Cancer Articles (Dr. S.N White)

What is a polyp? A polyp is a growth originating from the mucous membranes of the colon (polyps also occur in the bladder , uterus, nose, etc.). They are very common, occurring in 10 to 15 percent of all adults. Usually they cause few symptoms and are most often found during routine intestinal examinations. Cure, through removal, entails little surgical risk. If cancer is found in the polyp, the area surrounding it is removed. Painless rectal bleeding is the most frequent symptom of a polyp. Because some polyps have a tendency to become cancerous, their removal is recommended by many doctors. How do doctors remove polyps from colon? This depends on where the polyp is located. If it is within 8 inches of the rectal opening, it can be removed with a sigmoidoscope through the rectum either burned off or clipped and removed through the rectum. With improved techniques of colonoscopy almost any polyp with a "stalk" can be removed through a colonoscope. Some will still r...

Are all growths or tumors cancer? No. A tumor can be either benign ( noncancerous ) or malignant (cancerous). The word tumor itself is usually defined as "an abnormal mass of new tissue, the growth of which exceeds and is uncoordinated with that of normal tissue. " The characteristic of a tumor is cell division growth that serves no useful purpose. What is a benign tumor?  A benign tumor is a growth that is not cancerous. It has four main characteristics: • It has limited growth potential and does not usually grow rapidly. It does not destroy normal cells while it is growing. • It remains localized that is, it does not metastasize (spread to other places). • It usually does not produce any serious side effects, unless it is growing in a confined area such as the brain. • It usually has an orderly and well organized growth. Are benign tumors dangerous?  Usually benign tumors do not endanger life, even though they are examples of abnormal growth. The cells i...

Hemorrhoids Hemorrhoids are varicose veins of the anus. The lump at the external opening is a distended vein. The cause of hemorrhoids has not been truly established, but there are a number of associated considerations. They are probably related to the upright posture; four legged animals do not get this disease, although it is seen in baboons. Hemorrhoids often appear temporarily with the increased intra abdominal pressure of pregnancy and in some very constipated individuals who strain at stool. Yet many individuals in these categories don't get them. There is definitely a familial inherited predisposition to them, as there is in varicose veins of the legs. The patient usually comes in aware of protrusion and has often made his own correct diagnosis. Where the patient's judgment is wrong and he waited a long time for spontaneous recovery, the delay can be of consequence. Not all lumps about the anus are hemorrhoids, and hemorrhoids are not the only cause of bright red...

A polyp is a protruding growth which has a wartlike appearance. It can vary from a pinhead to a large orange in size. The word pertains to the shape of the growth and is used to describe any circumscribed bulge that protrudes into a body space. Polyps occur in many areas, but they are especially common in the nose and the intestinal tract. The colon is that part of the intestinal tract from which water is absorbed and in which the solid stool is formed, temporarily stored, and from which it is evacuated. Polyps in the colon can cause bleeding and anemia as well as obstruction of bowel movement. They sometimes present a problem in diagnosis, for many polyps cause no symptoms at all. The presence of a polyp is established by an X-ray examination of the intestine or by looking directly into the intestine through a lighted tube (sigmoidoscope) inserted through the rectum. Where do polyps of the colon come from?  Polyps in this area are of two types. The one variety is a true tumo...