Thyroid Hormone

The Clues 
 Thyroid hormone regulates how fast you burn calories. One in ten women doesn't produce enough of it--a condition known as hypothyroidism, which can lead to weight gain, depression, and fatigue. On the other end of the spectrum is hyperthyroidism, in which the thyroid gland releases too much of its hormone, causing symptoms such as anxiety, a racing heart, excessive sweating, even diarrhoea. 

What You Can Do 
 If you have hypothyroidism, a daily thyroid hormone replacement pill can help correct the imbalance. You might also want to consider eating more onion. This veggie contains kaempferol, a compound that may kick-start production of the hormone. If you have an over-activity thyroid, your doctor may prescribe one of several treatments, from radioactive iodine--to slow hormone production--to surgical removal of the gland; most patients respond well once they get the proper care. 

ps- this is only for information, always consult you physician before having any particular food/ medication/exercise/other remedies.

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Sugar can help MRI scanner detect cancer in body

Researchers have developed a new and cheaper technique to detect cancer which uses sugar to light up tumours in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.

The breakthrough by  scientists could provide a safer and simpler alternative to standard radioactive techniques and enable radiologists to image tumours in greater detail, researchers said.

The new technique, called ‘glucose chemical exchange saturation transfer’ (glucoCEST), is based on the fact that tumours consume much more glucose (a type of sugar) than normal, healthy tissues in order to sustain their growth.

The researchers found that sensitising an MRI scanner to glucose uptake caused tumours to appear as bright images on MRI scans of mice.

GlucoCEST uses radio waves to magnetically label glucose in the body. This can then be detected in tumours using conventional MRI techniques .

The method uses an injection of normal sugar and could offer a cheap, safe alternative to existing methods for detecting tumours, which require the injection of radioactive material.

We can detect cancer using the same sugar content found in half a standard sized chocolate bar. Our research reveals a useful and cost-effective method for imaging cancers using MRI – a standard imaging technology available in many large hospitals,” said the lead author.

“In the future, patients could potentially be scanned in local hospitals, rather than being referred to specialist medical centres,” he said.

“Our cross-disciplinary research could allow vulnerable patient groups such as pregnant women and young children to be scanned more regularly, without the risks associated with a dose of radiation,” according to  another senior author on the study.

We have developed a new state-of-the-art imaging technique to visualise and map the location of tumours that will hopefully enable us to assess the efficacy of novel cancer therapies.

ps- this is only for information, always consult you physician before having any particular food/ medication/exercise/other remedies.

ps- those interested in recipes are free to view my blog-

http://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/

for info about knee replacement, you can view my blog-

http://Knee replacement-stick club.blogspot.com/

for crochet designs

http://My Crochet Creations.blogspot.com/

I've not given details about designs, but those interested are free to mail me for the same.

What is thyroid cancer?

In 2012, it was estimated that 42 million Indians are affected till date with thyroid cancer.

It is a growing trend among women to be affected with breast, gallbladder and thyroid cancer.  

Cancer prevention: What is thyroid cancer? 

The thyroid is a gland that lies in front of the windpipe (trachea), just below the voice box. The gland uses iodine from food to make thyroid hormones. When the normal cells in the Thyroid Gland change into abnormal cells and grow out of control spreading to another organ, it results in Thyroid Cancer. Although it is an uncommon form of cancer but there are different types of thyroid cancer like Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), Follicular thyroid cancer (FTC), Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), Anaplastic carcinoma and Thyroid lymphoma.

What are the symptoms of thyroid cancer?

Initially, people are unable to notice any symptoms at initial stages. But as a thyroid cancer grows and develops, it is more likely to cause symptoms like:

- Hoarseness in voice or being unable to talk
- Lump in the neck
- Enlargement of the neck
- Trouble in breathing
- Trouble in swallowing
- Coughing up blood

All of these symptoms can also be caused by conditions that are not thyroid cancer.

What are the causes of thyroid cancer?

Radiation exposure: the most important risk factor for the development of differentiated thyroid cancer is a history of radiation exposure during childhood. Potential sources of radiation exposure include medical uses of radiation (eg, treatment of childhood malignancies) or environmental exposure secondary to atomic weapons (eg, Nagasaki/Hiroshima, Japan), or nuclear power plant accidents (eg, Chernobyl). 

