Salivary Gland Cancers

Salivary Gland Cancers

Salivary Gland cancer kills Adam Yauch (Beastie Boys)
Cancer of the salivary gland is quite rare, The statistic given by NCI is 2.5 to 3 new cases out of 100,000 population, or about 1,000 new cases per year in the US – according to the National Cancer Institute. Cancer only represents 3 to 5 percent of total head and neck cancers.

Cancer begins in the salivary glands in the head, which are located in the mouth, throat, and neck. The most common place for cancer to start is in the parotid gland — near the front part of the ear.

Adam “MCA” Yauch, a member of the iconic Beastie Boys, has passed away after being diagnosed with cancer of the salivary gland, according to news reports.

Yauch, 47, was treated for cancer in 2009, and in 2011, there were false reports that he had beaten it. But he actually was never cured of the disease.

Not all salivary gland tumors are cancerous, according to the National Institutes of Health. When the tumor is benign, a doctor may choose to just remove the salivary gland. However, other treatments like radiation therapy and chemotherapy are needed if the tumor is malignant (surgery to remove the cancerous tumor is also an option), according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Salivary gland cancer is most common amongst people in their 60s and 70s, according to the National Cancer Institute. Risk factors include being exposed to radiation (like that which is used to treat other cancers in the head or neck), and exposure to substances used in asbestos mining, plumbing, and rubber manufacturing signs of salivary gland cancer include:

having a typically painless lump in the mouth
or near the ear, jaw, lip, or cheek,
ear fluid drainage,
a numb or weak sensation in the face,
problems with swallowing,
and facial pain – according to the National Cancer Institute. Tests to diagnose cancer include screenings like MRI, CT or PET scans, an ultrasound exam, and endoscopy.

The Cleveland Clinic reported that a number of factors can influence how deadly salivary gland cancer will be, including how old the patient is and how healthy he or she is; what kinds of cancer cells the tumor is comprised of; which salivary gland the cancer is in; and the size of the cancer tumor.

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Salivary Cancer-general information

The salivary glands make saliva (spit). This keeps your mouth moist and helps food slide down the gullet into the stomach. The largest salivary glands are the:

  • sublingual glands, which are found underneath the tongue
  • parotid glands, which are found at the sides of the mouth just in front of the ears
  • submandibular glands, which are found under the jawbone.

There are also many more tiny glands in the lining of the mouth and throat. These don’t have individual names but are known as the minor salivary glands and cancers affecting the salivary glands are rare, with approximately 550 new cases in the UK each year. They can occur at any age but are more common in people over 50. There are different types of salivary gland cancer, depending on the type of cell that has become cancerous.

Like many other forms of cancer, the exact causes of salivary gland cancer are unknown. Non-cancerous tumors of the salivary glands are a lot more common than cancerous tumors apparently!

Tumours affecting the salivary glands are not infectious and cannot be passed on to other people. They are not caused by an inherited faulty gene, so the relatives of someone with salivary gland cancer won’t be queuing up for a bout of salivary cancer!

Things to look out for are swelling on the side of the face, just in front of the ears, or under the jawbone and some people suffer some numbness and drooping of one side of the face (facial palsy)-a bit like having a stroke.

These symptoms may occur with different conditions; ie, other than cancer, and most people with these symptoms won’t have a salivary gland cancer-very few do. However, like most cancers, salivary gland cancers are best treated when diagnosed at an early stage. You should tell your GP about these symptoms if they do not improve over a few days.

Must Read

In Loving Memory

In Loving Memory

Sometimes we get donations that are made ‘in memory of loved ones. Quite often these come via the Funeral Directors as the donations are made in lieu of flowers at funerals. We are truly touched and grateful to receive these donations at what must be a very difficult time for all concerned.

We also receive donations from those thinking of the loved ones they lost on a certain date and you can be assured that we are very grateful as all our donations are put toward helping those with throat cancers.

Whether the donation will be made directly from the family and individuals or via the Funeral Director, you can specify a message that we will happily add to our “Absent Friends” page on the website. We can also add a picture of your loved one if you would like us to.

When sending in your donation please include a short letter explaining who the donation is in memory of etc…

If you also include your name and address, we can send you an acknowledgment letter to confirm that we have received the donation and that it has been put into the fund you required.

