted therapy with imatinib mesylate may follow a clinical trial of targeted therapy with imatinib mesylate following surgery to decrease the chance the tumor will recur come back unresectable gastrointestinal stromal tumors unresectable gists cannot be completely removed by surgery because they are too large or in a place where there would be too much damage to nearby organs if the tumor is removed treatment is usually a clinical trial of targeted therapy with imatinib mesylate to shrink the tumor followed by surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible metastatic and recurrent gastrointestinal stromal tumors treatment of gists that are metastatic spread to other parts of the body or recurrent came back after treatment may include the following targeted therapy with imatinib mesylate targeted therapy with sunitinib if the tumor begins to grow during imatinib mesylate therapy or if the side effects are too bad surgery to remove tumors that have been treated with targeted therapy and are shrinking stable not changing or that have slightly increased in size targeted therapy may continue after surgery surgery to remove tumors when there are serious complications such as bleeding a hole in the gastrointestinal gi tract a blocked gi tract or infection a clinical trial of a new treatment refractory gastrointestinal stromal tumors many gists treated with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor tki become refractory stop responding to the drug after a while treatment is usually a clinical trial with a different tki or a clinical trial of a new drug treatment options in clinical trials check the list of nci supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumor for more specific results refine the search by using other search features such as the location of the trial the type of treatment or the name of the drug talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you general information about clinical trials is available from the nci website
Keywords: trial, clinical, tumor, patient, cancer, surgery, therapy, gastrointestinal, stromal, targeted


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Question: what is are pancreatic cancer
Answer: key points pancreatic cancer is a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the tissues of the pancreas smoking and health history can affect the risk of pancreatic cancer signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer include jaundice pain and weight loss pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect find and diagnose early tests that examine the pancreas are used to detect find diagnose and stage pancreatic cancer certain factors affect prognosis chance of recovery and treatment options pancreatic cancer is a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the tissues of the pancreas the pancreas is a gland about 6 inches long that is shaped like a thin pear lying on its side the wider end of the pancreas is called the head the middle section is called the body and the narrow end is called the tail the pancreas lies between the stomach and the spine the pancreas has two main jobs in the body to make juices that help digest break down food to make hormones such as insulin and glucagon that help control blood sugar levels both of these hormones help the body use and store the energy it gets from food the digestive juices are made by exocrine pancreas cells and the hormones are made by endocrine pancreas cells about 95 of pancreatic cancers begin in exocrine cells this summary is about exocrine pancreatic cancer for information on endocrine pancreatic cancer see the pdq summary on pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors islet cell tumors treatment for information on pancreatic cancer in children see the pdq summary on unusual cancers of childhood treatment
Keywords: cancer, pancreatic, pancreas, cell, body, called, exocrine, help, hormone, summary


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Question: who is at risk for pancreatic cancer
Answer: smoking and health history can affect the risk of pancreatic cancer anything that increases your risk of getting a disease is called a risk factor having a risk factor does not mean that you will get cancer not having risk factors doesnt mean that you will not get cancer talk with your doctor if you think you may be at risk risk factors for pancreatic cancer include the following smoking being very overweight having a personal history of diabetes or chronic pancreatitis having a family history of pancreatic cancer or pancreatitis having certain hereditary conditions such as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 men1 syndrome hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer hnpcc lynch syndrome von hippel lindau syndrome peutz jeghers syndrome hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome familial atypical multiple mole melanoma fammm syndrome
Keywords: cancer, risk, syndrome, factor, pancreatic, hereditary, history, get, mean, multiple


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Question: what are the symptoms of pancreatic cancer
Answer: signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer include jaundice pain and weight loss pancreatic cancer may not cause early signs or symptoms signs and symptoms may be caused by pancreatic cancer or by other conditions check with your doctor if you have any of the following jaundice yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes light colored stools dark urine pain in the upper or middle abdomen and back weight loss for no known reason loss of appetite feeling very tired pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect find and diagnose early pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect and diagnose for the following reasons there arent any noticeable signs or symptoms in the early stages of pancreatic cancer the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer when present are like the signs and symptoms of many other illnesses the pancreas is hidden behind other organs such as the stomach small intestine liver gallbladder spleen and bile ducts
Keywords: cancer, pancreatic, symptom, sign, early, loss, detect, difficult, following, weight


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Question: how to diagnose pancreatic cancer
Answer: tests that examine the pancreas are used to detect find diagnose and stage pancreatic cancer pancreatic cancer is usually diagnosed with tests and procedures that make pictures of the pancreas and the area around it the process used to find out if cancer cells have spread within and around the pancreas is called staging tests and procedures to detect diagnose and stage pancreatic cancer are usually done at the same time in order to plan treatment it is important to know the stage of the disease and whether or not the pancreatic cancer can be removed by surgery the following tests and procedures may be used physical exam and history an exam of the body to check general signs of health including checking for signs of disease such as lumps or anything else that seems unusual a history of the patients health habits and past illnesses and treatments will also be taken blood chemistry studies a procedure in which a blood sample is checked to measure the amounts of certain substances such as bilirubin released into the blood by organs and tissues in the body an unusual higher or lower than normal amount of a substance can be a sign of disease tumor marker test a procedure in which a sample of blood urine or tissue is checked to measure the amounts of certain substances such as ca 19 9 and carcinoembryonic antigen cea made by organs tissues or tumor cells in the body certain substances are linked to specific types of cancer when found in increased levels in the body these are called tumor markers mri magnetic resonance imaging a procedure that uses a magnet radio waves and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body this procedure is also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging nmri ct scan cat scan a procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body taken from different angles the pictures are made by a computer linked to an x ray machine a dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the organs or tissues show up more clearly this procedure is also called computed tomography computerized tomography or computerized axial tomography a spiral or helical ct scan makes a series of very detailed pictures of areas inside the body using an x ray machine that scans the body in a spiral path pet scan positron emission tomography scan a procedure to find malignant tumor cells in the body a small amount of radioactive glucose sugar is injected into a vein the pet scanner rotates around the body and makes a picture of where glucose is being used in the body malignant tumor cells show up brighter in the picture because they are more active and take up more glucose than normal cells do a pet scan and ct scan may be done at the same time this is called a pet ct abdominal ultrasound an ultrasound exam used to make pictures of the inside of the abdomen the ultrasound transducer is pressed against the skin of the abdomen and directs high energy sound waves ultrasound into the abdomen the sound waves bounce off the internal tissues and organs and make echoes the transducer receives the echoes and sends them to a computer which uses the echoes to make pictures called sonograms the picture can be printed to be looked at later endoscopic ultrasound eus a procedure in which an endoscope is inserted into the body usually through the mouth or rectum an endoscope is a thin tube like instrument with a light and a lens for viewing a probe at the end of the endoscope is used to bounce high energy sound waves ultrasound off internal tissues or organs and make echoes the echoes form a picture of body tissues called a sonogram this procedure is also called endosonography endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography ercp a procedure used to x ray the ducts tubes that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder and from the gallbladder to the small intestine sometimes pancreatic cancer causes these ducts to narrow and block or slow the flow of bile causing jaundice an endoscope a thin lighted tube is passed through the mouth esophagus and stomach into the first part of the small intestine a catheter a smaller tube is then inserted through the endoscope into the pancreatic ducts a dye is injected through the catheter into the ducts and an x ray is taken if the ducts are blocked by a tumor a fine tube may be inserted into the duct to unblock it this tube or stent may be left in place to keep the duct open tissue samples may also be taken percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography ptc a procedure used to x ray the liver and bile ducts a thin needle is inserted through the skin below the ribs and into the liver dye is injected into the liver or bile ducts and an x ray is taken if a blockage is found a thin flexible tube called a stent is sometimes left in the liver to drain bile into the small intestine or a collection bag outside the body this test is done only if ercp cannot be done laparoscopy a surgical procedure to look at the organs inside the abdomen to check for signs of disease small incisions cuts are made in the wall of the abdomen and a laparoscope a thin lighted tube is inserted into one of the incisions the laparoscope may have an ultrasound probe at the end in order to bounce high energy sound waves off internal organs such as the pancreas this is called laparoscopic ultrasound other instruments may be inserted through the same or other incisions to perform procedures such as taking tissue samples from the pancreas or a sample of fluid from the abdomen to check for cancer biopsy the removal of cells or tissues so they can be viewed under a microscope by a pathologist to check for signs of cancer there are several ways to do a biopsy for pancreatic cancer a fine needle or a core needle may be inserted into the pancreas during an x ray or ultrasound to remove cells tissue may also be removed during a laparoscopy
Keywords: procedure, body, cancer, picture, tissue, called, duct, make, ultrasound, scan


