25 Cancer Symptoms Men Are Most Likely to Ignore

By Melanie Haiken, Caring.com senior editor

Annual checkups and tests such as colonoscopies and PSA assays are important, but it's not a good idea to rely on tests alone to protect you from cancer. It's just as important to listen to your body and notice anything that's different, odd, or unexplainable. (You should also listen to those close to you, such as a wife or partner, because others sometimes notice things we're unaware of—or don't want to admit.) You don't want to join the ranks of cancer patients who realize too late that symptoms they'd noticed for a long time could have sounded the alarm earlier, when cancer was easier to cure.
Here, some signs of cancer that are commonly overlooked:
1. Upset stomach or stomachache: One of the first signs colon cancer patients remember experiencing when they look back is unexplained stomach aches. Those with pancreatic cancer describe a dull ache that feels like it's pressing inward. Many liver cancer patients say they went in complaining of stomach cramps and upset stomachs so frequently that their doctors thought they had ulcers. Liver cancer patients and those with leukemia can experience abdominal pain resulting from an enlarged spleen, which may feel like an ache on the lower left side.
If you have a stomachache that you can't attribute to a digestive problem or that doesn't go away, ask your doctor to order an ultrasound. Finding a liver or pancreatic tumor early can make all the difference in treatment.
2. Chronic "acid stomach" or feeling full after a small meal: The most common early sign of stomach cancer is pain in the upper or middle abdomen that feels like gas or heartburn. It may be aggravated by eating, so that you feel full when you haven't actually eaten much. What's particularly confusing is that the pain can be relieved by antacids, confirming your conclusion that it was caused by acid in the stomach, when it's more than that. An unexplained pain or ache in the lower right side can be the first sign of liver cancer, known as one of the "silent killers." Feeling full after a small meal is a common sign of liver cancer as well.
If you have frequent bouts of acid stomach, an unexplained abdominal ache, or a full feeling after meals even when you're eating less than normal, call your doctor.
3. Unexplained weight loss: If you notice the pounds coming off and you haven't made changes to your diet or exercise regime, it's important to find out why. Unexplained weight loss can be an early sign of colon and other digestive cancers; it can also be a sign of cancer that's spread to the liver, affecting your appetite and the ability of your body to rid itself of waste.
4. Jaundice: Pancreatic cancer, another one of the "silent killers," is often discovered when someone notices jaundice and asks the doctor to do a battery of tests. Jaundice is most commonly thought of as a yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, but darker-than-normal urine that's not the result of dehydration is also a sign. Clay-colored stools are another little-known sign of jaundice. Oddly, jaundice can also cause itching, because the bile salts in the bloodstream cause the skin to itch. Some people with pancreatic cancer say they noticed the itching before they noticed the jaundice itself.
5. Wheezing or shortness of breath: One of the first signs lung cancer patients remember noticing when they look back is the inability to catch their breath. "I couldn't even walk to my car without wheezing; I thought I had asthma, but how come I didn't have it before?" is how one man described it. Shortness of breath, chest pain, or spitting blood are also signs of testicular cancer that's spread to the lungs.
6. Chronic cough or chest pain: Several types of cancer, including leukemia and lung tumors, can cause symptoms that mimic a bad cough or bronchitis. One way to tell the difference: The problems persist, or go away and come back again in a repeating cycle. Some lung cancer patients report chest pain that extends up into the shoulder or down the arm.
7. Frequent fevers or infections: These can be signs of leukemia, a cancer of the blood cells that starts in the bone marrow. Leukemia causes the marrow to produce abnormal white blood cells, which crowd out healthy white cells, sapping the body's infection-fighting capabilities. Doctors sometimes catch leukemia in older adults only after the patient has been in a number of times complaining of fever, achiness, and flu-like symptoms over an extended period of time.
8. Difficulty swallowing: Most commonly associated with esophageal or throat cancer, having trouble swallowing is sometimes one of the first signs of lung cancer, too. Men diagnosed with esophageal cancer look back and remember a feeling of pressure and soreness when swallowing that didn't go away the way a cold or flu would have. Consult your doctor also if you have a frequent feeling of needing to clear your throat or that food is stuck in your chest; either of these can signal a narrowing of the esophagus that could mean the presence of a tumor.
9. Chronic heartburn: If you just ate half a pizza, heartburn is expected. But if you have frequent episodes of heartburn or a constant low-level feeling of pain in the chest after eating, call your doctor and ask to be screened for esophageal cancer. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)—a condition in which stomach acid rises into the esophagus, causing heartburn and an acidic taste in the throat—can trigger a condition called Barrett's esophagus, which can be a precursor of esophageal cancer.
10. Swelling of facial features: Some patients with lung cancer report that they noticed puffiness, swelling, or redness in the face. The explanation for this is that small-cell lung tumors commonly block blood vessels in the chest, preventing blood from flowing freely from the head and face.