Please make cheques payable to:

“20-20 Voice” Cancer

Leave a Legacy

Leave a Legacy

As with most charities, “20-20 Voice” Cancer relies on the kindness of all those who donate time, money & energy, but leaving a legacy; ie donating to a charity in a will is not something that many people really think about these days.

However, these days it is a simple matter to create your own will, or, if a complicated set of instructions be the case, then there are plenty of solicitors at hand who specialize in such matters and advise quite comprehensively indeed.

We ‘lays’ are still able to tell the tale-thanks to modern technology, ie, electrolarynx, etc. We are a species apart for we have that ability, despite losing our voices, to carry on and rebuild our lives. Indeed, many ‘lay’ return to work some months after their major operation-and all credit to them for that!

We know that medical equipment is expensive but we also now know the power of the “Flexi-Video-RhinoLaryngoscope” (VFR) and the exciting prospects it offers in saving the trauma of losing the voice box, but we also know the horrendous costs involved to purchase. At £15,000 apiece they are not cheap.

“20-20 Voice” Cancer, having now purchased the much-needed FVR at almost £14,000, know only too well that we need every penny we can get in order to buy more of this vital sort of equipment and pay for the support that new plays need, for you can be sure of one thing, and that is that after we have left this earthly world there will be plenty more head, neck & throat cancer sufferers following in our footsteps.  Wouldn’t it be nice to know that we have left a little something to help those who may have to go through some (or all) of what we have been through and that ‘little something has made their particular journey a whole heap easier?

Who knows, we might, with modern technology updating every week, have made that vital contribution that has saved cancer victims from losing their ability to speak!

That’s how far medical aid is progressing and that is what you can help to achieve with your generosity in your last will & testament. We are a species apart in the world of cancer for we have been, we have seen and some of us are still able to tell the tale.

Can YOU help someone after you’ve gone?

Simple Will rules (a guideline)

1… A share of your estate. After you have provided for your loved ones, you can leave a share of what remains to charity. This is known as a ‘residuary gift’.

2… A cash gift. This is when you leave an exact sum of money to us. It’s known as a ‘pecuniary gift.

3… A specific item or item gift. Over the years charities have received everything from a stream to antique jewelry. The point is that whatever the item is, that item can be transposed into a cash gift for the charity.

4… A gift in trust. You can leave a gift for someone to use over a period of time. When the time has ended, the gift can be passed on to other recipients, such as a charity.

Important: Make sure that YOU give your assets to the people and cause you to love them most, don’t think “oh I’ll let them sort it out when I’m gone” or family frictions may set in. Worse still, without a Will detailing your wishes, your whole estate could end up belonging to the Crown or government.

Write a Will to keep control after you have gone, you know it makes sense!

Alternatively, people are now being asked to send the favored charity a cheque instead of spending money on flowers for the deceased’s funeral. This is an excellent way of ensuring that your loved one’s wishes are carried out with the minimum of fuss and if it is decided that we are to benefit from a loved one’s passing then simply make any cheques out to:

“20-20 Voice” Cancer (and post to)
37, Windley Road,
Leicester.
LE2 6QX

Please don’t forget that we are here to help, no matter what the problem may be and we can always be contacted on 07757-382970 or by text (same number).  Remember that whoever answers your call may have a speech impediment or it may be a ‘bad line’, so please try to be patient. Alternatively, you can use our secure email service and we will answer you as soon as humanly possible.

Say Hi to Ray Coates

Say Hi to Ray Coates

“Who’s he then?” I hear many of you ask. Well, folks, Ray is one lucky gentleman for he feared the worst back in 2008, went to see his GP, and, luckily, was referred straight away for tests, etc. They found what Ray had feared – Cancer. The journey starts here:

Cancer of the tonsil/s is somewhat rare but with fast, expert treatment it can be eradicated and the voice saved-which is a far better outcome than many of us could ever hope for! Not only has fast, but the expert treatment also saved Ray’s voice, it has left him with the ability to carry on his love of music and singing!

I have met with Ray, who lives in Aylesbury, and welcomed him to “20-20 Voice” Cancer, and in return, Ray has not only become our Aylesbury/Bucks representative but also our ‘anthem‘ as we promote his heartfelt song “The Voice Within” to raise not only our profile but funds as well. Ray is currently completing an album which will go on release sometime soon. He has his own facebook page for you to visit.

