March is Deep Vein Thrombosis Awareness Month

Deep vein thrombosis (also called DVT or blood clots) occurs when a blood clot forms in a large vein. Part of a clot may break off and travel through the bloodstream to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism (PE) and, possibly, death. Take simple steps to protect yourself.

March is Deep Vein Thrombosis Awareness Month. Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE) are a major public health problem in the United States. Estimates suggest that 350,000 to 600,000 Americans have a DVT or PE each year, and that at least 100,000 people die as a result. Many of those who have a DVT or PE also have complications that can greatly impact their quality of life.

Everybody should know the risk factors, symptoms, and steps they can take to protect themselves.

Factors that increase the risk of developing DVT include:

Major surgery

Immobility, such as being in the hospital and long travel

Recent injury

Increased estrogen, from birth control pills, pregnancy, and certain medications

Certain chronic medical illnesses, such as heart disease and cancer

Previous DVT

Age (risk increases as age increases)

Obesity

Smoking

Know the symptoms of DVT and PE:

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

About half of people with DVT have no symptoms at all. For those who do have symptoms, the following are the most common and occur in the affected part of the body (usually the leg):

Swelling

Pain

Tenderness

Redness of the skin

Pulmonary Embolism (PE)

If you have a PE, you might:

Find it hard to breathe

Have a faster than normal heart beat

Have chest pain or discomfort, which usually worse with a deep breath or coughing

Cough up blood

Have very low blood pressure or lightheadedness, or black out

If you have any of these symptoms, you should seek medical help immediately.

cdc

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November is National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month

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 behind the stomach and in front of the spine.

The pancreas has two main jobs in the body:

• To produce juices that help digest (break down) food.
• To produce 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 produced by exocrine pancreas cells and the hormones are produced by endocrine pancreas cells. About 95% of pancreatic cancers begin in exocrine cells.

This summary provides information on exocrine pancreatic cancer.

Smoking and health history can affect the risk of developing 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 doesn’t mean that you will not get cancer. People who think they may be at risk should discuss this with their doctor. Risk factors for pancreatic cancer include the following:

• Smoking.
• Long-standing diabetes.
• Chronic pancreatitis.
• Certain hereditary conditions, such as hereditary pancreatitis, multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 syndrome, hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC; Lynch syndrome), von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, ataxia-telangiectasia, and the familial atypical multiple mole melanoma syndrome (FAMMM).

Possible signs of pancreatic cancer include jaundice, pain, and weight loss.

These and other symptoms may be caused by pancreatic cancer. Other conditions may cause the same symptoms. A doctor should be consulted if any of the following problems occur:

• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes).
• Pain in the upper or middle abdomen and back.
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Loss of appetite.
• Fatigue.

Pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect (find) and diagnose early.

Pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect and diagnose for the following reasons:

• There aren’t any noticeable signs or symptoms in the early stages of pancreatic cancer.
• The signs of pancreatic cancer, when present, are like the signs of many other illnesses.
• The pancreas is hidden behind other organs such as the stomach, small intestine, liver, gallbladder, spleen, and bile ducts.

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 produce 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:

• 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.
• 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 patient’s health habits and past illnesses and treatments will also be taken.
• 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.
• 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).
• PET scan (positron emission tomography scan): A procedure to find malignant tumor cells in the body. A small amount of radionuclide 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.
• 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.
• Laproscopy: 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 laparoscope (a thin, lighted tube) is inserted into one of the incisions. Other instruments may be inserted through the same or other incisions to perform procedures such as removing organs or taking tissue samples for biopsy.
• 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.
• 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 may be inserted into the pancreas during an x-ray or ultrasound to remove cells. Tissue may also be removed during a laparoscopy (a surgical incision made in the wall of the abdomen).

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 patient’s 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 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.

National Cancer Institute

November is American Diabetes Month

New cases of diabetes linked to rising obesity rates

Diabetes is a leading cause of kidney failure, blindness and amputations, and a major cause of heart disease and stroke. Nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes, and about 6 million of them are unaware of their disease. With obesity on the rise, millions more are at risk of developing diabetes.

Managing Diabetes-It’s not easy but it’s worth it

Every 24 hours more than 4,000 adults are diagnosed with diabetes and approximately 200 people die from diabetes. Diabetes is a major cause of heart disease and stroke and a leading cause of leg and foot amputations unrelated to injury, kidney failure, and new cases of blindness in adults. However, people with diabetes can lower their risk of complications by following important steps [1] to control the disease:

• Talk to your healthcare provider about how to manage your blood glucose (A1C), blood pressure, and cholesterol.
• Get both the seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines as soon as they are available. For those with diabetes, it is important to ask for the inactivated version of the vaccine. In addition, get a pneumonia shot at least once a year. People with diabetes are more likely to die from pneumonia or influenza than people who do not have diabetes.
• Stay at a healthy weight and engage in moderate physical activity for 2 hours and 30 minutes each week or vigorous physical activity for 1 hour and 15 minutes each week. Be sure to add muscle strengthening activities on 2 or more days each week. Physical activity can help you control your weight, blood glucose, and blood pressure, as well as raise your “good” cholesterol and lower your “bad” cholesterol.

Obesity is a major risk factor

During the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States, and this is a major factor – but not the only factor — in the increasing rate of newly diagnosed cases of diabetes. Population increases in diabetes have coincided with increases in obesity, and the type 2 diabetes epidemic is believed to be largely a result of the increase in obesity levels. Diagnosed diabetes has increased, particularly in overweight and obese individuals, and improvements in diabetes awareness and enhanced detection are occurring among the most obese (BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2).

Ways You Can Help Prevent Diabetes

Prediabetes is a condition in which individuals have blood glucose levels higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. In 2007, at least 57 million American adults were estimated to have prediabetes. People with prediabetes have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. However, progression to diabetes among those with prediabetes is not inevitable. Recent studies have shown that people at high risk for type 2 diabetes can prevent or delay the onset of the disease by losing 5 to 7 percent of their body weight. You can do that by eating healthier and getting moderate physical activity for 150 minutes each week or vigorous physical activity for 75 minutes each week. The development and delivery of lifestyle interventions to people at risk for diabetes are needed to stop the rise in new cases of diabetes.

CDC

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