Early Symptoms of Liver Cancer

What are the symptoms of liver cancer?

Liver cancer symptoms are very diverse. However, as a rule, there are common symptoms of «malignant disease», manifestation of which depends on the variations of clinical course of the neoplasm.
In a typical aspect of disease leading symptoms are noted such ones as progressive weakness, adynamia, appetite loss, cachexia, often nausea and vomiting. There is a carebaria and the constant pain in the right subcostal area, anemia develops. Liver quite rapidly increases in size, with its lower edge often determined on the level of the navel and below; with palpation it is moderately painful, stiff, hilly; sometimes is determined an isolated tumor node.

With the liver cancer development against the background of cirrhosis, symptoms of malignant neoplasms are prevalent in the clinical presentation of the disease; deterioration of the patient makes progress rapidly, increases pain in the liver, appears ascites, jaundice, fever, arises frequent nasal bleeding, often found skin telangiectasis.
In some cases of the primary liver cancer is a high non-treatment fever; symptoms of liver lesion appear later in these cases.
Asymptomatic form of primary liver cancer often goes like a chronic hepatitis B, without constant and typical clinical signs of cancer. In some cases, the clinical presentation of primary liver cancer may include symptoms of complications or signs of dissemination of tumor.
In the clinical symptomatology of complications are typical: obstructive jaundice (compression of main bile duct tumor or its metastases), splenomegaly, ascites, enlargement of subcutaneous veins of the front abdominal wall, gastrointestinal bleeding (compression of portal vein), and signs of rupture of the tumor, spontaneous or under the influence of minor injuries with intraperitoneal bleeding and subsequent peritonitis.
Metastatic liver cancer is mostly detected in the liver (intraorganic metastasis), in lymph nodes of the porta and omentulum, in splanchnic as well as other organs (lungs, pleura, peritoneum, kidneys, pancreas, bones).

What is liver cancer?

Of the epithelial tissue in the liver may arise: hepatocellular (liver cell) cancer, cholangiocellular (bile duct cancer), hepato-cholangiocellular (mixed) cancer, and undifferentiated carcinoma. Of non-epithelial tissue - hemangioendothelioma. Mixed malignant tumors include embryonal liver carcinoma and carcinosarcoma.
From a clinical point of view and by liver cancer symptoms, there are primary and secondary (metastatic, sprouting from an adjacent organ) liver cancers.
Primary liver cancer looks like a single or multiple dense formation, with whitish color without clear boundaries. Tumor quickly extends to the blood vessels and spreads over the liver, where forms metastases. With cancer, which develops against the background of liver cirrhosis, malignant tumor takes diffuse form without nodes formation. Metastatic liver cancer appears like a tumor metastasis with a primary localization in other organs.

Treatment of liver cancer

Treatment of primary liver cancer is currently being conducted by combined methods. The main method is a radical surgical intervention (typical lobectomy or hemihepatectomy, atypical resections of the liver) in combination with chemotherapy (methotrexate, thio-TEF, 5-fluorouracil) with the introduction of drugs through of umbilical vein or hepatic artery. However, the possibility of a radical operation is only available for one of five patients (depends on liver cancer symptoms and diagnosis).
In a specially equipped medical centers performed a liver transplant. Radiation therapy is usually not effective and can be used only in the postoperative period. There are currently carried out extensive researches to determine the effectiveness of immunization against hepatitis B as a way to prevent hepatocellular carcinoma.
The forecast for operated on the primary liver cancer, unfortunately, is not optimistic, no more than 9-19% of patients who experienced surgery are living up to 5 years after surgery. The transplantation of the liver is the best perspective for today.

How to distinguish liver cancer from other similar diseases?