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Question: what is the outlook for pancreatic cancer
Answer: certain factors affect prognosis chance of recovery and treatment options the prognosis chance of recovery and treatment options depend on the following whether or not the tumor can be removed by surgery the stage of the cancer the size of the tumor and whether the cancer has spread outside the pancreas to nearby tissues or lymph nodes or to other places in the body the patients general health whether the cancer has just been diagnosed or has recurred come back pancreatic cancer can be controlled only if it is found before it has spread when it can be completely removed by surgery if the cancer has spread palliative treatment can improve the patient s quality of life by controlling the symptoms and complications of this disease
Keywords: cancer, spread, whether, chance, option, pancreatic, prognosis, recovery, surgery, tumor


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Question: what are the stages of pancreatic cancer
Answer: key points tests and procedures to stage pancreatic cancer are usually done at the same time as diagnosis there are three ways that cancer spreads in the body cancer may spread from where it began to other parts of the body the following stages are used for pancreatic cancer stage 0 carcinoma in situ stage i stage ii stage iii stage iv tests and procedures to stage pancreatic cancer are usually done at the same time as diagnosis the process used to find out if cancer has spread within the pancreas or to other parts of the body is called staging the information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease it is important to know the stage of the disease in order to plan treatment the results of some of the tests used to diagnose pancreatic cancer are often also used to stage the disease see the general information section for more information there are three ways that cancer spreads in the body cancer can spread through tissue the lymph system and the blood tissue the cancer spreads from where it began by growing into nearby areas lymph system the cancer spreads from where it began by getting into the lymph system the cancer travels through the lymph vessels to other parts of the body blood the cancer spreads from where it began by getting into the blood the cancer travels through the blood vessels to other parts of the body cancer may spread from where it began to other parts of the body when cancer spreads to another part of the body it is called metastasis cancer cells break away from where they began the primary tumor and travel through the lymph system or blood lymph system the cancer gets into the lymph system travels through the lymph vessels and forms a tumor metastatic tumor in another part of the body blood the cancer gets into the blood travels through the blood vessels and forms a tumor metastatic tumor in another part of the body the metastatic tumor is the same type of cancer as the primary tumor for example if pancreatic cancer spreads to the liver the cancer cells in the liver are actually pancreatic cancer cells the disease is metastatic pancreatic cancer not liver cancer the following stages are used for pancreatic cancer stage 0 carcinoma in situ in stage 0 abnormal cells are found in the lining of the pancreas these abnormal cells may become cancer and spread into nearby normal tissue stage 0 is also called carcinoma in situ stage i in stage i cancer has formed and is found in the pancreas only stage i is divided into stage ia and stage ib based on the size of the tumor stage ia the tumor is 2 centimeters or smaller stage ib the tumor is larger than 2 centimeters stage ii in stage ii cancer may have spread to nearby tissue and organs and may have spread to lymph nodes near the pancreas stage ii is divided into stage iia and stage iib based on where the cancer has spread stage iia cancer has spread to nearby tissue and organs but has not spread to nearby lymph nodes stage iib cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes and may have spread to nearby tissue and organs stage iii in stage iii cancer has spread to the major blood vessels near the pancreas and may have spread to nearby lymph nodes stage iv in stage iv cancer may be of any size and has spread to distant organs such as the liver lung and peritoneal cavity it may have also spread to organs and tissues near the pancreas or to lymph nodes
Keywords: cancer, stage, spread, lymph, body, tumor, blood, pancreatic, nearby, part


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Question: what are the treatments for pancreatic cancer
Answer: key points there are different types of treatment for patients with pancreatic cancer five types of standard treatment are used surgery radiation therapy chemotherapy chemoradiation therapy targeted therapy there are treatments for pain caused by pancreatic cancer patients with pancreatic cancer have special nutritional needs new types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials biologic therapy patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial patients can enter clinical trials before during or after starting their cancer treatment follow up tests may be needed there are different types of treatment for patients with pancreatic cancer different types of treatment are available for patients with pancreatic cancer some treatments are standard the currently used treatment and some are being tested in clinical trials a treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients with cancer when clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the standard treatment the new treatment may become the standard treatment patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment five types of standard treatment are used surgery one of the following types of surgery may be used to take out the tumor whipple procedure a surgical procedure in which the head of the pancreas the gallbladder part of the stomach part of the small intestine and the bile duct are removed enough of the pancreas is left to produce digestive juices and insulin total pancreatectomy this operation removes the whole pancreas part of the stomach part of the small intestine the common bile duct the gallbladder the spleen and nearby lymph nodes distal pancreatectomy the body and the tail of the pancreas and usually the spleen are removed if the cancer has spread and cannot be removed the following types of palliative surgery may be done to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life surgical biliary bypass if cancer is blocking the small intestine and bile is building up in the gallbladder a biliary bypass may be done during this operation the doctor will cut the gallbladder or bile duct and sew it to the small intestine to create a new pathway around the blocked area endoscopic stent placement if the tumor is blocking the bile duct surgery may be done to put in a stent a thin tube to drain bile that has built up in the area the doctor may place the stent through a catheter that drains to the outside of the body or the stent may go around the blocked area and drain the bile into the small intestine gastric bypass if the tumor is blocking the flow of food from the stomach the stomach may be sewn directly to the small intestine so the patient can continue to eat normally radiation therapy radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high energy x rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing there are two types of radiation therapy external radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles seeds wires or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer the way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated external radiation therapy is used to treat pancreatic cancer chemotherapy chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing when chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body systemic chemotherapy when chemotherapy is placed directly into the cerebrospinal fluid an organ or a body cavity such as the abdomen the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas regional chemotherapy combination chemotherapy is treatment using more than one anticancer drug the way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated see drugs approved for pancreatic cancer for more information chemoradiation therapy chemoradiation therapy combines chemotherapy and radiation therapy to increase the effects of both targeted therapy targeted therapy is a type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells tyrosine kinase inhibitors tkis are targeted therapy drugs that block signals needed for tumors to grow erlotinib is a type of tki used to treat pancreatic cancer see drugs approved for pancreatic cancer for more information there are treatments for pain caused by pancreatic cancer pain can occur when the tumor presses on nerves or other organs near the pancreas when pain medicine is not enough there are treatments that act on nerves in the abdomen to relieve the pain the doctor may inject medicine into the area around affected nerves or may cut the nerves to block the feeling of pain radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy can also help relieve pain by shrinking the tumor see the pdq summary on cancer pain for more information patients with pancreatic cancer have special nutritional needs surgery to remove the pancreas may affect its ability to make pancreatic enzymes that help to digest food as a result patients may have problems digesting food and absorbing nutrients into the body to prevent malnutrition the doctor may prescribe medicines that replace these enzymes see the pdq summary on nutrition in cancer care for more information new types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials this summary section describes treatments that are being studied in clinical trials it may not mention every new treatment being studied information about clinical trials is available from the nci website biologic therapy biologic therapy is a treatment that uses the patients immune system to fight cancer substances made by the body or made in a laboratory are used to boost direct or restore the bodys natural defenses against cancer this type of cancer treatment is also called biotherapy or immunotherapy patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial for some patients taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice clinical trials are part of the cancer research process clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment many of today s standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments they often answer important questions and help move research forward patients can enter clinical trials before during or after starting their cancer treatment some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten better there are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from recurring coming back or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country see the treatment options section that follows for links to current treatment clinical trials these have been retrieved from nci s listing of clinical trials follow up tests may be needed some of the tests that were done to diagnose the cancer or to find out the stage of the cancer may be repeated some tests will be repeated in order to see how well the treatment is working decisions about whether to continue change or stop treatment may be based on the results of these tests some of the tests will continue to be done from time to time after treatment has ended the results of these tests can show if your condition has changed or if the cancer has recurred come back these tests are sometimes called follow up tests or check ups treatment options by stage stages i and ii pancreatic cancer treatment of stage i and stage ii pancreatic cancer may include the following surgery surgery followed by chemotherapy surgery followed by chemoradiation a clinical trial of combination chemotherapy a clinical trial of chemotherapy and targeted therapy with or without chemoradiation a clinical trial of chemotherapy and or radiation therapy before surgery check the list of nci supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage i pancreatic cancer and stage ii pancreatic cancer for more specific results refine the search by using other search features such as the location of the trial the type of treatment or the name of the drug talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you general information about clinical trials is available from the nci website stage iii pancreatic cancer treatment of stage iii pancreatic cancer may include the following palliative surgery or stent placement to bypass blocked areas in ducts or the small intestine chemotherapy followed by chemoradiation chemoradiation followed by chemotherapy chemotherapy with or without targeted therapy a clinical trial of new anticancer therapies together with chemotherapy or chemoradiation a clinical trial of radiation therapy given during surgery or internal radiation therapy check the list of nci supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage iii pancreatic cancer for more specific results refine the search by using other search features such as the location of the trial the type of treatment or the name of the drug talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you general information about clinical trials is available from the nci website stage iv pancreatic cancer treatment of stage iv pancreatic cancer may include the following palliative treatments to relieve pain such as nerve blocks and other supportive care palliative surgery or stent placement to bypass blocked areas in ducts or the small intestine chemotherapy with or without targeted therapy clinical trials of new anticancer agents with or without chemotherapy check the list of nci supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage iv pancreatic cancer for more specific results refine the search by using other search features such as the location of the trial the type of treatment or the name of the drug talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you general information about clinical trials is available from the nci website
Keywords: cancer, trial, clinical, therapy, pancreatic, patient, chemotherapy, type, radiation, stage


