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 difference between a gallbladder attack and a having a gallstone attack?

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I had by gallbladder out and the doctor said I had scar tissue from previous gallbladder attacks and was surprised I had not been in before I had been in. What is the difference?
There isn't always much distinction between the two things.
There is no exact medical definition for a gallbladder attack, but it is generally an incident where the gallbladder becomes inflamed and irritated - usually from a gallstone, but can sometimes occur without a gallstone. A gallstone is literally a tiny stone that forms from minerals that precipitate in the bile duct.  (+ info)

When to go to gym after a gallbladder operation? How many months after the operation?

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When to go to gym after a gallbladder operation? How many months after the operation? Is it really 6 months or a year? It's been 4 months since my gallbladder operation like October 2007, and I'm already gaining weight while nursing myself. On the other hand, I'm already planning to go jogging and somehow get into the gym to keep myself physically fit and to trim down my body shape before I become too fat. I really need your advice guys, professional and friendly advice are welcome.tnx
Simply call the surgeon who did the procedure. He will know how much muscle he cut when he did the surgery, but after 4 months I would expect you to be fully healed up anyway. Just take it slow and easy--start out walking for example to build up stamina and work your major muscle groups.  (+ info)

How long should I wait between gallbladder and cosmetic surgery?

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I have a fat grafting procedure scheduled for July 16 but am suffering from gallbladder attacks. I was going to have my gallbladder removed after my cosmetic procedure but the attacks just hurt so bad. If I were to have the gallbladder surgery done on June 4 would that give me enough time to heal and have my cosmetic surgery on the scheduled date? If not, is it safe to have the cosmetic surgery even though I have gallstones?
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What happens after the gallbladder is removed?

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Once the gallbladder is removed, what happens to the bile? Where is it stored or does it run freely throughout the body? Or, is there some type of device placed inside the body to act as the gallbladder?
Post gallbladder removal, bile simply runs in a continuous stream from the liver into the intestines. It's not as concentrated as bile from a gallbladder, but is more dilute. The body gradually adjusts and one can eat normally again in a few weeks.   (+ info)

How long did it take you to recover from laproscopic gallbladder surgery?

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I am going to be having gallbladder surgery here in the next few days, and I want to know peoples experiences with having their gallbladders removed. I am in my early 20's and I will (hopefully) be having laproscopic surgery. I'm going for my consultation with a surgeon tomorrow, but I would like to hear your views before then. I just mainly want to know how long recovery took, what you could eat, and what the lifting limits are. I have a 7 month old daughter and I want to be able to hold her!
the procedure takes a couple of hours sometimes only one hour, you will go to a PACU (post anesthesia care unit) then to a regular hospital unit for approx 2days or so, then home, if there are no complications. You'll be back to normal in about a week or two, but will be able to return to work before then.  (+ info)

Is it possible to reverse Gallbladder problems in their early stages to avoid surgery?

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I think I may have Gallbladder problems - nausea/pain after eating fats, fullness and vomiting. Would a special diet, digestive enzymes, healing herbs etc., get the gallbladder working as normal again before things get bad enough to need surgery?
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How soon after gallbladder surgery can I ride a roller coaster?

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My family had made plans to go to my favorite theme park on a certain day in May. Then I got sick, and have to have my gallbladder removed. I haven't even had the surgery yet, and the trip is 4 weeks away. I love rollercoasters! Am I going to be able to ride them?
If your surgery is being done the same way mine was, you can ride the rollercoasters. I had my gallbladder removed and this all happened in one day.I was treated as an outpatient. They did the surgery making only a few small cuts, and after the surgery(a few hours) I was sent home. If yours is being done this way, have a good time at the theme park.  (+ info)

Can gallbladder disease cause stomach cramping or spasms after eating?

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I went to the doctor and explained my symptoms, and she suspected gallbladder disease or gallstones. My symptoms include upset stomach after eating, loss of appetite, slight sensation of heartburn, and a bloating feeling 24/7.

Do these symptoms sound familiar to anyone who has had gallbladder issues?
It can cause stomach cramping and spasms. Especially if there is sludge in it. You might not even have a stone and still have gall bladder disease. What foods seem to make this act up? If you have greasy foods or spicy foods that seem to make it worse or put an annoying pain in your back or shoulder than it's probably related to your gall bladder. You should really have an ultra sound on it so it can be ruled out. Your pancreas and other organs are there in the same area so you should visit your doctor to get looked at. There is even blood work that can be drawn such as a P-Amylase to see what organ is involved.  (+ info)

How can I find a doctor who specializes in Gallbladder and Sphincter of Oddi disfunction in California?

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I know I have a problem with either my gallbladder of sphincter of oddi but all basic test have turned out normal so now I need to see a specialist. How can I find a good doctor who will be able to help me?
hi, i had a lot of problems after gallbladder surgery:my family Dr sent me to a gastroenterologist(im in Canada)
You can have a procedure done called ERCP.Not all Drs do this medical procedure:do a search, checking what medical facility does the highest "number" of ERCP.Its as simple as this:practice makes perfect.The more ERCP a Dr does, the better he gets.
If the sphincter is really bothering you,(i think thats happening to me)
the Dr can simply cut it!  (+ info)

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