Excess weight is a known risk factor for many chronic diseases, such as
diabetes and heart disease. Obesity has also been linked an increased risk for
developing some cancers. To clarify the effects of weight gain on cancer risk,
researchers in 2007 conducted an analysis of many studies reported in medical
journals that describe 282,137 cases of cancer. The researchers wanted to see if
weight gain had an effect on the risk for certain cancer types.
In particular, the researchers looked at the risk of cancer associated with a
weight gain corresponding to an increase of 5 kg/m2 in body mass index (BMI). In
terms of actual pounds gained, a man with a normal-range BMI of 23 would need to
gain 15 kg (33 lbs.) of weight, while a woman with a BMI of 23 would need to
gain 13 kg (28.6 lbs.) to correspond to an increase of 5 in the BMI.
The results, published in the Lancet in February 2008, revealed that weight
gain is positively associated with the risk of developing a variety of types of
cancer as described below.
For women, a weight gain corresponding to an increase of 5 in the BMI
resulted in a significant increase in risk for developing four cancer types:
Gallbladder cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the
tissues of the gallbladder.
Gallbladder cancer is a rare disease in which malignant (cancer) cells are
found in the tissues of the gallbladder. The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ
that lies just under the liver in the upper abdomen. The gallbladder stores
bile, a fluid made by the liver to digest fat. When food is being broken down in
the stomach and intestines, bile is released from the gallbladder through a tube
called the common bile duct, which connects the gallbladder and liver to the
first part of the small intestine.
The wall of the gallbladder has 3 main layers of tissue.
Mucosal (innermost) layer.
Muscularis (middle, muscle) layer.
Serosal (outer)
layer.
Between these layers is supporting connective tissue. Primary gallbladder
cancer starts in the innermost layer and spreads through the outer layers as it
grows.
Being female can increase the risk of developing gallbladder cancer.
Anything that increases your chance of getting a disease is called a risk
factor. Risk factors for gallbladder cancer include the following:
Being female.
Being Native American.
Possible signs of gallbladder cancer
include jaundice, pain, and fever.
These and other symptoms may be caused by gallbladder cancer. Other
conditions may cause the same symptoms. A doctor should be consulted if any of
the following problems occur:
Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes).
Abdominal pain is pain in the belly and can be acute or chronic. Causes include inflammation, distention of an organ, and loss of the blood supply to an organ. Abdominal pain can reflect a major problem with one of the organs in the abdomen such as the appendix, gallbladder, large and small intestine, pancreas, liver, colon, duodenum, and spleen.
Gallstones are stones that form when substances in the bile harden. Gallstones (formed in the gallbladder) can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. There can be just one large stone, hundreds of tiny stones, or any combination. The majority of gallstones do not cause symptoms.
Nausea is an uneasiness of the stomach that often precedes vomiting. Nausea and vomiting are not diseases, but they are symptoms of many conditions. The causes of vomiting differ according to age, and treatment depends upon the cause of nausea and vomiting.
Jaundice is a yellowish staining of the skin and whites of the eyes (sclerae) with bilirubin, the pigment found in bile. Jaundice can be an indicator of liver or gallbladder disease, or it may result from the rupture of red blood cells (hemolysis).
Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37 degrees C.), in practice a person is usually not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C.). Fever is part of the body's own disease-fighting arsenal: rising body temperatures apparently are capable of killing off many disease- producing organisms.
Gallbladder (gall bladder) pain can be caused by gallbladder disease such as gallstones or cholecystitis. Causes of gallbladder pain can be caused from biliary colic. Biliary colic is pain caused by gallstones trapped in the bile ducts. Cholecystitis is inflammation of the
gallbladder. Symptoms of gallbladder disease include nausea, vomiting, abdominal bloating and belching, sweating, and shortness of breath. Treatment of gallbladder pain depends on the cause.
Cancer is a disease caused by an abnormal growth of cells, also called malignancy. It is a group of 100 different diseases, and is not contagious. Cancer can be treated through chemotherapy, a treatment of drugs that destroy cancer cells.
Though it's difficult to say why some people develop cancer while others don't, research shows that certain risk factors increase a person's odds of developing cancer. These risk factors include growing older, family history of cancer, diet, alcohol and tobacco use, and exposure to sunlight, ionizing radiation, certain chemicals, and some viruses and bacteria.
While the patient's history and physical examination are the building blocks
of making a medical diagnosis, the ability to peer inside the body can be a
powerful tool. Ultrasound is an imaging technique that provides that
ability to medical practitioners.
What is an ultrasound?
Ultrasound produces sound waves that are beamed into the body causing return
echoes that are recorded to "visualize" structures beneath the skin. The ability
to measure different echoes reflected from a variety of tissues allows a shadow
picture to be constructed. The technology is especially accurate at seeing the
interface between solid and fluid filled spaces. These are actually the same
principles that allow SONAR on boats to see the bottom of the ocean.
What is ultrasonography?
Ultrasonography is body imaging using ultrasound in medical diagnosis. A
skilled ultrasound technician is able to...
Excess weight is a known risk factor for many chronic diseases, such as
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