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Question: what research or clinical trials is being done for pancreatic cancer
Answer: new types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials this summary section describes treatments that are being studied in clinical trials it may not mention every new treatment being studied information about clinical trials is available from the nci website biologic therapy biologic therapy is a treatment that uses the patients immune system to fight cancer substances made by the body or made in a laboratory are used to boost direct or restore the bodys natural defenses against cancer this type of cancer treatment is also called biotherapy or immunotherapy patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial for some patients taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice clinical trials are part of the cancer research process clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment many of today s standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments they often answer important questions and help move research forward patients can enter clinical trials before during or after starting their cancer treatment some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten better there are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from recurring coming back or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country see the treatment options section that follows for links to current treatment clinical trials these have been retrieved from nci s listing of clinical trials
Keywords: trial, clinical, cancer, patient, new, part, treatment, research, standard, taking


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Question: what is the outlook for adult acute myeloid leukemia
Answer: certain factors affect prognosis chance of recovery and treatment options the prognosis chance of recovery and treatment options depend on the age of the patient the subtype of aml whether the patient received chemotherapy in the past to treat a different cancer whether there is a history of a blood disorder such as myelodysplastic syndrome whether the cancer has spread to the central nervous system whether the cancer has been treated before or recurred come back it is important that acute leukemia be treated right away
Keywords: whether, cancer, acute, chance, leukemia, option, prognosis, recovery, treated, back


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Question: what are the treatments for adult acute myeloid leukemia
Answer: key points there are different types of treatment for patients with adult acute myeloid leukemia the treatment of adult aml usually has 2 phases four types of standard treatment are used chemotherapy radiation therapy stem cell transplant other drug therapy new types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials targeted therapy patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial patients can enter clinical trials before during or after starting their cancer treatment follow up tests may be needed there are different types of treatment for patients with adult acute myeloid leukemia different types of treatment are available for patients with adult acute myeloid leukemia aml some treatments are standard the currently used treatment and some are being tested in clinical trials a treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients with cancer when clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the standard treatment the new treatment may become the standard treatment patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment the treatment of adult aml usually has 2 phases the 2 treatment phases of adult aml are remission induction therapy this is the first phase of treatment the goal is to kill the leukemia cells in the blood and bone marrow this puts the leukemia into remission post remission therapy this is the second phase of treatment it begins after the leukemia is in remission the goal of post remission therapy is to kill any remaining leukemia cells that may not be active but could begin to regrow and cause a relapse this phase is also called remission continuation therapy four types of standard treatment are used chemotherapy chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing when chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body systemic chemotherapy when chemotherapy is placed directly into the cerebrospinal fluid intrathecal chemotherapy an organ or a body cavity such as the abdomen the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas regional chemotherapy intrathecal chemotherapy may be used to treat adult aml that has spread to the brain and spinal cord combination chemotherapy is treatment using more than one anticancer drug the way the chemotherapy is given depends on the subtype of aml being treated and whether leukemia cells have spread to the brain and spinal cord see drugs approved for acute myeloid leukemia for more information radiation therapy radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high energy x rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing there are two types of radiation therapy external radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles seeds wires or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer the way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type of cancer being treated and whether leukemia cells have spread to the brain and spinal cord external radiation therapy is used to treat adult aml stem cell transplant stem cell transplant is a method of giving chemotherapy and replacing blood forming cells that are abnormal or destroyed by the cancer treatment stem cells immature blood cells are removed from the blood or bone marrow of the patient or a donor and are frozen and stored after the chemotherapy is completed the stored stem cells are thawed and given back to the patient through an infusion these reinfused stem cells grow into and restore the body s blood cells other drug therapy arsenic trioxide and all trans retinoic acid atra are anticancer drugs that kill leukemia cells stop the leukemia cells from dividing or help the leukemia cells mature into white blood cells these drugs are used in the treatment of a subtype of aml called acute promyelocytic leukemia see drugs approved for acute myeloid leukemia for more information new types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials this summary section describes treatments that are being studied in clinical trials it may not mention every new treatment being studied information about clinical trials is available from the nci website targeted therapy targeted therapy is a type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells monoclonal antibody therapy is one type of targeted therapy being studied in the treatment of adult aml monoclonal antibody therapy is a cancer treatment that uses antibodies made in the laboratory from a single type of immune system cell these antibodies can identify substances on cancer cells or normal substances that may help cancer cells grow the antibodies attach to the substances and kill the cancer cells block their growth or keep them from spreading monoclonal antibodies are given by infusion they may be used alone or to carry drugs toxins or radioactive material directly to cancer cells patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial for some patients taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice clinical trials are part of the cancer research process clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment many of today s standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments they often answer important questions and help move research forward patients can enter clinical trials before during or after starting their cancer treatment some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten better there are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from recurring coming back or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country see the treatment options section that follows for links to current treatment clinical trials these have been retrieved from nci s listing of clinical trials follow up tests may be needed some of the tests that were done to diagnose the cancer or to find out the stage of the cancer may be repeated some tests will be repeated in order to see how well the treatment is working decisions about whether to continue change or stop treatment may be based on the results of these tests some of the tests will continue to be done from time to time after treatment has ended the results of these tests can show if your condition has changed or if the cancer has recurred come back these tests are sometimes called follow up tests or check ups treatment options for adult acute myeloid leukemia untreated adult acute myeloid leukemia standard treatment of untreated adult acute myeloid leukemia aml during the remission induction phase depends on the subtype of aml and may include the following combination chemotherapy high dose combination chemotherapy low dose chemotherapy intrathecal chemotherapy all trans retinoic acid atra plus arsenic trioxide for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia apl atra plus combination chemotherapy followed by arsenic trioxide for the treatment of apl check the list of nci supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with untreated adult acute myeloid leukemia for more specific results refine the search by using other search features such as the location of the trial the type of treatment or the name of the drug talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you general information about clinical trials is available from the nci website adult acute myeloid leukemia in remission treatment of adult aml during the remission phase depends on the subtype of aml and may include the following combination chemotherapy high dose chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy and stem cell transplant using the patient s stem cells high dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplant using donor stem cells a clinical trial of arsenic trioxide check the list of nci supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with adult acute myeloid leukemia in remission for more specific results refine the search by using other search features such as the location of the trial the type of treatment or the name of the drug talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you general information about clinical trials is available from the nci website recurrent adult acute myeloid leukemia there is no standard treatment for recurrent adult aml treatment depends on the subtype of aml and may include the following combination chemotherapy targeted therapy with monoclonal antibodies stem cell transplant arsenic trioxide therapy a clinical trial of arsenic trioxide therapy followed by stem cell transplant check the list of nci supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with recurrent adult acute myeloid leukemia for more specific results refine the search by using other search features such as the location of the trial the type of treatment or the name of the drug talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you general information about clinical trials is available from the nci website
Keywords: trial, clinical, cell, cancer, leukemia, therapy, chemotherapy, adult, patient, type