Please check out the links provided and read all about this courageous man who has retained the ability to entertain us all through song. Ray has a theatre (singing, not medical  ) appointment looming and also school play performances as well as growing media attention.

Mouth Cancers

Mouth Cancers

The area of the mouth (oral cavity) includes the:

  • lips
  • front two-thirds of the tongue
  • upper and lower gums
  • inside lining of the cheeks and lips
  • the floor of the mouth, under the tongue
  • the roof of the mouth (the hard palate)
  • the area behind the wisdom teeth.

Mouth cancers are the most common cancers which affect the head and neck area. They can begin in any of the parts of the mouth mentioned above.

Around 1,400 people are diagnosed with cancer of the tongue each year in the UK and 1,500 are diagnosed with cancers affecting other parts of the mouth. Cancer of the lip is uncommon, with fewer than 300 people diagnosed with it every year.

Mouth cancer is more common in people over 50 and it usually affects more men than women. Most mouth cancers develop from cells that line the mouth or cover the tongue and are called squamous cell cancers.

The main causes of mouth cancers are life’s general pleasures of smoking and drinking heavily and the risk is greater if you do both, but always remember that 80% of all lung cancers occur in NONsmokers! Other causes include chewing tobacco or chewing betel or paan, which is a cultural tradition in some Asian communities.

There are other things that may increase the risk of getting mouth cancer, such as eating a poor diet and not cleaning your teeth, or seeing a dentist regularly enough. Having a weakened immune system or a virus called the human papilloma virus (HPV) (63%) are also possible risk factors. Being exposed to sunlight over a long period of time is a risk factor for cancer of the lip.

Mouth cancer, like other cancers, isn’t infectious and can’t be passed on to other people.

The two most common symptoms of mouth cancer are:

  • a mouth ulcer  that refuses to heal
  • discomfort or pain in the mouth that doesn’t go away.

Not everyone has pain or an ulcer. Other symptoms include:

  • a white (leukoplakia) or red (erythroplakia) patch in the mouth or throat that doesn’t go away
  • a lump or thickening on the lip, or in the mouth or throat
  • difficulty or pain with chewing, swallowing, or speaking
  • bleeding or numbness in the mouth
  • loose teeth for no obvious reason
  • a lump in the neck
  • a lot of weight loss over a short time
  • bad breath (halitosis).

These symptoms are common in conditions other than cancer. However, if you have any of these symptoms it is important to let your doctor or dentist know straight away. Mouth cancer can be treated more successfully when it’s diagnosed early.

Awareness – Much More Is Needed!

Awareness – Much More Is Needed

Please Note: This is worldwide information I found, copied, and pasted on a site named uptodate.com.

Worldwide, head and neck cancer account for more than 550,000 cases and 380,000 deaths annually.

In the United States, head and neck cancer accounts for 3 percent of malignancies, with approximately 63,000 Americans developing head and neck cancer annually and 13,000 dying from the disease.

In Europe, there were approximately 250,000 cases (estimated 4 percent of the cancer incidence) and 63,500 deaths in 2012.

Males are affected significantly more than females with a ratio ranging from 2:1 to 4:1. The incidence rate in males exceeds 20 per 100,000 in regions of France, Hong Kong, the Indian subcontinent, central and eastern Europe, Spain, Italy, Brazil, and among African Americans in the United States.

Mouth and tongue cancers are more common in the Indian subcontinent; nasopharyngeal cancer is more common in Hong Kong, and pharyngeal and/or laryngeal cancers are more common in other populations; these factors contribute disproportionately to the overall cancer burden in these Asian countries.

The incidence of laryngeal cancer, but not oral cavity and pharyngeal cancer, is approximately 50 percent higher in African American men. The mortality associated with both laryngeal and oropharyngeal cancer is significantly higher in African American men, which may reflect the lower prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) positivity.

In 2016/2017, the “20-20 Voice” Cancer charity carried out an in-depth survey, worldwide regarding the start-to-finish process of self concerns, Dr visits, diagnosis & treatment: you may find the results very interesting in light of the above which has now become available!

Other Cancers

Other Cancers

Life & Death ( a must-read)

The man himself! R.I.P Carlos

Before you start reading this part of the information gathered here, please take a moment to read through the blog of a terminally ill cancer patient who sadly died last night (16th July 2015).

