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  • Sorafekast (Sorafenib) for the Treatment of Renal, Liver and Thyroid Cancer

    Sorafekast (Sorafenib) for the Treatment of Renal, Liver and Thyroid Cancer

    This is an oral drug applied as a chemotherapy drug used for treating thyroid, kidney, and liver cancer. Sorafekast (Sorafenib) is used to stop or slow down the growth and spread of cancer cells. It should be taken only by a doctor’s prescription and in the amount that the doctor prescribes.

    Use of sorafenib

    Sorafekast (Sorafenib) is used as a chemotherapy drug for three different types of cancer. It is also in the class of kinase inhibitors. It helps to stop and inhibit those abnormal proteins, which gives a signal to cancer cells to replicate and grow. By halting this protein, the spread of cancer can be stopped. This drug helps treat hepatocellular carcinoma patients (liver cancer patients), especially those who cannot undergo surgery. Also, it helps treat advanced renal (kidney) cancer by stopping the spread of cancer cells. Lastly, Sorafekast (Sorafenib) helps treat metastasized thyroid cancer, which has spread to other parts of the body.

    Dosage of sorafenib

    It is an oral tablet and should be taken two times a day, with a doctor’s prescription. This medicine is to be taken without food, either two hours after a meal or one hour before a meal. Make sure that these medications are taken around the same time every day, to achieve better results. Make sure to understand the interactions of Sorafekast (Sorafenib) with other medications, and consult with your doctor about it in detail.

    Side effects of sorafenib

    Some of the side effects of Sorafekast (Sorafenib) are:

    • Weakness, fatigue, and tiredness
    • Itching on the body
    • Loss of hair
    • Dry mouth, constipation, loss of appetite, diarrhea
    • Dry skin
    • Headache
    • Numbness and joint pain weight loss
  • Indenza (Enzalutamide) For Prostate Gland Cancer

    Indenza (Enzalutamide) For Prostate Gland Cancer

    When the cells in the prostate glands in males start to multiply rapidly without any control of the body, it leads to cancers. These cancerous tumors result in improper functioning of the glands. Some of the warning signals for prostate cancer are:

    1. Feeling of a burning sensation during urination
    2. Urge to urinate again and again
    3. Urination feels impossible
    4. Noticing blood in the urine
    5. Pain around the prostate area while sitting down

    The survival rate in prostate cancer patients is nearly 100%, although it can be fatal in some cases if men ignore warning signs. It is completely curable if the doctor is consulted, and proper medication is taken at the proper time. One of the effective drugs against prostate cancer is Indenza (enzalutamide). This 40 mg tablet contains enzalutamide. Indenza (enzalutamide) is useful for other types of cancer also but is mainly used to treat prostate cancer.

    USAGE

    Indenza (enzalutamide) capsules can be consumed on an empty stomach or after a meal, but it is important to make sure you fix a time each day to take the capsules. The timetable should be followed strictly for better and faster results. The duration of the capsules should be followed, as suggested by the doctor.

    STORAGE

    Ensure proper storage of Indenza (enzalutamide) capsules, that is, away from light and heat. Place it in normal room temperature and make sure it is out of reach from children and pets.

    SIDE EFFECTS

    Side effects of Indenza (enzalutamide) include heating up of the body, dizziness, increased blood pressure, fatigue, and headaches.

    WORD OF CAUTION

    The tablets are not to be consumed with alcohol. This can have damaging effects on the body. Alert your doctor if you have diseases relating to the liver or kidney. In this way, you can consume capsules with extra precautions.

    A good recovery rate has been noticed in prostate cancer patients due to the proper intake of Indenza (enzalutamide) capsules.

  • Abirakast (Abiraterone Acetate) For Prostate Cancer Patients

    Abirakast (Abiraterone Acetate) For Prostate Cancer Patients

    Prostate cancer is a common type of cancer found in males. The death rate is comparatively low compared to other types of cancer, but it is still very deadly. The signs that can signal that you have prostate cancer are:

    1. Urination becomes painful

    2. Increased frequency of urination

    3. Difficulty in urinating

    4. Presence of blood in the urine

    5. Sitting becomes painful around the prostate area

     

    Once you notice that you have one or more of these symptoms, it is important to consult a doctor. The medicine suggested by most of the doctors for prostate cancer is Abirakast (Abiraterone acetate). This 250 mg pill is effective in treating and curing prostate cancer. The generic content of the Abirakast (Abiraterone acetate) tablet is abiraterone acetate. These tablets have lesser side effects than other cancer-treating drugs.

     

    USAGE

    The pill is to be taken once a day. Make sure the tablet is taken at least one hour before your meal or two hours after your meal. Take the Abirakast (Abiraterone acetate) dosage every day at the same time, and in case you miss it, take it as soon as you remember.