If there are symptoms similar to liver cancer symptoms, then differential diagnosing of primary liver cancer is made with secondary (metastatic) tumors of the body, cirrhosis, and nonneoplastic liver diseases. Diagnosis of secondary tumors of the liver becomes evident when the primary focus identified.
By the differential diagnosis of primary liver cancer with cirrhosis helps reaction to alpha-fetoprotein, which is negative with cirrhosis, and liver scan clearly identifies nidal or diffuse its lesion.
Liver cyst of nonparasitic nature is round, with elastic consistency, and a clear roentgenological picture and the typical manifestations by radioisotope scanning of the liver. In the differential diagnosis of liver echinococcosis, anamnestic data is relevant, as well as eosinophilia and positive serological reactions. If there are suspicions about nephroblastoma or neuroblastoma, which located in the upper abdomen, then excretory urography and angiography are applied.

Diagnosis of liver cancer

Recognition of liver cancer, especially in the initial stage, is difficult, since there are no specific liver cancer symptoms. Therefore, liver cancer is often diagnosed in the far-called stages. History data (fever, pain in the right side of the stomach, increasing of the liver) is important, as well as clinical examination (strain or increase of abdomen, expressed subcutaneous vasculature in the upper half of the abdomen, changing of the shape and size of the liver).
Laboratory researches show hypochromic anemia, leukocytosis, ESR acceleration, increase of transaminase and alkaline phosphatase.
Other techniques are widely used: diagnostic radioisotope and ultrasonic scanning of the liver, CT, MRI, laparoscopy with the sighting of liver biopsy, splenoportography, aortography, selective celiacography.

Classification of liver cancer

Primary liver cancer separated into main and diffuse forms. According to the cell type - in hepatocellular (hepatoma), emanating from the hepatocytes (liver cells), cholangiocellular (holangioma) emanating from the bile duct epithelium, mixed (holangiogepatoma) emanating from the cells of both types, and mesodermal tumors (mesenchymoma, angiosarcoma and lymphosarcoma). Hepatomas occur much more frequently than other forms of liver cancer.
The most common classification is on the basis of international standard TNM, taking into account the peculiarities of the anatomic structure of the organ, size of the primary focus, spread of intrahepatic metastasis (T element - the incidence of tumors, N element - the status of lymph nodes, M element - distant metastases) and liver cancer symptoms.

What is the reason for the development of liver cancer?

The etiology and mechanism of liver cancer development, as well as other cancers, are not sufficient determined. The influence of climate and geography, the nature of food, medical treatment are the factors of risk. The presence of aflatoxin in food products (carcinogenic mitoksin) sometimes affects the occurrence of primary liver cancer. Angiosarcoma of the liver is sometimes associated with endogenous anabolic hormones. Parasitic (amoebiasis, schistosomiasis, Opisthorchiasis, etc.) and viral diseases (viral hepatitis B, which is considered to be caused at least 80% of all cases of hepatocellular carcinoma), liver cirrhosis irrelatively of its reason may favour the occurrence of primary liver cancer.
There is a family predisposition to the liver cancer development, as well as a clear link between alcoholic cirrhosis and primary liver cancer. In present-day world, primary liver cancer in patients with alcoholism, in 80-90% of the cases develops against the background of gin-drinker’s liver.

How frequent is liver cancer?

Every year in the world with liver cancer become sick at least 250 000 people. Primary liver cancer is found in the 30-40 times less than metastatic. A particularly high frequency of primary liver cancer observed in Senegal, South Africa, China, India and the Philippines. In Russia, a primary liver cancer is found from 0.25 to 1% of deaths. Men sick liver cancer 4 times more likely than women. The disease may occur at any age, but more often after 40 years.

Ohhira Nutrition

 

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Today, Lay people observe the Eight Precepts on Uposatha days, as a support for meditation practice and as a way to re-energize commitment to the Dhamma. Whenever possible, lay people use these days as an opportunity to visit the local monastery, in order to make special offerings to the Sangha, to listen to Dhamma, and to practice meditation with Dhamma companions late into the night. For those not closely affiliated with a local monastery, it can simply be an opportunity to step up one's efforts in meditation, while drawing on the invisible support of millions of other practicing Buddhists around the world.
The calendar of Uposatha days is calculated using a complex traditional formula that is loosely based on the lunar calendar, with the result that the dates do not always coincide with the actual astronomical dates. To further complicate matters, each sect within Theravada Buddhism tends to follow a slightly different calendar.                                                                                                                   * Thus, Uposatha days are times of renewed dedication to Dhamma practice, observed by lay followers and monastics throughout the world of Theravada Buddhism.

