Endoscopy

Endoscopy is seeing inside a human body using an instrument called endoscope.A flexible endoscope appears as shown.

Many endoscopic procedures are considered to be relatively painless and, at worst, associated with mild discomfort. Most patients tolerate the procedure with only topical anaesthesia of the oropharynx using lignocaine spray .

what does the patient feel after endoscopy?

After the procedure the patient will be observed and monitored by a qualified individual in the endoscopy or a recovery area until a significant portion of the medication has worn off. Occasionally a patient is left with a mild sore throat, which promptly responds to saline gargles, or a feeling of distention from the insufflated air that was used during the procedure. Both problems are mild and fleeting. When fully recovered, the patient will be instructed when to resume his/her usual diet (probably within a few hours) and will be allowed to be taken home.

Endoscopy can involve

oesophagus

bile duct
The nose
The lower respiratory tract
The urinary tract
The female reproductive system
Normally closed body cavities (through a small incision):
The abdominal or pelvic cavity
The interior of a joint
Organs of the chest
During pregnancy
Plastic Surgery
Panendoscopy

taxol doesnt work out for common breast cancer...

Taxol is a chemotherapy drug which is a colourless fluid.
it may be given as a drip (infusion):
through a fine tube (cannula) inserted into the vein
through a central line, which is inserted under the skin into a vein near the collarbone, or into a PICC line, which is inserted into a vein in the crook of the arm.

Each person's reaction to chemotherapy is different.
some of possible side effects are

• can reduce the production of white blood cells by the bone marrow, making you more prone to infection.
• reduce the production of platelets (which help the blood to clot).
• Anaemia.
• Sore mouth and ulcers.
• Taste changes You may notice that your food tastes different.
• Diarrhoea.
• Hair loss.
• Headaches .
• Nausea (feeling sick) and vomiting .

surprisingly new research suggests Taxol does not work for the most common form of breast cancer .

If it doesnt work then why do undergo the treatment?

so researches are working on this to find out wether taxol must be given or not to a breast cancer patient.

source:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071010/ap_on_he_me/breast_cancer_chemo;_ylt=Ak0Mb0SoRtWI2T32ZLy6YqEDW7oF

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order!!

Mesothelium is a protective sac that covers most of the body’s internal organs such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs . The function of mesothelium is to produce a lubricating fluid allowing moving organs like heat to glide easily.


Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles.

Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age.


Symptoms:

• Mesothelioma may not appear until 30 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos.
• Shortness of breath and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid Symptoms.
• May include weight loss and abdominal pain and swelling due to a buildup of fluid in the abdomen, bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever.
• If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions. It is important to see a doctor about any of these symptoms

Treatment:

• Surgery is a common treatment for mesothelioma. The doctor may remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it.
• A lung may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed.
• Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, involves the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy affects the cancer cells only in the treated area. The radiation may come from a machine (external radiation) or from putting materials that produce radiation through thin plastic tubes into the area where the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy).
• Chemotherapy is the use of anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells throughout the body. Most drugs used to treat mesothelioma are given by injection into a vein (intravenous, or IV). Doctors are also studying the effectiveness of putting chemotherapy directly into the chest or abdomen (intracavitary chemotherapy).
• To relieve symptoms and control pain, the doctor may use a needle or a thin tube to drain fluid that has built up in the chest or abdomen. Drugs may be given through a tube in the chest to prevent more fluid from accumulating. Radiation therapy and surgery may also be helpful in relieving symptoms

gallstones...

Gallstones are the ball like substance which occurs in the gall bladder .This gall bladdder is present below the liver in the right abdomen.

how does this gallstone occur?

gallstones are nothing but the bile which is a liquid gets hardened in the gallbladder due to some reason.

The bile produced by liver and stored in gallbladder plays an important role in digestion.Its stored in the gall bladder until needed for digestion when needed gall bladder pushes the bile juice into the intestine.

Causes for the gallstones:

• bile contains too much cholesterol
• not enough bile salts
• when the gallbladder does not empty completely or often enough.
• hereditary blood disorders
• Excess estrogen from pregnancy, hormone replacement therapy (in women)
• overweight
• prolonged fasting
• Age
• Diabetes

symptoms of gallstone:

gallbladder attack may occur suddenly often at night or after consumption of fatty meals.

• steady pain in the right upper abdomen that increases rapidly and lasts from 30 minutes to several hours
• pain in the back between the shoulder blades
• pain under the right shoulder

The pain often passes as the gallstone moves but notifying to your family doctor is safe.

If symptoms like:

• prolonged pain—more than 5 hours
• nausea and vomiting
• fever—even low-grade—or chills
• yellowish color of the skin or whites of the eyes
• clay-colored stools

then you should meet a doctor immediately.

some may not have any symptoms at all!

diagnosis:

by CT scan,HIDA scan,ERCP,blood tests.

Is the gallbladder necessary for a human being to survive?!!!

interesting question isnt it and fortunately the answer is a NO!

So if you have a problem with gallbladder no need to panic just be sure to meet a doctor and do as he advices you to!