     

    STORAGE

    The tablets should be kept at room temperature, away from heat and light. The tablets should not be kept in a freezer.

     

    SIDE EFFECTS

    The side effects of Abirakast (Abiraterone acetate) vary from person to person. Some of them are retention of fluid, increase in the number of triglycerides, joint swelling, cough, diarrhea, swelling in hands and/or feet, and decrease in potassium levels in the blood. The good news is that these side effects are manageable, temporary, and your life gets reversed back to normal once you stop taking the tablets.

     

    However, if any unusual symptoms like fever, chest pain, difficulty in breathing, and/or urinating are experienced, you should immediately contact your doctor.

     

    Abirakast (Abiraterone acetate) tablets are very helpful for males who have prostate cancer, and it assures recovery.

  • Dasakast (Dasatinib) – A Vital Medicine in Oncology

    Dasakast (Dasatinib) – A Vital Medicine in Oncology

    Introduction

    Dasakast (Dasatinib) is a type of drug that is used to treat cancer, especially leukemia. Dasakast (Dasatinib) prevents the atypical protein from sending any signals to cancer cells to multiply. It helps to slow down and reduce the multiplying process of the cancer cells.

    Uses of the medicine

    Dasakast (Dasatinib) is a medicine that can be either taken with an empty stomach or after a meal. Still, it is always recommended to take the medicine at the same time of the day to increase the drug’s effectiveness. It is usually taken as a tablet that should just be swallowed without being crunched or chewed. This is a drug that should be taken with a prescription by a doctor only, and you should follow the doctor’s instructions carefully. It can prove to be dangerous if taken without a doctor’s knowledge or not following the given instructions. It is necessary to follow the given dosage. Taking a double dosage is bad for your health.  If you missed taking a dosage anytime, make sure to notify your doctor.

    Side effects

    Like most tablets, Dasakast (Dasatinib) also has some side effects on the human body when consumed. You don’t need any special medical attention to treat these symptoms, as the side effects will reduce when your body gets used to it or when you stop taking the medication after doctors’ approval. Some of the common side effects caused by the medication are anemia, abdominal pain, fatigue, breathing problems, fever, low blood platelets, nausea, rash, headache, vomiting, and musculoskeletal pain.

    Precautions

    Pregnant women are advised not to take this medication. It is also dangerous for the baby if the mother takes this medication during breastfeeding.

  • Cancer Drug Imatikast (Imatinib) Uses, Side Effects, and Precautions

    Cancer Drug Imatikast (Imatinib) Uses, Side Effects, and Precautions

    Imatikast (Imatinib) is a medicine used to treat several types of cancer, such as chronic myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and myeloproliferative diseases. This drug is used with chemotherapy. It helps to prevent the growth of cancer cells.

    Side Effects:

    This medicine produces quite a few side effects. But the doctor will prescribe you this medicine only when he believes that this medicine will benefit you beyond the side effects. Some side effects are to be monitored carefully. If one faces diarrhea, muscle cramps, nausea, upset stomach blurred vision, or dizziness, and these side effects worsen with time, report it to your doctor immediately.

    One may face other side effects. If they are mild, it is nothing to worry about, but one must consult the doctor if it becomes serious or unbearable. The other side effects can be:

    • Sudden weight gain
    • Easy bruising
    • Swelling of abdomen, ankles, feet or hands
    • Swelling near the eyes
    • Bloody or black stool
    • Vomit looking like coffee grounds
    • Uncontrolled vomiting
    • Loss of appetite
    • Stomach ache
    • Dark urine
    • Yellowing of skin or eyes

    According to your doctor’s suggestion, to reduce the chances of side effects, drink a lot of fluids or otherwise. Emergency side effects, which you need to inform the doctor without any delay are:

    • Painful urination
    • Pink or blood in the urine
    • Back pain
    • Flank pain
    • Muscle weakness and spasms

    Precautions

    Before any medication, inform your doctor about any other previous or current health problems or ongoing medications. This medicine may cause an allergic reaction to your ongoing medications. So, it is important to put all the information on the table. This medication can also make you feel dizzy. Avoid driving or doing any work that requires your focus. Limit the intake of alcohol. Do not consume the medicine with alcohol.

    This medicine can worsen infections. So, avoid being around anyone suffering from infections that can spread like the flu, chickenpox, and so on. Consult your doctor immediately if you have been exposed to any kind of infection.

  • Abirakast (Abiraterone Acetate) Drug for Cancer /Tumor

    Abirakast (Abiraterone Acetate) Drug for Cancer /Tumor

    Introduction

    Abirakast (Abiraterone acetate) is a type of hormone therapy. This medicine is used to treat prostate cancer.

    How to use the medicine?

