The stage of cancer describes the amount of cancer in the body and its location, and is used to determine treatment. The more complex or higher the stage, the more advanced the cancer. One of the most common staging systems is the TNM Staging...
Colon cancer staging lays the foundation for predicting prognosis and formulating treatment for the disease. Clinical workup--such as blood tests, imaging and a physical exam--determines the preliminary stage. Microscopic examination of surgical...
Cancer is a disease that can affect any body organs and produce serious health problems. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), abnormal cancerous cells replicate, or multiply, uncontrollably, forming a tumor that can invade surrounding...
The American Cancer Society estimates the diagnosis of more than 24,000 new cases of liver cancer in the United States in 2010 and approximately 18,900 deaths from the disease. Most people with liver cancer have late-stage disease at the time of...
Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that occurs in the mesothelium, a thin lining of tissue that covers the internal organs, including the heart and lungs. This cancer is a direct result of prolonged exposure to asbestos. According to the...
Just so you know that you receive the most appropriate treatment, your doctor should check the extent to which your oral cancer has spread. First, a tissue sample out of your mouth should test positive. Only then, the doctor can use one or more...
Hypoglycemia is the medical term describing an abnormally low blood sugar level. A reaction to diabetes medications, especially insulin, accounts for most instances of hypoglycemia. Low blood sugar is uncommon in nondiabetics, because your body...
Cervical cancer--cancer of the portion of the uterus lying within the upper vagina--affects approximately 250,000 women in the United States, according to data published in 2007 by the National Cancer Institute. Patients with cervical cancer...
According to the "5 Minute Clinical Consult" textbook, 20 percent of the American population has hypertension. Normal blood pressure is 120mm Hg or less systolic and 80mm Hg or less diastolic. Hypertension is defined as greater than two or more...
If you have been given a diagnosis of lung cancer, you may feel like you will never be able to engage in your favorite sporting activity again. Treatment targeting your lung cancer can cause extreme fatigue and weakness --- making physical...
Safe. Harmless. Reduced risk of sunburn. Indoor tanning salons may assure you all of these things that you get as a package deal with that attractive, summertime glow. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Skin Cancer Foundation warn...
The National Cancer Institute estimates that in 2009, more than 190,000 women and 1,900 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States. Breast cancer forms in the tissues of the breasts, generally the ducts, which are tubes that...
After a diagnosis of colon cancer, the cancer is staged. Staging is a standardized way of describing the extent and spread of the cancer, which helps guide treatment plans and prognosis. The American Cancer Society describes the American Joint...
Diovan (valsartan)--one of the first angiotensin II receptor-blocker (ARB) drugs marketed for the treatment of high blood pressure--and Hydrochlorothiazide (HCT), a thiazide diuretic (water pill) long used for the treatment of high blood pressure...
High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects more than one in every three adults older than age 19 in the United States, reports the American Heart Association. In addition to adopting healthful lifestyle practices, antihypertensive medications...
Magnesium is the fourth most common mineral in the body. Though magnesium deficiency is rare, taking supplemental magnesium may confer health benefits. Many of the benefits of magnesium are not completely clear. Magnesium may prevent osteoporosis...
Diuretics and treatment for hyperglycemia share common links in the incidence of the conditions for which they are prescribed. High blood pressure affects nearly 70 million American adults, based on 2005 to 2008 data from the Centers for Disease...
Hypertension is a blood pressure greater than 140/90 mmHg. There has been much controversy over how effective many natural therapies are for hypertension; however, the Seventh Report (2003) of the Joint National Committee on the Prevention,...
It is an unfortunate reality that medications prescribed by health care providers can have unwanted side effects. Such is the case with thiazide diuretics and the development of elevated serum calcium, also known as hypercalcemia. This is an...
Arthritis is a painful condition involving inflammation of the joints. The Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine states that arthritis affects more than 20 million Americans. Though many people use over-the-counter and prescription drugs...
You can have diabetes and still feed your sweet tooth in moderation. The best sugar substitutes add sweetness to foods and beverages without affecting your blood sugar or your waistline, according to the American Dietetic Association. Your best...
The so-called French paradox has fueled the notion that grapes and thus, red wine, may provide cardiovascular health benefits. The concept is based on the low death rate attributed to heart disease despite a diet that is high in cholesterol and...
Medications for treating high cholesterol, blood pressure and arthritis address some of the most widespread and deadly conditions in the United States. High cholesterol and hypertension are major risk factors for heart disease, the leading cause...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, arthritis is a debilitating disease that causes inflammation and pain around the knees, fingers, elbows and spine. Eating some foods may lead to arthritis inflammation, resulting in...
Millions of Americans suffer from arthritis, a painful condition which causes tenderness and swelling of the joints. In fact, the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine states that while there are many types of arthritis, there are over 20...
Hydrochlorothiazide, often abbreviated HCTZ, is the most frequently prescribed diuretic, or "water pill" in the United States. According to the National Institutes of Health, it's considered first-line therapy in the treatment of hypertension, or...
Stevia is a plant belonging to the sunflower family and known for its sweet leaf. Stevia extracts have a sweetness that can be 300 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia has an insignificant impact on blood glucose levels, lending itself to use in many...
Diovan (valsartan) was one of the first angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) drugs marketed for the treatment of high blood pressure by Novartis in 1996. According to the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and...
Magnesium is a mineral with hundreds of functions throughout the body. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, half of the body's magnesium is found in bone and half is inside cells of tissues and organs. Just 1 percent is in the blood. It...