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Question: what research or clinical trials is being done for adult acute myeloid leukemia
Answer: new types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials this summary section describes treatments that are being studied in clinical trials it may not mention every new treatment being studied information about clinical trials is available from the nci website targeted therapy targeted therapy is a type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells monoclonal antibody therapy is one type of targeted therapy being studied in the treatment of adult aml monoclonal antibody therapy is a cancer treatment that uses antibodies made in the laboratory from a single type of immune system cell these antibodies can identify substances on cancer cells or normal substances that may help cancer cells grow the antibodies attach to the substances and kill the cancer cells block their growth or keep them from spreading monoclonal antibodies are given by infusion they may be used alone or to carry drugs toxins or radioactive material directly to cancer cells patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial for some patients taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice clinical trials are part of the cancer research process clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment many of today s standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments they often answer important questions and help move research forward patients can enter clinical trials before during or after starting their cancer treatment some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten better there are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from recurring coming back or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country see the treatment options section that follows for links to current treatment clinical trials these have been retrieved from nci s listing of clinical trials
Keywords: trial, clinical, cancer, cell, patient, antibody, new, part, therapy, treatment


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Question: what is are breast cancer
Answer: key points breast cancer is a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the tissues of the breast a family history of breast cancer and other factors increase the risk of breast cancer breast cancer is sometimes caused by inherited gene mutations changes the use of certain medicines and other factors decrease the risk of breast cancer signs of breast cancer include a lump or change in the breast tests that examine the breasts are used to detect find and diagnose breast cancer if cancer is found tests are done to study the cancer cells certain factors affect prognosis chance of recovery and treatment options breast cancer is a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the tissues of the breast the breast is made up of lobes and ducts each breast has 15 to 20 sections called lobes each lobe has many smaller sections called lobules lobules end in dozens of tiny bulbs that can make milk the lobes lobules and bulbs are linked by thin tubes called ducts each breast also has blood vessels and lymph vessels the lymph vessels carry an almost colorless fluid called lymph lymph vessels carry lymph between lymph nodes lymph nodes are small bean shaped structures that are found throughout the body they filter substances in lymph and help fight infection and disease clusters of lymph nodes are found near the breast in the axilla under the arm above the collarbone and in the chest the most common type of breast cancer is ductal carcinoma which begins in the cells of the ducts cancer that begins in the lobes or lobules is called lobular carcinoma and is more often found in both breasts than are other types of breast cancer inflammatory breast cancer is an uncommon type of breast cancer in which the breast is warm red and swollen see the following pdq summaries for more information about breast cancer breast cancer prevention breast cancer screening breast cancer treatment and pregnancy male breast cancer treatment unusual cancers of childhood treatment for information about breast cancer in childhood
Keywords: breast, cancer, lymph, called, lobe, cell, found, lobule, vessel, factor


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Question: who is at risk for breast cancer
Answer: a family history of breast cancer and other factors increase the risk of breast cancer anything that increases your chance of getting a disease is called a risk factor having a risk factor does not mean that you will get cancer not having risk factors doesn t mean that you will not get cancer talk to your doctor if you think you may be at risk for breast cancer risk factors for breast cancer include the following a personal history of invasive breast cancer ductal carcinoma in situ dcis or lobular carcinoma in situ lcis a personal history of benign noncancer breast disease a family history of breast cancer in a first degree relative mother daughter or sister inherited changes in the brca1 or brca2 genes or in other genes that increase the risk of breast cancer breast tissue that is dense on a mammogram exposure of breast tissue to estrogen made by the body this may be caused by menstruating at an early age older age at first birth or never having given birth starting menopause at a later age taking hormones such as estrogen combined with progestin for symptoms of menopause treatment with radiation therapy to the breast chest drinking alcohol obesity older age is the main risk factor for most cancers the chance of getting cancer increases as you get older nci s breast cancer risk assessment tool uses a woman s risk factors to estimate her risk for breast cancer during the next five years and up to age 90 this online tool is meant to be used by a health care provider for more information on breast cancer risk call 1 800 4 cancer
Keywords: cancer, breast, risk, factor, age, history, increase, get, older, birth


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Question: how to prevent breast cancer
Answer: the use of certain medicines and other factors decrease the risk of breast cancer anything that decreases your chance of getting a disease is called a protective factor protective factors for breast cancer include the following taking any of the following estrogen only hormone therapy after a hysterectomy selective estrogen receptor modulators serms aromatase inhibitors less exposure of breast tissue to estrogen made by the body this can be a result of early pregnancy breastfeeding getting enough exercise having any of the following procedures mastectomy to reduce the risk of cancer oophorectomy to reduce the risk of cancer ovarian ablation
Keywords: cancer, breast, estrogen, factor, following, risk, decrease, getting, protective, reduce


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Question: is breast cancer inherited
Answer: breast cancer is sometimes caused by inherited gene mutations changes the genes in cells carry the hereditary information that is received from a persons parents hereditary breast cancer makes up about 5 to 10 of all breast cancer some mutated genes related to breast cancer are more common in certain ethnic groups women who have certain gene mutations such as a brca1 or brca2 mutation have an increased risk of breast cancer these women also have an increased risk of ovarian cancer and may have an increased risk of other cancers men who have a mutated gene related to breast cancer also have an increased risk of breast cancer for more information see the pdq summary on male breast cancer treatment there are tests that can detect find mutated genes these genetic tests are sometimes done for members of families with a high risk of cancer see the pdq summary on genetics of breast and gynecologic cancers for more information
Keywords: cancer, breast, gene, risk, increased, information, mutated, mutation, inherited, pdq


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Question: what are the symptoms of breast cancer
Answer: signs of breast cancer include a lump or change in the breast these and other signs may be caused by breast cancer or by other conditions check with your doctor if you have any of the following a lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area a change in the size or shape of the breast a dimple or puckering in the skin of the breast a nipple turned inward into the breast fluid other than breast milk from the nipple especially if it s bloody scaly red or swollen skin on the breast nipple or areola the dark area of skin around the nipple dimples in the breast that look like the skin of an orange called peau dorange
Keywords: breast, nipple, skin, cancer, area, change, dimple, lump, sign, caused


