| Peripheral Neuropathy occurs
most frequently in people who smoke, are over age 40, and have
difficulty controlling their blood sugar levels. In fact, about half
of all people with diabetes and thousands of others who suffer from
immune system disorders, infection, trauma, or alcoholism are
expected to develop Peripheral Neuropathy. |
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| The term abdominal may
lead you to believe that this aneurysm is in your stomach, but
aortic aneurysm commonly occurs in the aorta immediately below the
kidneys but above the iliac arteries going to the legs. An aneurysm
here is called an abdominal aortic aneurysm. |
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| An acoustic neuroma, sometimes
also called a vestibular schwannoma or neurolemmoma, is a benign
(non-cancerrous) growth or tumor that is located on the eight
cranial nerve (acoustic nerve) that leads from the inner ear to the
brain. The problem with acoustic neuromas is that as they expand in
size and grow larger, they can push against the brain. While the
tumor does not actually invade the brain, the pressure of the tumor
can displace brain tissue. |
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| Leukemia is a cancer of
the white blood cells and bone marrow. The bone marrow is the spongy
inner part of bones where blood cells are made. White blood cells
arise from the marrow and circulate in the blood. Leukemia is
characterized by uncontrolled growth of blood cells. In acute
leukemia, immature, functionless cells accumulate in the marrow and
blood. The marrow often can no longer produce enough normal red and
white blood cells and platelets. |
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| When bladder cancer is found
and treated early, the chances of survival are very good, with an
approximate 94% five-year survival rate for early bladder cancer.
Risk factors for bladder cancer include smoking (causes one-third of
bladder cancers), occupational exposure to carcinogens, age, race
(Caucasians are at highest risk), age, chronic bladder problems and
a history of bladder cancer. |
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| Carcinoid tumors
belong to a larger group of tumors called neuroendocrine tumors (NET's).
This broad group of tumors also includes the pancreatic islet cell
tumors. Although both carcinoid and pancreatic islet cell tumors
share similar morphological features, they secrete different classes
of either bioactive amines or peptides, respectively. Carcinoid
tumors are the most common form of NET's. The majority of carcinoids
arise in the appendix and to a lesser extent in the small bowel,
stomach, and duodenum whereas pancreatic islet cell tumors arise
predominantly int the panreas. |
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| The pancreas is a long,
slender organ in the upper abdomen. The exocrine area of the
pancreas produces digestive juices and the endocrine area
makes hormones, such as insulin, that regulate how the body stores
and uses food. |
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| Ductal Carcninoma in Situ (DCIS),
also known as intraductal carcinoma, is a type of breast cancer
which is confined to the breast ducts. The breast is composed of
glands called "lobules" that produce and release milk after
childbirth. The tubes that connect the lobules to the nipple are the
ducts in which Ductal Carcinoma in Situ develops. |
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| Approximately 170,000 new
cases of lung cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year.
Lung cancer is fairly rare in individuals under the age of 40. The
average age of patients diagnosed with lung cancer is about 60. |
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| Parkinson's Disease is
a slowly progressive disorder of the central nervous system that
affects movement, muscle control and balance. Although the exact
cause of Parkinson's Disease is unknown, research has concentrated
on genetics, environmental toxins, endogenous toxins and viral
infection. |
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| Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)
is a hereditary disorder that causes fluid-filled cysts to form in
the nephrons of the kidneys. These cysts can grow so large and so
numerous that they crowd out the normal kidney tissue, rendering the
kidneys unable to function normally. Damage to the kidneys is caused
by structural deformities caused by the enlarging cysts as well as
by elevations in blood pressure (hypertension). Cysts can also form
in other organs such as the liver. |
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| Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
also known as Stein-Leventhal syndrome or functional
ovarian hyperandrogenism, is a complex endocrine disorder
associated with a long-term lack of ovulation (anovulation) and an
excess of androgens (male hormones, e.g., testosterone). |
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| Hepatocellular carcinoma, also
called malignant hepatoma, is a primary form of liver cancer that
originates in the hepatocyte cells of the liver. Hepatocellular
carcinoma is the 5th most common type of cancer worldwide with
nearly 500,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Approximately 19,000
cases of primary liver cancer are diagnosed each year in the United
States and affects males more than females by a ratio of about 3:1. |
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| Thyroid cancer is the most
common of all cancers involving the endocrine system. Approximately
26,000 cases of thyroid cancer are diagnosed in the United States
each year. Thyroid cancer develops about 3 times more frequently in
women than men suggesting that female hormones (estrogens) amy
predispose women to this type of cancer |
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