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,...
A diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is usually first suggested by certain symptoms. One common symptom of cancer of the pancreas is jaundice, which causes yellowing of the skin and of the whites of the eyes, as well as darkening of the urine....
Although nasopharyngeal cancer is regarded as an oral cancer, it actually forms closer to the nasal passages, in an area called the nasopharynx. This area lies just behind the nose, in the upper part of the throat, and is a tube that connects the...
Cancer is the abnormal growth of cells that divide to form lumps or tumors, according to the American Cancer Society. Malignant tumors can interfere with the nervous, digestive and circulatory systems. Most people are familiar with breast cancer,...
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...
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the brain uses powerful magnets and radio waves to produce a detailed picture of the brain and nerve tissues. Because a brain MRI shows details of the blood vessels, the blood flow and the fluids...
Adrenocortical carcinoma is not a phrase many people are apt to hear too often; this rare type of cancer is seen in only one out of 1.5 million people. It affects the outer layer (adrenal cortex) of the adrenal glands, which are small glands...
Various activities trigger the release of endorphins -- hormones in your brain that produce the deep calmness or euphoria known as a natural high. Endorphins counteract your stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, and create a strong sense of...
Today's physicians have a tremendous number of tools at their disposal to help them see what may be going on inside a patient's brain. But the same set of tools that makes them more informed than ever before can make patients more intimidated...
A cardiac PET scan is a relatively new diagnostic tool used to assess heart disease. In positron emission tomography scanning, a patient is injected with a combination of a radioactive material and glucose, or sugar. Areas of healthy muscle will...
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...
Positron emission tomography, or a PET scan, is a type of nuclear medicine imaging that views the body and organs on a cellular level, according to RadiologyInfo.org. A PET scan measures body functions like blood flow, oxygen use and the...
According to the National Institutes of Health, "nuclear scanning uses radioactive substances to see structures and functions inside [the patient's] body. Nuclear scans involve a special camera that detects energy coming from the radioactive...
Lung cancer is among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths throughout the world. This alarming statistic is due to the fact that the diagnosis is often made in the advanced stages. Such is the insidious nature of the disease. There are...
Chemical or pharmacologic stress testing is a common practice for assessing coronary perfusion; that is, for identifying any blockages in coronary arteries that would decrease blood flow to the heart. Chemical stress tests are used when patients...
Serotonin exists as a key neurotransmitter in the brain and central nervous system. Along with norepinephrine, this neurotransmitter acts in modulating pain perception, sleep, fatigue, cognition and mood in normal individuals. Since serotonin...
Mental illness is often attributed to abnormal activity or an imbalance of the chemicals (neurotransmitters) in one's brain. Dopamine is an especially common chemical found in those with mental illness because it is responsible for transmitting...
Children faced with a chemical imbalance in their bodies may display signs of defiance and mental illness. Some children are only treated for their symptoms rather than a disease; this can make an accurate diagnosis difficult. Health Center...
The bile duct is a system of tubes connecting the liver, gallbladder and small intestine. It transports bile from the liver to the gallbladder for storage and the intestines to aid digestion. The portion of the bile duct closest to the intestine...
The treatment for a mild heart attack follows similar regimens provided to patients whose heart attack causes significant heart muscle damage. Individualized treatment plans incorporate a combination of medication, diagnostic evaluation, surgical...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), lung cancer kills more people than any other type of cancer. Lung cancer includes all cancer that begins in the lungs, not cancer that spreads to the lungs after beginning in...
A diagnosis of epilepsy involves a combination of observation and diagnostic tests. The doctor will listen to a description of the seizures a person has, and perhaps monitor the patient using video for a few hours or days to try and observe a...
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...
The PET scan or positron emission tomography is a type of medical test that takes pictures of body's internal organs. According to the Mayo Clinic, this scan allows health-care providers to visualize soft tissues and organs such as the brain and...
Breast cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the tissues of the breast. Once someone is in remission from her cancer, the main priority is preventing a recurrence. The best way to detect the early signs of recurrent breast cancer is to...
Hypnosis, or trance, is an altered state of mind in which a person is highly responsive to suggestion. While in trance, a hypnotic subject is focused entirely on certain ideas to the exclusion of all others. At one time, the hypnotic effect was...
Lung cancer arises from the cells of the lung tissue. The two primary forms of the disease, small cell and non-small cell lung cancer, differ in their appearance under the microscope and response to various cancer treatments. Medical professionals...
Dementia affects 5 million people in the United States and accounts for more than half of nursing home admissions. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 50 to 70 percent of all dementia. Collagen produced by the body and deposited in the brain can be...
A child who throws excessive tantrums may simply be angry, or he may be suffering from a chemical imbalance in his brain. According to Dr. Alexandra Delis-Abrams, children who demonstrate violent and aggressive behavior must always be taken...