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Question: how to diagnose breast cancer
Answer: tests that examine the breasts are used to detect find and diagnose breast cancer check with your doctor if you notice any changes in your breasts the following tests and procedures may be used physical exam and history an exam of the body to check general signs of health including checking for signs of disease such as lumps or anything else that seems unusual a history of the patients health habits and past illnesses and treatments will also be taken clinical breast exam cbe an exam of the breast by a doctor or other health professional the doctor will carefully feel the breasts and under the arms for lumps or anything else that seems unusual mammogram an x ray of the breast ultrasound exam a procedure in which high energy sound waves ultrasound are bounced off internal tissues or organs and make echoes the echoes form a picture of body tissues called a sonogram the picture can be printed to be looked at later mri magnetic resonance imaging a procedure that uses a magnet radio waves and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of both breasts this procedure is also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging nmri blood chemistry studies a procedure in which a blood sample is checked to measure the amounts of certain substances released into the blood by organs and tissues in the body an unusual higher or lower than normal amount of a substance can be a sign of disease biopsy the removal of cells or tissues so they can be viewed under a microscope by a pathologist to check for signs of cancer if a lump in the breast is found a biopsy may be done there are four types of biopsy used to check for breast cancer excisional biopsy the removal of an entire lump of tissue incisional biopsy the removal of part of a lump or a sample of tissue core biopsy the removal of tissue using a wide needle fine needle aspiration fna biopsy the removal of tissue or fluid using a thin needle if cancer is found tests are done to study the cancer cells decisions about the best treatment are based on the results of these tests the tests give information about how quickly the cancer may grow how likely it is that the cancer will spread through the body how well certain treatments might work how likely the cancer is to recur come back tests include the following estrogen and progesterone receptor test a test to measure the amount of estrogen and progesterone hormones receptors in cancer tissue if there are more estrogen and progesterone receptors than normal the cancer is called estrogen and or progesterone receptor positive this type of breast cancer may grow more quickly the test results show whether treatment to block estrogen and progesterone may stop the cancer from growing human epidermal growth factor type 2 receptor her2 neu test a laboratory test to measure how many her2 neu genes there are and how much her2 neu protein is made in a sample of tissue if there are more her2 neu genes or higher levels of her2 neu protein than normal the cancer is called her2 neu positive this type of breast cancer may grow more quickly and is more likely to spread to other parts of the body the cancer may be treated with drugs that target the her2 neu protein such as trastuzumab and pertuzumab multigene tests tests in which samples of tissue are studied to look at the activity of many genes at the same time these tests may help predict whether cancer will spread to other parts of the body or recur come back there are many types of multigene tests the following multigene tests have been studied in clinical trials oncotype dx this test helps predict whether stage i or stage ii breast cancer that is estrogen receptor positive and node negative will spread to other parts of the body if the risk that the cancer will spread is high chemotherapy may be given to lower the risk mammaprint this test helps predict whether stage i or stage ii breast cancer that is node negative will spread to other parts of the body if the risk that the cancer will spread is high chemotherapy may be given to lower the risk based on these tests breast cancer is described as one of the following types hormone receptor positive estrogen and or progesterone receptor positive or hormone receptor negative estrogen and or progesterone receptor negative her2 neu positive or her2 neu negative triple negative estrogen receptor progesterone receptor and her2 neu negative this information helps the doctor decide which treatments will work best for your cancer
Keywords: cancer, test, breast, receptor, tissue, neu, estrogen, body, progesterone, negative


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Question: what is the outlook for breast cancer
Answer: certain factors affect prognosis chance of recovery and treatment options the prognosis chance of recovery and treatment options depend on the following the stage of the cancer the size of the tumor and whether it is in the breast only or has spread to lymph nodes or other places in the body the type of breast cancer estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor levels in the tumor tissue human epidermal growth factor type 2 receptor her2 neu levels in the tumor tissue whether the tumor tissue is triple negative cells that do not have estrogen receptors progesterone receptors or high levels of her2 neu how fast the tumor is growing how likely the tumor is to recur come back a womans age general health and menopausal status whether a woman is still having menstrual periods whether the cancer has just been diagnosed or has recurred come back
Keywords: tumor, receptor, cancer, whether, breast, level, tissue, back, neu, option


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Question: what are the stages of breast cancer
Answer: key points after breast cancer has been diagnosed tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the breast or to other parts of the body there are three ways that cancer spreads in the body cancer may spread from where it began to other parts of the body the following stages are used for breast cancer stage 0 carcinoma in situ stage i stage ii stage iiia stage iiib stage iiic stage iv the treatment of breast cancer depends partly on the stage of the disease after breast cancer has been diagnosed tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the breast or to other parts of the body the process used to find out whether the cancer has spread within the breast or to other parts of the body is called staging the information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease it is important to know the stage in order to plan treatment the results of some of the tests used to diagnose breast cancer are also used to stage the disease see the general information section the following tests and procedures also may be used in the staging process sentinel lymph node biopsy the removal of the sentinel lymph node during surgery the sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node to receive lymphatic drainage from a tumor it is the first lymph node the cancer is likely to spread to from the tumor a radioactive substance and or blue dye is injected near the tumor the substance or dye flows through the lymph ducts to the lymph nodes the first lymph node to receive the substance or dye is removed a pathologist views the tissue under a microscope to look for cancer cells if cancer cells are not found it may not be necessary to remove more lymph nodes chest x ray an x ray of the organs and bones inside the chest an x ray is a type of energy beam that can go through the body and onto film making a picture of areas inside the body ct scan cat scan a procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body taken from different angles the pictures are made by a computer linked to an x ray machine a dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the organs or tissues show up more clearly this procedure is also called computed tomography computerized tomography or computerized axial tomography bone scan a procedure to check if there are rapidly dividing cells such as cancer cells in the bone a very small amount of radioactive material is injected into a vein and travels through the bloodstream the radioactive material collects in the bones and is detected by a scanner pet scan positron emission tomography scan a procedure to find malignant tumor cells in the body a small amount of radioactive glucose sugar is injected into a vein the pet scanner rotates around the body and makes a picture of where glucose is being used in the body malignant tumor cells show up brighter in the picture because they are more active and take up more glucose than normal cells do there are three ways that cancer spreads in the body cancer can spread through tissue the lymph system and the blood tissue the cancer spreads from where it began by growing into nearby areas lymph system the cancer spreads from where it began by getting into the lymph system the cancer travels through the lymph vessels to other parts of the body blood the cancer spreads from where it began by getting into the blood the cancer travels through the blood vessels to other parts of the body cancer may spread from where it began to other parts of the body when cancer spreads to another part of the body it is called metastasis cancer cells break away from where they began the primary tumor and travel through the lymph system or blood lymph system the cancer gets into the lymph system travels through the lymph vessels and forms a tumor metastatic tumor in another part of the body blood the cancer gets into the blood travels through the blood vessels and forms a tumor metastatic tumor in another part of the body the metastatic tumor is the same type of cancer as the primary tumor for example if breast cancer spreads to the bone the cancer cells in the bone are actually breast cancer cells the disease is metastatic breast cancer not bone cancer the following stages are used for breast cancer this section describes the stages of breast cancer the breast cancer stage is based on the results of tests that are done on the tumor and lymph nodes removed during surgery and on other tests stage 0 carcinoma in situ there are 3 types of breast carcinoma in situ ductal carcinoma in situ dcis is a noninvasive condition in which abnormal cells are found in the lining of a breast duct the abnormal cells have not spread outside the duct to other tissues in the breast in some cases dcis may become invasive cancer and spread to other tissues at this time there is no way to know which lesions could become invasive lobular carcinoma in situ lcis is a condition in which abnormal cells are found in the lobules of the breast this condition seldom becomes invasive cancer information about lcis is not included in this summary paget disease of the nipple is a condition in which abnormal cells are found in the nipple only stage i in stage i cancer has formed stage i is divided into stages ia and ib in stage ia the tumor is 2 centimeters or smaller cancer has not spread outside the breast in stage ib small clusters of breast cancer cells larger than 0 2 millimeter but not larger than 2 millimeters are found in the lymph nodes and either no tumor is found in the breast or the tumor is 2 centimeters or smaller stage ii stage ii is divided into stages iia and iib in stage iia no tumor is found in the breast or the tumor is 2 centimeters or smaller cancer larger than 2 millimeters is found in 1 to 3 axillary lymph nodes or in the lymph nodes near the breastbone found during a sentinel lymph node biopsy or the tumor is larger than 2 centimeters but not larger than 5 centimeters cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes in stage iib the tumor is larger than 2 centimeters but not larger than 5 centimeters small clusters of breast cancer cells larger than 0 2 millimeter but not larger than 2 millimeters are found in the lymph nodes or larger than 2 centimeters but not larger than 5 centimeters cancer has spread to 1 to 3 axillary lymph nodes or to the lymph nodes near the breastbone found during a sentinel lymph node biopsy or larger than 5 centimeters cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes stage iiia in stage iiia no tumor is found in the breast or the tumor may be any size cancer is found in 4 to 9 axillary lymph nodes or in the lymph nodes near the breastbone found during imaging tests or a physical exam or the tumor is larger than 5 centimeters small clusters of breast cancer cells larger than 0 2 millimeter but not larger than 2 millimeters are found in the lymph nodes or the tumor is larger than 5 centimeters cancer has spread to 1 to 3 axillary lymph nodes or to the lymph nodes near the breastbone found during a sentinel lymph node biopsy stage iiib in stage iiib the tumor may be any size and cancer has spread to the chest wall and or to the skin of the breast and caused swelling or an ulcer also cancer may have spread to up to 9 axillary lymph nodes or the lymph nodes near the breastbone cancer that has spread to the skin of the breast may also be inflammatory breast cancer see the section on inflammatory breast cancer for more information stage iiic in stage iiic no tumor is found in the breast or the tumor may be any size cancer may have spread to the skin of the breast and caused swelling or an ulcer and or has spread to the chest wall also cancer has spread to 10 or more axillary lymph nodes or lymph nodes above or below the collarbone or axillary lymph nodes and lymph nodes near the breastbone cancer that has spread to the skin of the breast may also be inflammatory breast cancer see the section on inflammatory breast cancer for more information stage iv in stage iv cancer has spread to other organs of the body most often the bones lungs liver or brain the treatment of breast cancer depends partly on the stage of the disease for ductal carcinoma in situ dcis treatment options see ductal carcinoma in situ for treatment options for stage i stage ii stage iiia and operable stage iiic breast cancer see early localized or operable breast cancer for treatment options for stage iiib inoperable stage iiic and inflammatory breast cancer see locally advanced or inflammatory breast cancer for treatment options for cancer that has recurred near the area where it first formed see locoregional recurrent breast cancer for treatment options for stage iv breast cancer or breast cancer that has recurred in other parts of the body see metastatic breast cancer
Keywords: cancer, breast, stage, lymph, node, spread, tumor, body, cell, found


