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 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)

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)

When can a tumor be non-cellular or non-neoplastic? And how can some neoplasms be cell free?

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So basically, I've got a bio midterm tomorrow, and so in the process of studying, I realized I completely don't get that! Even my bio friends are like, what....? So if ANYONE can help us out here, that would be fantastic! Thanks!
The word tumor is defined (in Answers.com) as "An abnormal growth of tissue resulting from uncontrolled, progressive multiplication of cells and serving no physiological function; a neoplasm." So your teacher is playing with semantics here.

The only way a "mass" could be non-cellular would be if it were cystic - - a contained area of fluid. We see this with some ovarian tumors which may be benign or malignant. The benign ones are ovarian serous cystadenomas or mucinous cystadenomas which can be quite large tumor masses. These do contain cells however in the membranous sacs surrounding the fluid
http://www.mypacs.net/cases/MUCINOUS-CYSTADENOMA-OVARY-857115.html  (+ info)

What is Meningeal hemangiopericytoma?

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Cancer/tumour info - just a beginners guide to it.
That is a rare brain tumor (0.4% of brain tumors are this). It arises from cells called Zimmermen's pericytes, which are cells next to capillaries. It is an aggressive tumor, and tends to regrow and spread to areas outside of the brain (metastasize).

It is more common in men than women. It looks like another tumor called a meningioma, and may be called an atypical meningioma.

Treatment may include surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy.  (+ info)

does anyone know how treat meningeal tears in the cervical spine?

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It feels like a nerve and some soft tissue get impinged, or like facet lock but most popular treatments like deep massage, chiro, physio and accupuncture seem to aggravate the symptoms rather than resolve them. History of several concussions, mva's and whiplash injuries plus anteriorly rolled shoulders and head forward posture with hyperlordosis and mild s-curve scoliosis.
Sounds like a physiotherapist is in order and specialists in all those fields. Hope it gets better.  (+ info)

What are Meningeal signs?

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Hi,

I'd like to know, in short, what meningeal signs are.

Thanks.
They're signs which indicate irritation of the meninges (the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord), for example from bacterial or viral meningitis or from a subarachnoid haemorrhage.

The main ones are:

headache
photophobia (intolerance to bright light)
neck stiffness

"Kernig's sign" and "Brudinski's signs" are also used in the clinical diagnosis of meningism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meningism  (+ info)

What do you call a benign neoplasm arising from adipose tissue?

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What do you call a benign neoplasm arising from adipose tissue?
A fatty lipoma?  (+ info)

is thyroidectomy the ONLY way to determine if a papillary lesion / follicular neoplasm is benign or malignant?

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My wife recently underwent FNAB for the thyroid gland and the findings were:
1. PAPILLARY LESION
2. FOLLICULAR NEOPLASM.
Suggest thyroidectomy for a definitive diagnosis.
Microscopic Description:
Smears disclose a fairly cellular aspirate composed of cohesive clusters of follicular cells, in attempt to form acini and short papillary fronds. The cells show vesicular nuclei, with focal areas of pleomorphism. The background is hemorrhagic containing thin colloid materials and few mixed leukocytes.

I really would like to know if the it is benign or malignant but is there any other way besides invasive surgery? Thanks a lot in advance for all the answers and help.
If FNAB demonstrate follicular neoplasm , we must perform thyroid lobectomy for determining if it's malignant or not , and regarding to this , we will design the further definite and main operation .

There is no way other than this yet .

In some situations , we can perform total thyroidectomy as a plan to determine the permanent pathology at first ( there is several indications : old patients , mass more than 4 cm , ... ) .

But about Papillary neoplasm it's somewhat different : we can plan for a definite operation , also with a FNAB .  (+ info)

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