What is the connection between malignant neoplasms and crabs?

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The more common term for malignant neoplasms, cancer, is Latin for crab, and the word "carcinogen," meaning a cancer-causing agent, comes from the Greek word for crab, "karkinos." What is the connection between these two seemingly unrelated things?
Cancer, both the disease and the astronomical constellation, derive from the Latin cancer or cancrum, meaning crab. The astrological sign, of course, is said to resemble a crab and the disease was so named by the ancient Greek physician Galen (129-200 A.D.) who noted the similarity between a certain type of tumor with a crab as well—the swollen veins around the tumor resembling the legs of a crab.

Old English adopted cancer directly from Latin and used it for a variety of spreading sores and ulcers. This early sense survives in the modern word canker. From c.1000 in a manuscript called Læce Boc (Leech Book), collected in Oswald Cockayne’s Leechdoms, Wortcunning, and Starcraft of Early England, Vol. II, 1865:

Gemeng wið þam dustum, clæm on ðone cancer.
(Mix with the dust, smear on the cancer.)

And from Wyclif’s 2 Timothy, 1382:

The word of hem crepith as a kankir

The word was being applied specifically to the disease we today call cancer by the beginning of the 17th century. From Philemon Holland’s translation of Pliny’s Historie of the World:

Cancer is a swelling or sore comming of melancholy bloud, about which the veins appeare of a blacke or swert colour, spread in manner of a Creifish clees.

The astronomical sense of cancer is from the Latin name for the constellation of the crab. The name was known to the Anglo-Saxons, but only as a Latin name and was not assimilated into English until the Middle English period. It appears in Ælfric’s De Temporibus Anni, written c.993, in a list of the constellations of the Zodiac:

Feorða • Cancer • þæt is Crabba
(Fourth, Cancer, that is the crab.)

The Anglicized name appears c.1391 in Chaucer’s Treatise on the Astrolabe:

In this heved of cancer is the grettist declinacioun northward of the sonne...this signe of cancre is clepid the tropik of Somer.
(At this first point (head) of cancer is the greatest declination northward of the sun…this sign of cancer is named the tropic of summer.)

(Source: Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd Edition)  (+ info)

What is the most likely cause of an anterior mediastinal mass?

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If an otherwise healthy adult is found to have an anterior mediastinal mass on CT scan, with no infiltration of surrounding organs and no lymphadenopathy, what kind of tumor is this most likely to be?
Well is the lymphatic system is not involved it is not lymph nodes. What is left may be a growth on the thymus gland which is just deep to the sternum, or perhaps a heart mass. Just wait for the path report or any further testing to find the source.  (+ info)

What is a mediastinal calcified lymph node?

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What does it indicate and if it is causing pain can it be removed? It is located just under my left rib.
csjt - The mediastinum is the center of the inside chest, between the two lungs. Normal lymph nodes are found there. On X-ray, a calcified lymph node is most commonly the result of an old, inactive, small area of infection, possibly caused by a fungus or tuberculosis. It could remain there unchanged for life. If annual chest x-rays show no change for a couple of years, nothing needs to be done. Skin testing might reveal what caused the node to calcify. Calcification is a benign change that often follows previous infection and/or inflammation.  (+ info)

What is the basis of differing actions of antineoplastic agents on different tissue/neoplasms?

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What is the basis for differing tissue- and neoplasm-specificites of antieoplastic chemotherapeutic agents? This doubt arose because considering what the pharmacokinetics of these drugs are it remains to be answered as to why a certain agent would act only in a particular tissue or neoplasm when the mechanisms they employ are so similar, e.g., various alkylating agents in spite having same action act of different tumors with differing degrees of effectiveness. Hope someone answers the question specifically. Useful links to free-text articles would also be highly appreciated. Bye. TC.
If you have thoughts on this subject, you ought to have the initiative to research it yourself.  (+ info)

I have a large heterogeneous mediastinal mass is the prognosis good or bad?

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The pulmonary doc says that I have cancer and need surgery but I am so scared. My husband died of cancer 11months ago.
Hard to tell as there are many factors that would influence the probable outcome, the least of which would be the type of cancer, stage and your personal disposition. You should see an oncologist, if you haven't already done so and have them or someone that your trust act as your case manager to effectively establish the most appropriate treatment regime. As this may well require a multinodal approach.

Cancer is NOT a death sentence and in many cases can be treated quite effectively.  (+ info)

What could be the cause of an innocent left mediastinal mass about 3 cm across. I`d had a regular chest x ray.