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Question: what are the treatments for breast cancer
Answer: key points there are different types of treatment for patients with breast cancer five types of standard treatment are used surgery radiation therapy chemotherapy hormone therapy targeted therapy new types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials high dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplant treatment for breast cancer may cause side effects patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial patients can enter clinical trials before during or after starting their cancer treatment follow up tests may be needed there are different types of treatment for patients with breast cancer different types of treatment are available for patients with breast cancer some treatments are standard the currently used treatment and some are being tested in clinical trials a treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients with cancer when clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the standard treatment the new treatment may become the standard treatment patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment five types of standard treatment are used surgery most patients with breast cancer have surgery to remove the cancer sentinel lymph node biopsy is the removal of the sentinel lymph node during surgery the sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node to receive lymphatic drainage from a tumor it is the first lymph node where the cancer is likely to spread a radioactive substance and or blue dye is injected near the tumor the substance or dye flows through the lymph ducts to the lymph nodes the first lymph node to receive the substance or dye is removed a pathologist views the tissue under a microscope to look for cancer cells after the sentinel lymph node biopsy the surgeon removes the tumor using breast conserving surgery or mastectomy if cancer cells were not found in the sentinel lymph node it may not be necessary to remove more lymph nodes if cancer cells were found more lymph nodes will be removed through a separate incision this is called a lymph node dissection types of surgery include the following breast conserving surgery is an operation to remove the cancer and some normal tissue around it but not the breast itself part of the chest wall lining may also be removed if the cancer is near it this type of surgery may also be called lumpectomy partial mastectomy segmental mastectomy quadrantectomy or breast sparing surgery total mastectomy surgery to remove the whole breast that has cancer this procedure is also called a simple mastectomy some of the lymph nodes under the arm may be removed and checked for cancer this may be done at the same time as the breast surgery or after this is done through a separate incision modified radical mastectomy surgery to remove the whole breast that has cancer many of the lymph nodes under the arm the lining over the chest muscles and sometimes part of the chest wall muscles chemotherapy may be given before surgery to remove the tumor when given before surgery chemotherapy will shrink the tumor and reduce the amount of tissue that needs to be removed during surgery treatment given before surgery is called preoperative therapy or neoadjuvant therapy even if the doctor removes all the cancer that can be seen at the time of the surgery some patients may be given radiation therapy chemotherapy or hormone therapy after surgery to kill any cancer cells that are left treatment given after the surgery to lower the risk that the cancer will come back is called postoperative therapy or adjuvant therapy if a patient is going to have a mastectomy breast reconstruction surgery to rebuild a breasts shape after a mastectomy may be considered breast reconstruction may be done at the time of the mastectomy or at some time after the reconstructed breast may be made with the patients own nonbreast tissue or by using implants filled with saline or silicone gel before the decision to get an implant is made patients can call the food and drug administration s fda center for devices and radiologic health at 1 888 info fda 1 888 463 6332 or visit the fda website for more information on breast implants radiation therapy radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high energy x rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing there are two types of radiation therapy external radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles seeds wires or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer the way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated external radiation therapy is used to treat breast cancer internal radiation therapy with strontium 89 a radionuclide is used to relieve bone pain caused by breast cancer that has spread to the bones strontium 89 is injected into a vein and travels to the surface of the bones radiation is released and kills cancer cells in the bones chemotherapy chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing when chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body systemic chemotherapy when chemotherapy is placed directly into the cerebrospinal fluid an organ or a body cavity such as the abdomen the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas regional chemotherapy the way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated systemic chemotherapy is used in the treatment of breast cancer see drugs approved for breast cancer for more information hormone therapy hormone therapy is a cancer treatment that removes hormones or blocks their action and stops cancer cells from growing hormones are substances made by glands in the body and circulated in the bloodstream some hormones can cause certain cancers to grow if tests show that the cancer cells have places where hormones can attach receptors drugs surgery or radiation therapy is used to reduce the production of hormones or block them from working the hormone estrogen which makes some breast cancers grow is made mainly by the ovaries treatment to stop the ovaries from making estrogen is called ovarian ablation hormone therapy with tamoxifen is often given to patients with early localized breast cancer that can be removed by surgery and those with metastatic breast cancer cancer that has spread to other parts of the body hormone therapy with tamoxifen or estrogens can act on cells all over the body and may increase the chance of developing endometrial cancer women taking tamoxifen should have a pelvic exam every year to look for any signs of cancer any vaginal bleeding other than menstrual bleeding should be reported to a doctor as soon as possible hormone therapy with a luteinizing hormone releasing hormone lhrh agonist is given to some premenopausal women who have just been diagnosed with hormone receptor positive breast cancer lhrh agonists decrease the body s estrogen and progesterone hormone therapy with an aromatase inhibitor is given to some postmenopausal women who have hormone receptor positive breast cancer aromatase inhibitors decrease the body s estrogen by blocking an enzyme called aromatase from turning androgen into estrogen anastrozole letrozole and exemestane are types of aromatase inhibitors for the treatment of early localized breast cancer that can be removed by surgery certain aromatase inhibitors may be used as adjuvant therapy instead of tamoxifen or after 2 to 3 years of tamoxifen use for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer aromatase inhibitors are being tested in clinical trials to compare them to hormone therapy with tamoxifen other types of hormone therapy include megestrol acetate or anti estrogen therapy such as fulvestrant see drugs approved for breast cancer for more information targeted therapy targeted therapy is a type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells monoclonal antibodies tyrosine kinase inhibitors cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors mammalian target of rapamycin mtor inhibitors and parp inhibitors are types of targeted therapies used in the treatment of breast cancer monoclonal antibody therapy is a cancer treatment that uses antibodies made in the laboratory from a single type of immune system cell these antibodies can identify substances on cancer cells or normal substances that may help cancer cells grow the antibodies attach to the substances and kill the cancer cells block their growth or keep them from spreading monoclonal antibodies are given by infusion they may be used alone or to carry drugs toxins or radioactive material directly to cancer cells monoclonal antibodies may be used in combination with chemotherapy as adjuvant therapy types of monoclonal antibody therapy include the following trastuzumab is a monoclonal antibody that blocks the effects of the growth factor protein her2 which sends growth signals to breast cancer cells it may be used with other therapies to treat her2 positive breast cancer pertuzumab is a monoclonal antibody that may be combined with trastuzumab and chemotherapy to treat breast cancer it may be used to treat certain patients with her2 positive breast cancer that has metastasized spread to other parts of the body it may also be used as neoadjuvant therapy in certain patients with early stage her2 positive breast cancer ado trastuzumab emtansine is a monoclonal antibody linked to an anticancer drug this is called an antibody drug conjugate it is used to treat her2 positive breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body or recurred come back tyrosine kinase inhibitors are targeted therapy drugs that block signals needed for tumors to grow tyrosine kinase inhibitors may be used with other anticancer drugs as adjuvant therapy tyrosine kinase inhibitors include the following lapatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that blocks the effects of the her2 protein and other proteins inside tumor cells it may be used with other drugs to treat patients with her2 positive breast cancer that has progressed after treatment with trastuzumab cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors are targeted therapy drugs that block proteins called cyclin dependent kinases which cause the growth of cancer cells cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors include the following palbociclib is a cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor used with the drug letrozole to treat breast cancer that is estrogen receptor positive and her2 negative and has spread to other parts of the body it is used in postmenopausal women whose cancer has not been treated with hormone therapy palbociclib may also be used with fulvestrant in women whose disease has gotten worse after treatment with hormone therapy ribociclib is a cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor used with letrozole to treat breast cancer that is hormone receptor positive and her2 negative and has come back or spread to other parts of the body it is used in postmenopausal women whose cancer has not been treated with hormone therapy mammalian target of rapamycin mtor inhibitors block a protein called mtor which may keep cancer cells from growing and prevent the growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow mtor inhibitors include the following everolimus is an mtor inhibitor used in postmenopausal women with advanced hormone receptor positive breast cancer that is also her2 negative and has not gotten better with other treatment parp inhibitors are a type of targeted therapy that block dna repair and may cause cancer cells to die parp inhibitor therapy is being studied for the treatment of patients with triple negative breast cancer or tumors with brca1 or brca2 mutations see drugs approved for breast cancer for more information new types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials this summary section describes treatments that are being studied in clinical trials it may not mention every new treatment being studied information about clinical trials is available from the nci website high dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplant high dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplant is a way of giving high doses of chemotherapy and replacing blood forming cells destroyed by the cancer treatment stem cells immature blood cells are removed from the blood or bone marrow of the patient or a donor and are frozen and stored after the chemotherapy is completed the stored stem cells are thawed and given back to the patient through an infusion these reinfused stem cells grow into and restore the bodys blood cells studies have shown that high dose chemotherapy followed by stem cell transplant does not work better than standard chemotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer doctors have decided that for now high dose chemotherapy should be tested only in clinical trials before taking part in such a trial women should talk with their doctors about the serious side effects including death that may be caused by high dose chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer may cause side effects for information about side effects that begin during treatment for cancer see our side effects page some treatments for breast cancer may cause side effects that continue or appear months or years after treatment has ended these are called late effects late effects of radiation therapy are not common but may include inflammation of the lung after radiation therapy to the breast especially when chemotherapy is given at the same time arm lymphedema especially when radiation therapy is given after lymph node dissection in women younger than 45 years who receive radiation therapy to the chest wall after mastectomy there may be a higher risk of developing breast cancer in the other breast late effects of chemotherapy depend on the drugs used but may include heart failure blood clots premature menopause second cancer such as leukemia late effects of targeted therapy with trastuzumab lapatinib or pertuzumab may include heart problems such as heart failure patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial for some patients taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice clinical trials are part of the cancer research process clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment many of today s standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments they often answer important questions and help move research forward patients can enter clinical trials before during or after starting their cancer treatment some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten better there are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from recurring coming back or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country see the treatment options section that follows for links to current treatment clinical trials these have been retrieved from nci s listing of clinical trials follow up tests may be needed some of the tests that were done to diagnose the cancer or to find out the stage of the cancer may be repeated some tests will be repeated in order to see how well the treatment is working decisions about whether to continue change or stop treatment may be based on the results of these tests some of the tests will continue to be done from time to time after treatment has ended the results of these tests can show if your condition has changed or if the cancer has recurred come back these tests are sometimes called follow up tests or check ups treatment options for breast cancer early localized or operable breast cancer treatment of early localized or operable breast cancer may include the following surgery breast conserving surgery and sentinel lymph node biopsy if cancer is found in the lymph nodes a lymph node dissection may be done modified radical mastectomy breast reconstruction surgery may also be done postoperative radiation therapy for women who had breast conserving surgery radiation therapy is given to the whole breast to lessen the chance the cancer will come back radiation therapy may also be given to lymph nodes in the area for women who had a modified radical mastectomy radiation therapy may be given to lessen the chance the cancer will come back if any of the following are true cancer was found in 4 or more lymph nodes cancer had spread to tissue around the lymph nodes the tumor was large there is tumor close to or remaining in the tissue near the edges of where the tumor was removed postoperative systemic therapy systemic therapy is the use of drugs that can enter the bloodstream and reach cancer cells throughout the body postoperative systemic therapy is given to lessen the chance the cancer will come back after surgery to remove the tumor postoperative systemic therapy is given depending on whether the tumor is hormone receptor negative or positive the tumor is her2 neu negative or positive the tumor is hormone receptor negative and her2 neu negative triple negative the size of the tumor in premenopausal women with hormone receptor positive tumors no more treatment may be needed or postoperative therapy may include tamoxifen therapy with or without chemotherapy tamoxifen therapy and treatment to stop or lessen how much estrogen is made by the ovaries drug therapy surgery to remove the ovaries or radiation therapy to the ovaries may be used aromatase inhibitor therapy and treatment to stop or lessen how much estrogen is made by the ovaries drug therapy surgery to remove the ovaries or radiation therapy to the ovaries may be used in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor positive tumors no more treatment may be needed or postoperative therapy may include aromatase inhibitor therapy with or without chemotherapy tamoxifen followed by aromatase inhibitor therapy with or without chemotherapy in women with hormone receptor negative tumors no more treatment may be needed or postoperative therapy may include chemotherapy in women with her2 neu negative tumors postoperative therapy may include chemotherapy in women with small her2 neu positive tumors and no cancer in the lymph nodes no more treatment may be needed if there is cancer in the lymph nodes or the tumor is large postoperative therapy may include chemotherapy and targeted therapy trastuzumab hormone therapy such as tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitor therapy for tumors that are also hormone receptor positive in women with small hormone receptor negative and her2 neu negative tumors triple negative and no cancer in the lymph nodes no more treatment may be needed if there is cancer in the lymph nodes or the tumor is large postoperative therapy may include chemotherapy radiation therapy a clinical trial of a new chemotherapy regimen a clinical trial of parp inhibitor therapy preoperative systemic therapy systemic therapy is the use of drugs that can enter the bloodstream and reach cancer cells throughout the body preoperative systemic therapy is given to shrink the tumor before surgery in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor positive tumors preoperative therapy may include chemotherapy hormone therapy such as tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitor therapy for women who cannot have chemotherapy in premenopausal women with hormone receptor positive tumors preoperative therapy may include a clinical trial of hormone therapy such as tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitor therapy in women with her2 neu positive tumors preoperative therapy may include chemotherapy and targeted therapy trastuzumab targeted therapy pertuzumab in women with her2 neu negative tumors or triple negative tumors preoperative therapy may include chemotherapy check the list of nci supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage i breast cancer stage ii breast cancer stage iiia breast cancer and stage iiic breast cancer for more specific results refine the search by using other search features such as the location of the trial the type of treatment or the name of the drug talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you general information about clinical trials is available from the nci website locally advanced or inflammatory breast cancer treatment of locally advanced or inflammatory breast cancer is a combination of therapies that may include the following surgery breast conserving surgery or total mastectomy with lymph node dissection chemotherapy before and or after surgery radiation therapy after surgery hormone therapy after surgery for tumors that are estrogen receptor positive or estrogen receptor unknown clinical trials testing new anticancer drugs new drug combinations and new ways of giving treatment check the list of nci supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage iiib breast cancer stage iiic breast cancer stage iv breast cancer and inflammatory breast cancer for more specific results refine the search by using other search features such as the location of the trial the type of treatment or the name of the drug talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you general information about clinical trials is available from the nci website locoregional recurrent breast cancer treatment of locoregional recurrent breast cancer cancer that has come back after treatment in the breast in the chest wall or in nearby lymph nodes may include the following chemotherapy hormone therapy for tumors that are hormone receptor positive radiation therapy surgery targeted therapy trastuzumab a clinical trial of a new treatment see the metastatic breast cancer section for information about treatment options for breast cancer that has spread to parts of the body outside the breast chest wall or nearby lymph nodes check the list of nci supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with recurrent breast cancer for more specific results refine the search by using other search features such as the location of the trial the type of treatment or the name of the drug talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you general information about clinical trials is available from the nci website metastatic breast cancer treatment options for metastatic breast cancer cancer that has spread to distant parts of the body may include the following hormone therapy in postmenopausal women who have just been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer that is hormone receptor positive or if the hormone receptor status is not known treatment may include tamoxifen therapy aromatase inhibitor therapy anastrozole letrozole or exemestane sometimes cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor therapy palbociclib is also given in premenopausal women who have just been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer that is hormone receptor positive treatment may include tamoxifen an lhrh agonist or both in women whose tumors are hormone receptor positive or hormone receptor unknown with spread to the bone or soft tissue only and who have been treated with tamoxifen treatment may include aromatase inhibitor therapy other hormone therapy such as megestrol acetate estrogen or androgen therapy or anti estrogen therapy such as fulvestrant targeted therapy in women with metastatic breast cancer that is hormone receptor positive and has not responded to other treatments options may include targeted therapy such as trastuzumab lapatinib pertuzumab or mtor inhibitors antibody drug conjugate therapy with ado trastuzumab emtansine cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor therapy palbociclib combined with letrozole in women with metastatic breast cancer that is her2 neu positive treatment may include targeted therapy such as trastuzumab pertuzumab ado trastuzumab emtansine or lapatinib chemotherapy in women with metastatic breast cancer that is hormone receptor negative has not responded to hormone therapy has spread to other organs or has caused symptoms treatment may include chemotherapy with one or more drugs surgery total mastectomy for women with open or painful breast lesions radiation therapy may be given after surgery surgery to remove cancer that has spread to the brain or spine radiation therapy may be given after surgery surgery to remove cancer that has spread to the lung surgery to repair or help support weak or broken bones radiation therapy may be given after surgery surgery to remove fluid that has collected around the lungs or heart radiation therapy radiation therapy to the bones brain spinal cord breast or chest wall to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life strontium 89 a radionuclide to relieve pain from cancer that has spread to bones throughout the body other treatment options other treatment options for metastatic breast cancer include drug therapy with bisphosphonates or denosumab to reduce bone disease and pain when cancer has spread to the bone see the pdq summary on cancer pain for more information about bisphosphonates a clinical trial of high dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplant clinical trials testing new anticancer drugs new drug combinations and new ways of giving treatment check the list of nci supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with metastatic cancer for more specific results refine the search by using other search features such as the location of the trial the type of treatment or the name of the drug talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you general information about clinical trials is available from the nci website
Keywords: cancer, therapy, breast, trial, hormone, clinical, surgery, chemotherapy, cell, tumor