For monastics, these are often days of more intensive reflection and meditation. In many monasteries physical labor (construction projects, repairs, etc.) is curtailed. On New Moon and Full Moon days the fortnightly confession and recitation of the Bhikkhu Patimokkha (monastic rules of conduct) takes place. http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sila/uposatha.html

Dear fellow devotees, You and your spouse are cordially invited to our 3D2N Self-Meditation Retreat at Borneo Highlands Resort, Kota Padawan off Kuching, 94200 Sarawak, Malaysia on 12-14 August 2013 Call +60123159527 (David Karuna Tan dktan57@gmail.com) for all future programme. This programme can accomodate maximum 60 participants. Cost: RM 400 inclusive of Airport transfer from Kuching Airport to Borneo Highlands Resort, twin-sharing room, breakfast & lunch (vegetarian) plus usage of meditation hall. Closing date: (Limited to the first 60 participants on the first come, first serve basis) or till 5 August 2013 (final count) for this special Metta Bhavana Meditation Retreat. Log on to http://www.BorneoHighlands.com.my All are Welcome ! RSVP me at +6012 3159527 early to avoid disappointment ! Undangan: Mohon Kehadiran Bpk/Ibu/Raman/Ramani sekalian untuk hadiri di Retreat Meditasi Metta Bhavana peringkat permulaan yang akan diterjemahkan oleh Pak David Karuna dalam Bahasa Malaysia/ Indonesia pada tgl 12 Augustus hingga tgl 14 Augustus 2013 di Borneo Highlands Resort, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Pesawat sendirian dan kos ialah RM400 dengan Airport Transfer dari Kuching Airport ke Borneo Highlands Resort, 2 sebilik bersama makan pagi dan siang. Info: Permesanan: Dktan.blogspot.com (SEKRETARIAT) Pak David Karuna Tan +6012 3159527 (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) BBM ID: 29D31EAA (Waktu registrasi ialah 1 petang). Sila sebarkan maklumat ini kepada semua sebelum 5hb Agustus 2013. Maklumat boleh di dapati di https://www.facebook.com/events/470858333001895 http://www.BorneoHighlands.com.my  Thank you http://dktan.blogspot.com

Malaysian Buddhists celebrate Wesak Day 2013

 

Buddhists celebrate Wesak Day

PRAYERS FOR PEACE, PROSPERITY: Devotees of Subang Jaya Buddhist Association and Setenang Buddhist Society, Kuala Lumpur commemorate Buddha’s Day

SUBANG JAYA: THE Subang Jaya Buddhist Association (SJBA) marked the auspicious Wesak Day by officially launching its building extension fundraising campaign yesterday.
The campaign, which aims to collect RM5 million, will go into funding a brand new four-storey block adjacent to existing building which was built back in 1997.
Since the pre-launch of its campaign a week ago, some RM300,000 had already been collected from generous donors and devotees.
The donation collected through three channels, namely, pledges, sales of brick coupons and direct contribution had been positive, said SJBA president Chim Siew Choon.
Chim thanked the donors and hoped the donation for the new building, on a piece of land given by the Selangor government, will continue to increase.
"The vihara (temple) has been well used over the years but we need more space for ongoing activities. With the new building on a piece of 0.05ha land, we will be able to accommodate our members and devotees comfortably.
"We hope to garner more support from the public to make our extension a reality in two years' time," he said.
Chim said the new building will have dhamma school classrooms, a meditation and multipurpose hall, better equipped library, senior citizen centre, and dana hall.
Also present at the launch were SJBA abbot U Nyanaramsi, its patron Datuk Tang See Hang, Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh, and Kelana Jaya MP Wong Chen.
Meanwhile, some 10,000 members and devotees came together at the SJBA premises to honour the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha.
It was a perfect day for families, young and old, to engage in activities such as the lighting of oil lamps and lotus candles, blood donation, offering of robes to monks, offering of flowers to the Buddha, health checks, blessing ceremony, chanting, transfer of merits and traditional Chinese medicine services as well as hanging their wishes on the bodhi tree.
For good friends, Tan Ai Mooi and Yong Yuk Moey, Wesak Day was a chance for them to get away from their families and bond with each other.
The duo from SS15, who were waiting for the blessing ceremony to start, had been going to SJBA for two years together.
"Today is a special occasion and we make time to honour the Buddha. This is also the time when we do self-reflection and seek inner peace by listening to the dhamma and meditate," said the 60-year-old Tan.
Over at the Setenang Buddhist Society in Taman Damai Utama, Jalan Kinrara 6, Puchong, Wesak Day was celebrated with puja, chanting and blessings by the monks at the centre. The theme for this year was A Prosperous Nation, A Peaceful Life.
Greeting the devotees at the premises was the Bathing Buddha built.
Many devotees participated in an event known as bathing of the Buddha at an area in the premises decorated to represent Lumbini Garden.
Lumbini Garden in Nepal was the birthplace of the Buddha.
The act of bathing the Buddha is symbolic of purity, wisdom, dignity, merit and virtue, and devotees do so in return for blessings.
The devotees had also lit candles and joss sticks as offerings to the Buddha.
Setenang Wesak Day organising chairman David Karuna Tan said he was happy to see the crowd who came to take part in the festivities.
"We hope more people will learn about the life of Buddha with us," he said.
The commemoration of Wesak Day at Setenang will culminate in a musical puja by Bro. Chong Su Lim.