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I was asymptomatic, clinically sound and without any treatment returned a normal chest x ray 7 weeks later The specialist , who had ordered ct scans , liver scan and myriads of blood teste muttered something about a varicose vein but I don`t think anyone knew for certain.
most mediastinal masses are incidental finding. Asymptomatic mediastenal mass can be thymic tumor,germ cell tumors,lymphomas,fore gut duplications or cysts,neural tumors,and pericardial cyst.Asymptomatic at the time of presentation holds a good prognosis.

Diagnosis depends on location of mass(whether it is located in anterior,middle or posterior mediastenum) ,further classified by density and behavior on contrast CT scan.

Correlation of clinical and imaging picture is paramount in deciding the extent of the investigations of a mediastenal mass,because of fairly predictable location pattern of different lesions.  (+ info)

Does anyone know why the tracheal/mediastinal shifts in a pneumonthorax?

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Is it because of the pressure building up from the pressure gradient that it pushes it out? I'm a respiratory student trying to do a case study on a patient that has a pneumothorax. I know the shift can be palpated and can be seen in XRAYs but I'm trying to figure out why it shifts. And if anyone can explain the reason for the water seal in the chest tube. Thanks!
The thoracic cavity is completely filled with the heart, lungs and great vessels. If you introduce another element such as air in the pleural space everything has to move to accommodate the intruder. Therefore as the effected lung collapses and is replaced by more air than the space taken up by the lung everything must move away from that side. It's not so much a matter of pressure, it's the limited volume of the thoracic cavity. So if the trachea is deviated to the left the pneumothorax is on the right and vice versa. You will also see this in a hemothorax or large pleural effusion.
The water seal is absolutely necessary so the chest tube isn't connected with the outside air. This would allow air back into the pleural space.
God bless and good question.  (+ info)

What are the harmful effects from small benign neoplasms arising from endocrine organs on the patient?

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Give positive answers...
Get to know them better. This is not a task only to be accomplished through dating. The more you get to know him or her, the more you can tell if you like them as a friend or something else. Just talk and do fun activities with the person.
Stop and consider why you like the person. There are many physically attractive and smart people out there. But if you see something beyond that really catches your attention, you've marked this person as unique and probably like them. Why else would they stand out from so many?
Consider how many times you think about the person. If you find yourself thinking about this person several times a day, and they are happy thoughts that possibly make your heart beat faster, then you probably like them.
Think how often you laugh at their jokes etc. When you like someone, you will find yourself laughing at things even if they aren't that funny. This is a natural attempt to make them feel appreciated.
If the one conversation between you and the person is stuck in you head and you cant stop telling people about it. this means it was important to you, and you probably like the person.
Consider how much you try to be near them. If you've planned your walking speed to catch a glimpse of them as many times of the day as possible, there is a good reason for that.
Think about how you feel if you touch him or her, by accident or on purpose. If you're still thinking about brushing shoulders several hours ago in school, then that is a special thought and you probably like them.
If you feel you're ready for a relationship, and are confident enough for a positive response, then just go ahead and ask them out. If you're unsure of their feelings for you, there are several wikihows on how to tell if someone likes you.  (+ info)

term used to describe benign neoplasms made up of neurons and nerve fibers is a?

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need some help with my h.w.
thanks!
Neuroma

In the foot, check out this site...
http://www.footphysicians.com/footankleinfo/mortons-neuroma.htm  (+ info)

What could cause mediastinal lymph node swelling besides lymphoma or sarcoidosis?

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I've had chest pain on left side for a few months. They thought it was just pleurisy, but it hasn't cleared. Just had a biopsy of nodes done which is negative for cancer, and sounds like they aren't thinking it's sarcoidosis either. Still have the pleurisy in left lung along with node swelling.
In general, lymph nodes can be swollen due to infection, inflammation, or cancer. It is good that the biopsy was negative for cancer. The mediastinal lymph nodes could reflect a problem (such as an infection or inflammation) in the lungs, heart, thymus, esophagus, or their surrounding tissues. If you already know you have pleurisy, then that seems like the most obvious choice. I believe that certain infectious agents are more likely than others to cause swelling of the lymph nodes, such as TB or fungi. Take a look at the second source below, which has a lot more detail than what I've outlined, and see if anything else there seems to fit your situation.

Good luck, and I hope you feel better soon.  (+ info)

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