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Question: what research or clinical trials is being done for breast cancer
Answer: new types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials this summary section describes treatments that are being studied in clinical trials it may not mention every new treatment being studied information about clinical trials is available from the nci website high dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplant high dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplant is a way of giving high doses of chemotherapy and replacing blood forming cells destroyed by the cancer treatment stem cells immature blood cells are removed from the blood or bone marrow of the patient or a donor and are frozen and stored after the chemotherapy is completed the stored stem cells are thawed and given back to the patient through an infusion these reinfused stem cells grow into and restore the bodys blood cells studies have shown that high dose chemotherapy followed by stem cell transplant does not work better than standard chemotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer doctors have decided that for now high dose chemotherapy should be tested only in clinical trials before taking part in such a trial women should talk with their doctors about the serious side effects including death that may be caused by high dose chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer may cause side effects for information about side effects that begin during treatment for cancer see our side effects page some treatments for breast cancer may cause side effects that continue or appear months or years after treatment has ended these are called late effects late effects of radiation therapy are not common but may include inflammation of the lung after radiation therapy to the breast especially when chemotherapy is given at the same time arm lymphedema especially when radiation therapy is given after lymph node dissection in women younger than 45 years who receive radiation therapy to the chest wall after mastectomy there may be a higher risk of developing breast cancer in the other breast late effects of chemotherapy depend on the drugs used but may include heart failure blood clots premature menopause second cancer such as leukemia late effects of targeted therapy with trastuzumab lapatinib or pertuzumab may include heart problems such as heart failure patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial for some patients taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice clinical trials are part of the cancer research process clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment many of today s standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments they often answer important questions and help move research forward patients can enter clinical trials before during or after starting their cancer treatment some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten better there are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from recurring coming back or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country see the treatment options section that follows for links to current treatment clinical trials these have been retrieved from nci s listing of clinical trials
Keywords: trial, clinical, cancer, chemotherapy, effect, cell, breast, part, patient, side