His name: Carlos Antunes

Location: Portugal

Carlos named his cancer “My Ninja” and as you will see, he fought the good fight with all his might ‘until the inevitable end, one might say! He was one brave man who knew what the outcome was to be, yet he never gave in until he had no more to give.

Loved & liked by many, I am told that even in his final days he was an absolute pleasure to be with and a kinder man who has seldom been met! May he rest in eternal peace and may a smidgeon of his bravery pass on to all of us when we need it!

Carlos Antunes R.I.P my friend (and thank you) https://an2nes.wordpress.com/

Bone Cancers (Sarcoma’s) Note here that the father of inventive estimation, so as to curry favor with anti-smoking lobbyists, Konrad Jamrozik, died aged 54 of a sarcoma, proving nothing except the fact that cancer can strike anyone, anywhere, anytime! His utterly ridiculous ‘guesstimations’ were the only ‘smoking-related deaths figures’ upon which the SCOTH Committee based their reasoning for introducing a smoking ban in this country.

He invented a figure of 11,000 and by God, that figure is still used now by such as CRUK even though they know that it is a figure conjured from thin air!  That ban has seen the death of 15,000 once viable businesses, and 200,000 jobs and has not proven to have saved one single life! Yet it has seen the creation of Chantix/Champix/Varenicline which has twisted people’s minds to such an extent that suicides have become commonplace! America has some 2,000 lawsuits stacked up against Pfizer-interesting that the first settlement came “Out of Court”.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Cancer-of-the-bone/Pages/Introduction.aspx

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Check yourself out for breast cancer ladies!

http://www.nhs.uk/breast-cancer/pages/changes-breast-nipple.aspx

Never put off checking until tomorrow that which you easily check today!

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Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Now, this is a bit of a weird one, though no less devastating for those who suffer from this form of cancer.

This type of cancer is rare in the West but is much more common in the Far East.

It can occur at any age but is more likely to be found in people aged 50-60. It affects more men than women.

There are different types of nasopharyngeal cancer. They are named after the specific type of cell within the nasopharynx that has become cancerous.

Most nasopharyngeal cancers are squamous cell carcinomas. They develop in the cells that line the nasopharynx. The more common types, which are all treated in a similar way, are:

  • keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma (type 1)
  • non-keratinizing carcinoma: differentiated (type 2) and undifferentiated (type 3)
  • basaloid squamous carcinoma.

There are other types of cancer that can develop in the nasopharynx, such as melanoma, lymphoma, and sarcoma. These are much rarer and are treated in different ways.

Click here to learn more about (naso) ‘Nose Cancers’

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Check this out out for detailed information regarding

Oesophageal Cancers

There are two main types of cancer of the esophagus: squamous carcinoma, which is more common at the upper end of the gullet, and adenocarcinoma, which is more common at the lower end, particularly around the junction between the gullet and the stomach.

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/oesophaguscancer.htm

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Now we have some great news on the fight against cancer battlefront. You may not believe this but researchers have tried fighting germs/bad cells with different types of germs/bad cells. This video spells it all out for you-I think you will need to watch it twice to grasp the enormity of what is being achieved here!

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And on a sadder note, we need to point out that skin cancers can come in many forms, but few so embarrassing as facial skin cancers! Check out some of these sites so as to know what to look for-if, unfortunately, you have to:

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 http://www.medicinenet.com/skin_cancer/article.htm

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 http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/type/skin-cancer/about/skin-cancer-symptoms

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 http://www.bmihealthcare.co.uk/treatment/treatmentsdetail?p_name=Facial%20skin%20cancer%20removal&p_treatment_id=432

(look for the A-Z of treatments)

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http://www.londonentsurgeons.com/index.php/head-neck/facial-skin-cancers

(an excellent site for information & contact)

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Post op Tastebuds etc

Now we all know, or very quickly find out, that once the laryngectomy operation is over and recovery begins we have to eat soft foods for a while in order to start building our strength up again. But what of the taste of these foods? Where has it gone?

For many of us, the sad truth is that we think we can still taste the culinary delights presented but in actual fact we can’t – we only think we can. However, as time passes we do actually claw back a percentage of our ‘taste bud excellence‘. Here is a story to give us all hope as Andrew Hedley found that he was able to start tasting the wines he created. Read this article and be aware of the power we all have within!

The winemaker who had to relearn how to taste and smell