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Dr. Naval Parikh: Cancer Types, Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Cancer is a disease that impacts the lives of millions of people every year. It is important to understand cancer and know how to prevent it if possible.

Dr. Naval Parikh has been practicing medicine for over 10 years and specializes in cancer treatment, cancer prevention, and cancer research. This article will give you an overview of cancer types, causes, symptoms prevention treatments by Dr. Naval Parikh.

What is Cancer?

Cancer is a term that describes the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cancerous cells in any part of the human body. These cancerous cells accumulate and form tumors, interfere with healthy cell function and can lead to death if not treated properly.

Types of Cancer

There are over 100 cancer types and the majority of them start in different tissues or organs. The cancer type determines how it will behave, where it starts and what treatment is best suited for that cancer type. Some cancer types are common while some cancer types are rare. Here are a few cancer types:

Lymphoma

Lymphoma starts in white blood cells called lymphocytes. It is a cancer of the lymphatic system. Lymphoma cancer is cancer of the lymphatic system. This cancer type can start in any part of your body but typically starts in a lymph node or blood cancer. This cancer type is very common and one of the cancer types Dr. Naval Parikh specializes in.

Lymphoma signs and symptoms:

  1. Enlarged lymph nodes, usually painless.
  2. Swollen abdomen(belly) due to enlarged liver or spleen; feels full quickly after eating a small meal, unintentional weight loss.
  3. Night sweats lasting more than one month or fever lasting more than three weeks.
  4. Anemia (low red blood cell count), fatigue, and weakness.
  5. Easy bruising or bleeding such as nosebleeds.
  6. Heavy menstrual flow.
  7. Coughing up or vomiting blood or rust-colored material.

Leukemia

Leukemia cancer starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and other lymphoid organs. This cancer type is cancer of white blood cells, it can develop quickly or slowly depending on the subtype.

Leukemia cancer has four main types:
  1. Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)
  2. Chronic Myelogenous leukemia (CML)
  3. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
  4. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
Leukemia signs and symptoms:
  1. Painless lumps or swelling in the neck, underarm, groin, lower chest.
  2. Coughing up blood from cancer in the lungs; may have pain in the chest or shoulder when breathing.
  3. Fever, sweats and chills for no apparent reason.
  4. Tiredness, loss of appetite and weight loss are not related to cancer treatment.
  5. Swollen lymph nodes that do not disappear with gentle pressure from the finger overtime may be cancerous cells in your body.

Sarcoma Cancer

Sarcoma cancer starts in cells of the body that form bones, muscles and connective tissues. This cancer type is cancer of bone marrow, muscle or other supportive tissue such as cartilage. Sarcoma cancer has many different types:

  1. Bone cancers : Osteosarcomas
  2. Soft-tissue sarcomas: Rhabdomyosarcomas, Fibrosarcomas
Sarcoma cancer signs and symptoms:
  1. Pain in a bone or joint.
  2. Swelling of a limb, trouble moving an arm or leg normally.
  3. Redness or swelling around the cancer site that does not go away after one to two days.
  4. Excessive tiredness and weight loss are not related to cancer treatment.

Brain Cancer

Brain cancer includes cancers of the brain, spinal cord and spine. This cancer type can develop in anyone but it is most common among older adults over age 70. It usually occurs after age 40.

Brain cancer signs and symptoms:
  1. Headache that does not go away or gets worse with time; see a doctor if this happens.
  2. Nausea or vomiting that does not go away.
  3. Ringing in the ears that does not go away with treatment; see a doctor if this happens.
  4. Balance problems, trouble walking normally even when cancer is treated and stabilized.

Breast Cancer

Breast cancer starts in the breast. It is cancer of the cells that line the ducts and lobules (milk-producing glands) found in female breasts. This cancer type is very common among women, especially older women over age 50.

Breast cancer signs and symptoms:
  1. Lump or thickening felt on your breast or underarm.
  2. Change in color, size or shape of your breast cancer site that does not go away over time.
  3. Breast cancer nipple discharge other than milk from the nipple; see a doctor if this happens.
  4. Pain or discomfort felt on cancer site; see a doctor if this happens.
  5. Change in the size of the cancer site that does not go away over time, such as swelling and inflammation underarm or collarbone area.

Multiple Myeloma Cancer

Multiple myeloma cancer starts in plasma cells found in the bone marrow. This cancer type is cancer of plasma cells, a white blood cell that makes antibodies to fight infection and disease.

Multiple Myeloma cancer signs and symptoms:
  1. Weakness or tiredness all the time even after sleep; see a doctor if this happens.
  2. Swelling of cancer site; see a doctor if this happens.
  3. Frequent infections, fevers and chills that do not go away with treatment such as antibiotics or other medicines.
  4. Loss of appetite, weight loss and fever.

Melanoma cancer

Melanoma cancer starts in the cells that make a pigment called melanocytes. This cancer type is cancer of the skin, eyes and other organs.

Melanoma cancer signs and symptoms:
  1. Change in color or size of mole on your skin; see a doctor if this happens.
  2. New spot found on cancer site that is dark in color; see a doctor if this happens.
  3. Grow, ulcerate or bleed cancer site that does not go away over time.
  4. Headache, fever, weakness may be cancer signs or cancer symptoms.
  5. Swelling of cancer site that does not go away over time.