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Question: what is are liver hepatocellular cancer
Answer: key points liver cancer is a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the tissues of the liver liver cancer is not common in the united states being infected with certain types of the hepatitis virus can cause hepatitis and increase the risk of liver cancer hepatitis a hepatitis b hepatitis c hepatitis d hepatitis e hepatitis g liver cancer is a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the tissues of the liver the liver is one of the largest organs in the body it has four lobes and fills the upper right side of the abdomen inside the rib cage three of the many important functions of the liver are to filter harmful substances from the blood so they can be passed from the body in stools and urine to make bile to help digest fats from food to store glycogen sugar which the body uses for energy see the following pdq summaries for more information about liver hepatocellular cancer liver hepatocellular cancer screening adult primary liver cancer treatment childhood liver cancer treatment liver cancer is not common in the united states liver cancer is the fourth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death in the world in the united states men especially asian pacific islander men have an increased risk of liver cancer the number of new cases of liver cancer and the number of deaths from liver cancer continue to increase especially among middle aged black hispanic and white men people are usually older than 40 years when they develop this cancer finding and treating liver cancer early may prevent death from liver cancer
Keywords: cancer, liver, hepatitis, body, common, death, hepatocellular, men, state, united


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{"item_id":"CancerQA_697","keywords":"cancer, liver, hepatitis, body, common, death, hepatocellular, men, state, united","chroma:document":"Question: what is are liver hepatocellular cancer\nAnswer: key points liver cancer is a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the tissues of the liver liver cancer is not common in the united states being infected with certain types of the hepatitis virus can cause hepatitis and increase the risk of liver cancer hepatitis a hepatitis b hepatitis c hepatitis d hepatitis e hepatitis g liver cancer is a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the tissues of the liver the liver is one of the largest organs in the body it has four lobes and fills the upper right side of the abdomen inside the rib cage three of the many important functions of the liver are to filter harmful substances from the blood so they can be passed from the body in stools and urine to make bile to help digest fats from food to store glycogen sugar which the body uses for energy see the following pdq summaries for more information about liver hepatocellular cancer liver hepatocellular cancer screening adult primary liver cancer treatment childhood liver cancer treatment liver cancer is not common in the united states liver cancer is the fourth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death in the world in the united states men especially asian pacific islander men have an increased risk of liver cancer the number of new cases of liver cancer and the number of deaths from liver cancer continue to increase especially among middle aged black hispanic and white men people are usually older than 40 years when they develop this cancer finding and treating liver cancer early may prevent death from liver cancer\nKeywords: cancer, liver, hepatitis, body, common, death, hepatocellular, men, state, united","source":"cancer","type":"qa"}


