Positron emission tomography (PET) is an imaging modality used to acquire a three-dimensional image of the body. A pet scan is obtained by injecting a combination of a radioactive isotope and glucose. This imaging technique is most useful for...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of 2008, approximately one in every 10 American adults reports that they suffer with depression. One of the current theories concerning the reason for depression suggests that people...
Lung cancer is the leading cause of death among both men and women in the United States, according to the Mayo Clinic. Should you begin displaying symptoms, such as coughing up blood, shortness of breath and a chronic cough, undergo testing as...
Esophagus and stomach cancer often go hand in hand because the stomach and the esophagus are located close together and connected by tissue and muscle. When a cancer is found in either location, often the whole area has to be treated. Receiving a...
Depression is a physical disease per the June 1, 2009 issue of "Frontiers in Bioscinece." Using Positive Transmission Tomography of PET scan imaging decreased activity in three brain regions can be seen in depressed patients. These areas are...
The term "heart disease" refers to a wide variety of diseases involving the heart, including arrhythmias, congenital heart defects and heart infections. However, most people associate heart disease with coronary artery disease or cardiovascular...
Salivary-gland cancer is a very rare cancer in the United States. In fact, more than half of the tumors doctors find in the salivary glands are benign. Salivary-gland cancers account for less than half of 1 percent of all cancers, and because of...
The Family Caregiver Alliance points out that over 100 types of brain tumors exist; these can affect both adults and children. Brain tumors can start in the brain, called primary brain tumors, or come from another tumor elsewhere in the body,...
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by mood shifts that range from extreme mania to extreme depression. Mania may include feelings of euphoria, risky behavior, poor judgment, impulsive behaviors, increased sexual behavior, racing...
People are exposed to several forms of radiation every day, including ultraviolet radiation from the sun and radiation from cell phone towers. Upon exposure to high levels of radiation, energy absorbed by the cells of the body can lead to cellular...
According to the American Cancer Society, mesothelioma is named for the mesothelium, or the lining throughout the abdominal and chest cavities and their organs. It is a specific type of lung cancer that occurs more often in patients who have been...
According to the American Cancer Society, the first step in diagnosing suspected skin cancer is a visual examination of the patient. Skin cancer typically begins as a change of color, size or texture of a freckle, mole or other spot of skin that...
Beta-amyloid is a special type of protein that many researchers believe accumulates in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease, which has no cure, is classified as progressive and a degenerative disease of the brain...
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive and incurable form of dementia that is ultimately fatal. Alzheimer's disease typically affects the elderly although some forms of the disease can affect people under the age of 65 (typically termed early onset...
A positron emission tomography scan is an imaging test that uses nuclear medicine to view the body on a cellular level. The PET scan measures body functions, such as blood flow, metabolism and oxygen use, and may be used to detect disease, like...
Alzheimer's disease is a chronic and incurable form of dementia, and is ultimately fatal. Although its exact cause is not completely understood, it is thought to be related to problems with a protein known as A-beta which has an unknown natural...
There are more than 80 diseases that affect the heart, according to the Cleveland Clinic. There are many tests and procedures that can assist physicians in diagnosing the correct condition. These tests can be grouped according to non-invasive...
A cancer treatment center is a hospital or clinic that specializes in the treatment of cancer and cancer prevention. The National Cancer Institute predicts that over 1.5 million people will be diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. If you are receive a...
There are two main types of esophageal cancer, squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Less common forms of cancer of the esophagus include leiomyosarcoma, which is a cancer of the smooth muscle of the esophagus, metastatic cancer, which is...