Family history: a history of thyroid cancer in a first-degree relative or a family history of a thyroid cancer syndrome increases the risk that a nodule may be malignant.

Other: there are a number of other possible (but not proven) risk factors that have been reported. Their relative importance appears to be small, but not completely defined. Potential risk factors include the following:
- Occupational and environmental exposures
- Hepatitis-C-related chronic hepatitis
- Increased parity and late age during the first pregnancy

 the treatments for thyroid cancer

Thyroid cancer is usually treated in the following ways:

Surgery: In most cases, thyroid cancer is treated with surgery to remove the cancer. Doctors remove a part or all of your thyroid gland. At times the nearby lymph nodes are also removed, which are bean-shaped organs that help in the body's infection-fighting system.

Radioactive iodine: Radioactive iodine (also called "radio iodine therapy") comes in the form of a pill or liquid that can be swallowed. It has a small amount of radiation and can destroy much of the thyroid gland.

Thyroid hormone: Doctors prescribe thyroid hormone medicines after surgery or radioactive iodine treatment. That way, the body receives the correct amount of thyroid hormone.

External-beam radiation therapy: This treatment uses high doses of X-rays, called radiation, to kill cancer cells. The radiation comes from a machine that is outside the body.

Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that uses chemicals to kill cancer cells. It is typically given as an infusion through a vein. Although, Chemotherapy is not commonly used in the treatment of thyroid cancer, but it may benefit some people who don't respond to other, more standard therapies.

Finally , "To avoid the cancer from coming back after a treatment, regular follow-up tests including examinations, blood tests, and imaging tests are a must. Doctors will also perform regular follow-up blood tests to keep a check on the thyroid hormone levels."

Radioactive nanoparticles that target cancer cells developed

The  scientists cover the lutetium nano-particles with gold shells and attach targeting agents.

Researchers have found a way to create radioactive nano-

particles that target lymphoma tumour cells wherever they 

may be in the body.

Cancers of all types become most deadly when they 

metastasise and spread tumours throughout the body. Once 

cancer has reached this stage, it becomes very difficult for 

doctors to locate and treat the numerous tumours that can 

develop.

An associate professor of oncology stated that being able to 

target secondary tumours is vital to successfully treating 

patients with progressive cancers.

“Depending on the type of cancer, primary tumours usually 

are not the cause of death for cancer patients. If a cancer 

metastasises, or spreads creating hard-to-find tumours, it 

often becomes fatal. Having a way to identify and shrink 

these secondary tumours is of utmost importance when 

fighting to save people with these diseases,” he said.

In an effort to find a way to locate and kill secondary tumours, 

researchers have successfully created nano-particles made 

of a radioactive form of the element lutetium. The 

scientists then covered the lutetium nano-particles with gold 

shells and attached targeting agents.

In previous research, the researcher has already proven the 

effectiveness of similar targeting agents in mice and dogs 

suffering from tumours. In that research, the targeting agents 

were attached to single radioactive atoms that were 

introduced into the bodies of animals with cancer. The 

targeting agents were able to seek out the tumours existing 

within the animals, which were then revealed through radio-

imaging of those animals.

In their current research, the scientists have shown the 

targeting agents can deliver the new radioactive lutetium 

nano-particles to lymphoma tumour cells without attaching to 

and damaging healthy cells in the process.

A researcher said this is an important step toward developing 

therapies for lymphoma and other advanced-stage cancers.

“The ability to deliver multiple radioactive atoms to individual 

cancer cells should greatly increase our ability to selectively 

kill these cells. We are very optimistic about the synergy of 

combining the targeting strategy developed in the lab with our 

work on new radioactive nano-particles,” he said.

This study is an example of the collaborative research taking 

place. The early-stage results of this research are promising. 

If additional studies, including animal studies, are successful 

within the next few years, the researchers will request 

permission from the federal government to begin human drug 

development. After this status has been granted, researchers

may conduct human clinical trials with the hope of developing 

new treatments.