    Abirakast (Abiraterone acetate) should only be taken after being prescribed by your doctor. It is highly recommended by health professionals to take these tablets on an empty stomach. It is recommended to take the medication at the same time of the day to increase the effectiveness of the medicine. It is very important to consume 10 mg prednisone every time you take Abirakast (Abiraterone acetate) tablets. The dose of intake of this tablet should only be decided by your doctor, and you must strictly follow your doctor’s instructions.

    Side effects

    Like most medicines, Abirakast (Abiraterone acetate) also has some side effects associated with it. Still, on the bright side, all the symptoms will reduce steadily and vanish at last after the therapy is over. All the side effects associated with Abirakast (Abiraterone acetate) are manageable, as you can minimize the side effects. A few of the side effects that can occur during the therapy period are as follows:

    Side effects common for patients: fluid retention, Increased triglycerides, Increased liver enzymes.

    Side effects less common for patients: joint swelling or discomfort, diarrhea, cough, increased ALT, muscle aches/discomfort, decreased levels of phosphorus in your blood (hypophosphatemia), urinary tract infections.

    Unusual Symptoms: lightheadedness or dizziness, significant headache, black or tarry stool, extreme fatigue, unusual elevation in blood pressure, a yellow coloring of your skin or eyes.

    If you notice any of these unusual symptoms, it is necessary to report this to your doctor. People taking this medicine should let know their doctor about any other medications that they are currently taking, just to make sure everything will be fine.

  • The Stages And Symptoms Of Hepatitis C Along With Its Treatment And Possible Side Effects

    The Stages And Symptoms Of Hepatitis C Along With Its Treatment And Possible Side Effects

    The Various Stages of Hepatitis C 

    The Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is the main cause of Hepatitis C, which when undetected can lead to lung cancer. Hepatitis C has various stages with different treatments for each. The first stage is Acute Hep C, it is an acute phase of 6 months during which our immune system fights with HCV, as a result, HCV may or may not be retained in our system. After our immune system fails Acute Hep C changes into Chronic Hep C where the liver cells die and inflammation of liver starts. About 20% of patients develop cirrhosis where the liver loses the ability to function, and this can result in lung cancer. The end-stage occurs when the liver is severely damaged and can no longer function properly.

    Symptoms of Hepatitis C 

    All the stages have different symptoms, which are given below

    • Fatigue
    • Jaundice
    • Nausea
    • Loss of appetite
    • Abdominal swelling
    • Upset stomach
    • Joint and muscle pain
    • Dark and yellow urine
    • Bleeding and bruising easily

    Treatment and Side Effects

    The Acute Hepatitis C is not medicated as the immune systems try to fight back and about 20-30% people save themselves from Chronic Hep C. WHO recommends therapy with Direct Acting Antivirals (DAA) which can cure people in just 12-24 weeks, although treatment for every person is different and the treatment is changing quickly. Some of the pills are Daclatasvir (Daklinza), Elbasvir-grazoprevir (Zepatier), Ledipasvir-sofosbuvir (Harvoni), Glecaprevir and pibrentasvir (Mavyret), and Ombitasvir, paritaprevir, dasabuvir (Viekira Pak). However, these medications have some side effects:

    • Dizziness
    • Chest pain
    • Confusion
    • Diarrhea
    • Headache
    • Memory problems
    • Shortness of breath
    • Weakness
    • Fainting
    • Fatigue
    • Arthritis
    • Depression
    • Low blood cells count

    Hepatitis C can be stopped if we have a strong immune system that can win against this deadly virus. The symptoms are not visible at the early times, so it’s best to keep a close tab and eat healthily to build strong immunity.

     

     

  • What is Hepatitis C? How did it Came into Being and its Geographical Distribution?

    What is Hepatitis C? How did it Came into Being and its Geographical Distribution?

    Introduction

    Hepatitis C is a disease that affects the liver badly and if ignored can even lead to liver failure. Its main cause is the hepatitis C virus (HCV). There are many ways through which one can catch hold of this Virus. It is mostly caused due to exposure to blood, which means that one can catch this virus if he or she is exposed to the blood of a carrier of HCV, e.g., usage of the same syringes, same shaving blade, getting tattoos by unhygienic equipment, and many more.  

     

    The History of Hepatitis C 

    During the 1960s only two kinds of Hepatitis were known, A and B. The existence of HCV came to be noticed in the year 1975 by Feinstone et al. who found some cases which didn’t come under the first two Hepatitis. It was observed that unlike A and B, Hepatitis is C transmitted through very small agents, and finally, in 1989, a man named Houghten and his colleagues successfully cloned the genome of HCV and developed diagnostic tests. It was found out that Hepatitis C resulted in Acute and Chronic Hepatitis or Liver Cancer.

