Treatment for throat and mouth cancers, also referred to as oropharyngeal or head and neck cancers, will depend on location and stage of the cancer as well as other factors. Dr. Phillip Pirgousis, a Mayo Clinic head and neck surgeon, says patients have safer, less invasive surgical treatments available to them thanks to ongoing innovation.
Sexually transmitted diseases are so common they deserve their own acronym, STDs. Down through the ages, Sexual activity with multiple partners has been so popular that the ever-resourceful bacteria, fungi, and viruses all compete for this ever present ecosystem. It is not uncommon to have multiple STDs at the same time.
Since STDs have many symptoms and physical findings in common, it is essential to go to the doctor for a diagnosis; certainly the treatments very widely.
Until the mid 20th century, treatments were very unsatisfactory, and the infection of the vagina would often lead to deeper infections of the uterus and abdominal cavity; pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)was fairly common then, and still occurs in people foolish enough to postpone getting their problem treated properly.
The common STDs include bacterial vaginosis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital herpes, human papilloma virus infection(HPV), Syphillis and Trichomoniasis. These are sufficiently different in their symptoms and treatment as to deserve their own discussion among the 101 common disorders. Now we have a new kid on the block, Monkeypox, that is helping out AIDS as a plague to the homosexual community.
I have a dear friend who is a physician for a student health department at a major university. STDs, depression, and other psychiatric problems are among the more common things that she sees in her practice.
—Dr. C.
There are a number of recommended screening tests for cancer.
Mammography has been shown quite effective in reducing deaths from breast cancer, it is recommended for women ages 40 to 74.
HPV and PAP tests are recommended for cervical cancer screening in women. Testing should begin at age 21 and end at age 65.
Colonoscopy is recommended for colorectal cancer screening for both men and women ages 45 through 75.
HCT, a type of CT, is recommended for heavy smokers at ages 15 to 80.
Where the risks are high, there are other tests not generally recommended for everybody. Tests are available for liver cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer, and ovarian cancer where are the risk is high. In women with BRCA1 And BRCA2 mutations, breast MRIs are recommended.
Personally, I get a yearly PSA test, mainly because a good friend, a physician, died within 3 years of prostate cancer when he stopped taking the test.
I also get a skin examination by a dermatologist every six months, because I have a very fair skin, probably caused by the freckle variant of the MC1R gene.
There are a number of symptoms and signs that suggest cancer, particularly when they don’t go away, such as fatigue, weight loss or gain for no apparent reason; trouble swallowing, nausea, or abdominal pain; swelling or lumps anywhere in the body; cough or hoarseness; unusual bleeding; change in bowel habits; fevers or night sweats; bleeding areas in the mouth. Protracted headaches or vision problems can be worrisome.
In short, any distressing or unusual symptom that doesn’t improve on its own should be watched very carefully, and reported to your doctor; but it is far better to pick them up early with a test or a doctors routine examination than to wait for symptoms to develop.
—Dr. C.
Oral (mouth) cancer is complicated. It’s okay to have questions. Get informed: https://mayocl.in/3xu4GFH If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with oral cancer, you may be asking yourself a lot of questions. Our experts are here to help you answer them.
Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 0:15 What can I do to prevent oral cancer? 0:45 What is my chance of cure? 1:33 What do oral cancer patients need to know about mental health? 2:33 As a caregiver, how can I support someone with oral cancer? 3:23 How can I be the best partner to my medical team? 2:55 Ending
What is oral cancer? https://bit.ly/37l5Ybx
Warts are so common as to have become a metaphor for any blemish. I have had several warts in childhood, most likely because my immunity was immature along with the rest of me. They went away, as do most warts. I have had a few warts on and off since, since the HPV that produces them is so widespread.
My immune reaction took care of them, For some reason, I now have a wart between my toes that bears watching. Hopefully it will go away like the rest. Warts rarely become malignant, They can cause problems with breathing if they block the airway, such as the larynx (voice box) or bronchi (breathing tubes). I had such a case in my Allergy/respiratory disease practice that sounded like asthma to the referring Doctor.
Elderly people can develop a variety of skin bumps, that my grandmother called “moles”. In the past month, I have developed a reddish bump on my nose. It looks a lot like the “intradermal nevus” pictured in an accompanying article from “consultant360”. Seborrheic Keratoses are common, and I have some of those too. Of course,
I have a regular crop of scaly “actinic Keratoses” for my Dermatologist to freeze with liquid Nitrogen during my twice yearly visits to prevent them from developing into cancer. I have a suspicion that many home remedies for warts, and the scraping and freezing efforts of dermatologists merely stir up the infected cells in the lesion and incite the immune system to mop up.
Time will usually do the job, but they are often annoying and there is always the temptation to treat them.
Human Papillomavirus, HPV, is a very successful Virus, from the microbial standpoint. It has been around for a long time, specializes in Humans, kills many fewer than it infects and becomes a chronic disease, even if 90% of infections resolve spontaneously within 2 years.
HPV is a DNA Virus. Most of the strains, if they persist, become harmless nuisances, and cause “Verruca Vulgaris”, the common wart of the skin. The voicebox and windpipe area is rarely targeted, but warts can produce problems there because of the location. Non-malignant genital warts can also occur with certain serotypes.
A few members of the HPV family have evolved to generate premalignant lesions that can develop into CANCER. These strains are spread by Sexual contact. In Women, the CERVIX of the Uterus or the vagina are often involved. The anal area, back of the throat and the Lung are occasional sites in both sexes. In Men, the Penis is targeted.
Cancer is generally a delayed effect that occurs after a long infection. Some HPV strains, such a 16 and 18, have evolved to suppress the p53 gene, an ONCOGENE which protects us from malignant progression. Without this protection, a chance cancerous mutation can grow without restraint. Since HPV can invade only the deeper basal stem cells in the skin or lining mucous membranes, some minor trauma or break in the surface is needed to allow Viral entry.
If antibodies are present, the Virus is intercepted, and infection doesn’t take place. This discovery made Immunization with the Cancer-producing strains attractive. It is also why the immunization is recommended in Childhood, before Sexual activity begins. Immunization after the HPV is already inside the body is Ineffective.
The Virus is already in the Nucleus of infected cells and protected from the immune response. The recommendation is to get the immunization in childhood, and use condoms.
This video tells the story of Ana, a cervical cancer survivor, who encourages women to recognize abnormal Paps as an opportunity to speak to your doctor about gynecologic health.
Doctors Without Waiting Rooms 