Tumors Cancer

Tumors cancer are cancerous growths of cells that can develop anywhere in the body. This cancer type is most common among older adults over age 70. It usually occurs after age 40.

Tumor cancer signs and symptoms:
  1. Lump or thickening felt on your skin; see a doctor if this happens.
  2. Headache, fever, weakness cancer signs or cancer symptoms.
  3. Pain felt on cancer site; see a doctor if this happens.
  4. Loss of appetite and weight loss are not related to cancer treatment.

There are other types of cancer besides the cancer types mentioned above. Dr. Naval Parikh has cancer treatment for all types of cancer. Dr. Naval Parikh is a cancer specialist in Deerfield Beach, Florida and treats cancer patients from different countries including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, etc.

Causes of Cancer

Here is a list of cancer causes that can include cancer-causing agents in the environment.

  1. Tobacco smoke
  2. Asbestos exposure
  3. Radiation
  4. Air pollution
  5. Chemical toxins
  6. Viruses
  7. Alcohol
  8. Obesity
  9. Unhealthy diet

Symptoms of Cancer

The below cancer symptoms list will help you recognize cancer in its early stages. It is important to seek a cancer diagnosis from your doctor immediately if these cancer signs appear:

  1. Weight loss without trying.
  2. unexplained fatigue or weakness that doesn’t go away with rest.
  3. In women, irregular vaginal bleeding.
  4. Constant hoarseness or cough that persists for more than two weeks.
  5. Hair loss.
  6. Sores that fail to heal.
  7. Unusual lumps.
  8. Scaliness of skin on the neck.
  9. Underarm and groin areas. This cancer sign is associated with penis cancer in men.
  10. Abnormal bleeding or discharge
  11. Chronic fatigue

Prevention

Cancer can often be prevented by identifying cancer causes and avoiding exposure. Here is a list of cancer prevention tips:

  1. Eat healthy foods low in fat, high fiber content and minimal sugar as it reduces the risk of cancer development.
  2. Quit smoking as it leads to lung, throat, mouth cancers.
  3. Reduce the cancer risk by limiting alcohol intake.
  4. Take proper cancer precautions when exposed to cancer-causing agents like radiation, asbestos, etc.
  5. Practice cancer screening tests like mammograms and colon cancer screenings to detect cancer in its initial stages.

Cancer Treatment By Dr. Naval Parikh

Dr. Naval Parikh is an expert in cancer treatment who offers personalized cancer care plans for each of his patients with a focus on their specific needs and lifestyle. He has helped cancer patients in Florida, South Carolina and throughout the USA.

Cancer treatment is a complicated and lengthy process. This cancer treatments list will help you understand cancer treatment by Dr. Naval Parikh:

Surgery

Surgery is the cancer treatment used to remove cancerous tumors and cells from your body. It can be an invasive process with several risks like infection, blood loss, etc.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy X rays or other types of radiation such as gamma rays aimed at cancerous tissues to destroy them and prevent their growth in different parts of the cancerous body.

Hormone Therapy

Hormones are chemicals produced in the human body and they play a key role in cancer development as cancer cells often depend on hormones for their growth and division. This cancer treatment uses hormone therapies to disrupt this process by using medications or surgery to remove your ovaries, testicles, etc which reduces cancer-causing hormones.

Targeted Therapy

Cancer cells have unique features that allow tumors to grow and spread rapidly but targeted therapies use medications or drugs designed to target specific cancer growths, blocking cancer cell division and growth. This cancer treatment needs ongoing doctor visits for medication adjustments as it can be a complicated process that requires close monitoring by Dr. Naval Parikh.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy cancer treatment uses the body’s immune system to target cancer cells. Here is a list of cancer immunotherapy drugs that are currently being used for cancer treatments by Dr. Naval Parikh.

Monoclonal Antibodies (MAb)

This drug therapy targets specific markers on tumor cells and delivers toxic agents like monoclonal antibodies directly to cancer cells.

Interferon

This cancer treatment drug interferes with the cancer cell’s ability to grow and divide by stimulating the body’s immune system response against cancer cells.

Hormone Therapy Drugs

Hormones are chemicals that control many important functions in your body, including the normal growth of organs and cancer cells. Cancer treatment with hormone therapy drugs uses medications that block the effect of hormones needed by cancer cells to grow and divide or interfere with cancer cell growth in different ways.

Proteasome Inhibitors

Proteasomes are a group of proteins that controls many functions inside your body’s cells including production of energy, reproduction, etc. This cancer treatment drug inhibits the cancer cells’ ability to grow and divide by blocking these proteins.

Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) Inhibitors

This cancer treatment targets a protein produced on cancer cells which can lead to uncontrolled cell division and tumor development. Here is a list of cancer drugs that target this specific protein.

CDK Inhibitors

This cancer treatment inhibits the cancer cell’s ability to grow and reproduce by stopping them from completing their normal cycle.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy drugs kill cancer cells throughout the body but also destroy healthy cells in the process which can result in severe side effects like hair loss, fatigue, etc.

Contact Dr. Naval Parikh’s office to schedule an appointment with a cancer specialist today. Get a second opinion from a cancer doctor on your cancer diagnosis by Dr. Naval Parikh before you decide on cancer treatment options.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Naval Parikh Clinic:

Address: 1 West Sample Road, Suite 201. Deerfield Beach, Florida. 33064.

Phone: (954) 782-3170