     

    The Geographical Distribution 

    Hepatitis C is globally prevalent and is a leading cause of death. In 2016, approx. 3,99,000 died and WHO estimated that 71 million people have this virus. According to WHO the most affected regions are Eastern Mediterranean Region and European Region. There is no county free of HCV and work is still going on to find a cure for this deadly disease. Brazil, Egypt, Australia, and Georgia have been highlighted in many summits for their innovative work in the elimination of HCV and it is worth the appreciation, because soon some countries may get free of HCV and save millions of lives. 

     

  • Risk factors and prevention of Hepatitis C

    Risk factors and prevention of Hepatitis C

    As you all know that Hepatitis C is a blood-borne disease. It easily gets transmitted through blood to blood contact.

    Who can get affected with Hepatitis C?

    1. If your blood comes in contact with the affected person’s blood may be in the hospital or while blood transfusion or organ transplant.
    2. Being injected with drugs
    3. The child of the pregnant affected women also gets Hepatitis C
    4. If you get tattooed in an unhygienic place
    5. If you have undergone hemodialysis
    6. Having sex with many partners or if you have an STD

    Prevention of Hepatitis C

    As of now, there is no vaccine for Hepatitis C. However, efforts are made to find a vaccine for Hepatitis C.

    Since Hepatitis C is transmitted through blood-to-contact, unaffected people should make sure of their safety and keep in mind the following:

    1. Avoid having sex with multiple partners
    2. If one is affected by an STD, he or she should go and take a proper treatment first.
    3. Avoid usage of an unsterile needle for the intake of drugs. Make sure that you don’t share the needles with anyone.
    4. Healthcare professionals need to be careful while dealing with needles. They should take proper precautions.
    5. While getting a tattoo, do not make use of unsterile needles and see to it that the environment around you is clean.

    Facts about Hepatitis C

    1. The CDC calls Hepatitis C as a silent epidemic.
    2. There is no vaccine for Hepatitis C
    3. Even if the liver transplant is made, the patient cannot be sure to be cured of hepatitis C. He is further given medication.
    4. Nearly 20-25% of the affected people with acute Hepatitis C get cured without any treatment.
    5. Many liver transplants happen due to Hepatitis C
    6. A person affected with Hepatitis C doesn’t need to also have HIV.

    If you ever find out that you are affected with hepatitis C, then approach the doctor. All must take these precautions in their day to day life to prevent this disease.

    I hope, this article helped create awareness on the prevention of hepatitis C.

    Source links,

    Source: https://liverfoundation.org/for-patients/about-the-liver/diseases-of-the-liver/hepatitis-c/diagnosing-hepatitis-c/#how-can-i-prevent-getting-hepatitis-c

    Source: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hepatitis-c/symptoms-causes/syc-20354278

     

  • What is Hepatitis C? Symptoms and Treatment

    What is Hepatitis C? Symptoms and Treatment

    Hepatitis C is a disease in which the liver is infected due to HCV (Hepatitis C Virus). It is transmitted to a person if the affected person’s blood comes in contact with the blood of an unaffected person.

    It’s a chronic disease wherein the liver of the affected person is damaged. Liver damage involves the failure of the liver, liver cancer, and cirrhosis. If this is diagnosed earlier the liver infection can be prevented. Otherwise, it can lead to death.

    Hepatitis C is caused when the HCV virus attacks the liver cell and causes dysfunction and swelling of the liver. In the long run, the liver gets completely damaged.

    Signs and symptoms

    There are two stages, first is the acute stage, where there may not be any symptoms and second is the chronic stage where the health is in severe condition.

    It’s hard to find out hepatitis C in an acute stage as there are no sure symptoms. Hence, most of the time patients don’t get a proper diagnosis at the initial stage.

    Here, are the symptoms of Hepatitis C:

    1. Fever
    2. Sensation of vomiting
    3. Tiredness
    4. Dark urine
    5. Loss of appetite
    6. Abdominal pain
    7. Pale stools
    8. Pain in the joints
    9. Liver failure
    10. Liver cancer

    Treatments

    1. Treating with antiviral medicines

    One of the treatments involves antiviral medication mainly provided to remove viruses from the patient’s body. There should be no HCV, at least for 12 weeks after the treatment.

    The recent development in this medication has resulted in reduced side-effects. Also, reduction in the treatment times.

    1. Liver transplantation

    If Hepatitis C has reached the chronic stage, where the liver is damaged, the only left option is liver transplantation. After this the patient is given antiviral medication, to make sure the virus is completely reduced.

    1. Vaccines

    There is no particular vaccine to treat hepatitis C. But, you would be advised to take vaccines for hepatitis A and hepatitis B viruses. These viruses are also known to cause liver inflammation and worsen the condition of the hepatitis C patient.