Read more: Buddhists celebrate Wesak Day - Central - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/streets/central/buddhists-celebrate-wesak-day-1.285681#ixzz2UGUmLgHN

Message by Bhante Mahinda on Wesak 2013

As we live in these times of great change and uncertainty we need to recognize the importance of the cultivation of mindfulness and be ready to transform ourselves through a simple, sustainable and spiritual way of life.

We need to wake up to the realities of the dramatic changes taking place around us and the various manifestations of suffering in the world.

We need to recognize the preciousness of our human life and arouse compassion in our hearts as we kindle the light of wisdom within. The qualities of wisdom and compassion are both necessary in order to cope with and adapt to the changes taking place around us, and to be able to live more meaningfully.

The cultivation of light, love and compassion are embodied in all great spiritual tradition around the world.

METTA in Pali or Maithri in Sanskrit language means “loving-kindness” or “boundless love” i.e. love without boundaries. It is the wish for all sentient beings to be well and happy. It is the basis for the cultivation of other great virtues such as compassion, altruistic joy and equanimity.

METTA is a powerful healing force which will transform us into a more compassionate, caring and resilient community, transmuting all negative energies and entities into light, love and harmony.

According to the first verse of Dhammapada “The Sayings of the Buddha”:

MANO PUBBANGAMĀ DHAMMĀ (Dh1)

Mind is the forerunner of all phenomena…

As such, we need to harness all our positive mental energies to bring about peace, harmony and stability for the nation and for the world we live in.

The intention of this “METTA Round the World” project is to unite all peace-loving people throughout the world with one heart and mind in meditation and prayer for world peace, harmony and stability.

Let us all fill our hearts with pure love and compassion and cherish the wish that all suffering beings be free from suffering; that those in sorrow be free from sorrow; and that those in fear and danger be free from fear and danger. May we grow and evolve from light to light and work for the welfare and happiness of the many. May all beings be well and happy.

About Venerable Mahinda

Born in 1949 into a traditional Chinese family in Malacca, Malaysia, Bhante Mahinda had his early education at the St Francis Institution and the Malacca High School before leaving for tertiary education in Biological Science at Canterbury University, New Zealand. In his final year of tertiary studies he met a lay Buddhist teacher from Sri Lanka and joined him on a two-year Goodwill Mission Tour to New Zealand, Fiji, Mexico, the USA, Canada and the UK.
Bhante Mahinda was ordained in 1976 as a Buddhist monk in the Sri Lankan Theravadin tradition under the tutelage of the late Venerable Dr K. Sri Dhammananda Nayaka Thera (a well-known Sri Lankan monk resident in Malaysia for more than 50 years). After his ordination, he undertook a Buddhist studies programme at the Paramadhamma Buddhist Institute in Sri Lanka from 1977 to 1982.
He was trained in meditation by several well-known masters in Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar and Thailand, and inspired by Mahayana masters from China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan, as well as by Vajrayana masters from Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and India.
Bhante Mahinda has taught Mindfulness and Metta Meditation for more than 30 years in 20 countries.
His participation in inter-religious conferences and Dhamma propagation has taken him to more than 30 countries to date.
Currently, Bhante Mahinda is the Abbot of the Aloka Meditation Centre in Australia, (AMC), Founder, Spiritual Director of the Australian Buddhist Mission Inc. (ABM); Buddhist Chaplain to the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS); Trustee of the University Buddhist Education Foundation (UBEF); and Training Committee Member & Training Course Presenter of the Australian Association of Buddhist Counsellors and Psychotherapists (AABCAP).
He is also the Founder and Spiritual Director of the Aloka Foundation, Malaysia; Religious Patron of the Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia (YBAM); Religious Advisor to the Buddhist Missionary Society, Malaysia; and a number of other Buddhist organisations in East and West Malaysia and Singapore.