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  • Alzheimer's disease

    Alzheimer's disease is a progressive condition that damages areas of the brain involved in memory, intelligence, judgment, language, and behavior. I...
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  • Atrial fibrillation

    Atrial fibrillation (say “A-tree-uhl fih-bruh-LAY-shun”) is an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) that starts in the upper parts (atria) of the hea...
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  • Paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer

    Paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity....
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  • Cancer

    Facing cancer can be scary, and most people have lots of questions. Our cancer topics cover many types of cancer, including breast cancer, colon can...
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  • Anal cancer

    Anal cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in the opening at the end of the rectum (anus). Anal cancer is uncommon and is often curable. ...
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  • Angina

    Angina is a type of chest pain that occurs when there is not enough blood flow to the heart. This is often a result of narrowing of the blood vessels ...
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  • Aortic aneurysm

    An aortic aneurysm (say “a-OR-tik AN-yuh-rih-zum”) is a bulge in a section of the aorta, the body’s main artery. The aorta carries oxygen-rich blood f...
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  • Aortic valve stenosis

    The heart has four chambers. In the lower left chamber (left ventricle), the aortic valve works like a one-way gate. When the heart pumps, the aortic ...
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  • Arrhythmia

    An abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia) is any variation in the normal heartbeat. Abnormal heartbeats occur when the heart has an irregular heart rhythm, b...
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  • Atrial septal defect (ASD)

    Atrial septal defects (ASDs) are a group of rare disorders of the heart that are present at birth (congenital) and involve a hole in the wall (septum)...
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  • Atypical ductal hyperplasia

    Atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) is an abnormal production of cells within the duct system of the breast. Women who have atypical ductal hyperplasia ...
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  • Bile duct cancer

    Extrahepatic bile duct cancer is a rare disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the part of the bile duct that is outside the liver. ...
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  • Bladder cancer

    Cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in the body. These extra cells grow together and form masses, called tumors. In bladder cancer, these growt...
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  • Bone cancer, metastatic or recurrent

    Metastatic osteosarcoma or MFH has spread from the bone in which the cancer began to other parts of the body. The cancer most often spreads to the lun...
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  • Brain tumor

    An adult brain tumor is a disease in which abnormal cells form in the tissues of the brain. There are many types of brain and spinal cord tumors. The ...
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  • BRCA1 and BRCA2 breast cancer

    A woman's risk of breast and ovarian cancer is higher if she has BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene changes. Breast cancer is extremely rare in men, but BRCA2 gene c...
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  • Breast cancer

    Breast cancer occurs when abnormal cells grow out of control in one or both breasts. They can invade nearby tissues and form a mass, called a malignan...
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  • Breast cancer, metastatic or recurrent

    Breast Cancer occurs when abnormal cells grow out of control in one or both breasts. All treatments for breast cancer work best when the cancer is fou...
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  • Cervical cancer

    Cervical cancer occurs when abnormal cells on the cervix grow out of control. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina....
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  • Chronic ischemic heart disease

    Chronic ischemic heart disease is a condition that causes reduced circulation of blood to the heart....
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  • Chronic kidney disease

    Chronic kidney disease occurs when damage to the kidneys causes reduced kidney function. Kidney disease has usually been present for many years and ma...
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  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

    COPD is a lung disease that makes it hard to breathe. It is caused by damage to the lungs over many years, usually from smoking....
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  • Colorectal cancer

    Colorectal cancer is the abnormal growth of cancer cells in the large intestine. Colon cancer forms in the longest part of the large intestine, whil...
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  • Colorectal cancer, metastatic or recurrent

    Colon and rectal cancers often return months or years after treatment. This is called recurrent cancer. If the original cancer was removed before it...
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  • Congestive heart failure

    Heart failure is a condition in which the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles) are not able to pump blood effectively. When the heart muscle has b...
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  • Coronary artery disease

    Coronary artery disease is caused by the buildup of plaque on the inside of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply oxygen-rich blood to ...
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  • Dementia

    Dementia is a loss of mental skills that affects your daily life. It can cause problems with your memory and how well you can think and plan. Usually ...
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  • Diabetes

    Diabetes is a lifelong condition in which sugar (glucose) remains in the blood rather than entering the body’s cells to be used for energy. This resul...
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  • Dilated cardiomyopathy

    Dilated cardiomyopathy is a serious condition that weakens your heart muscle and causes it to stretch, or dilate. When your heart muscle is weak, it c...
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  • Ductal carcinoma in situ

    Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS or intraductal carcinoma) is a very early form of noninvasive breast cancer that begins in the lining of the small milk...
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  • Duodenal cancer

    Small intestine cancer is a rare disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the small intestine....
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  • Endocarditis

    Endocarditis is an infection of the heart's valves or its inner lining (endocardium). It is most common in people who have a damaged, diseased, or...
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  • Esophageal cancer

    Esophageal cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the esophagus. The two most common forms of esophageal c...
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  • Epilepsy

    Epilepsy causes repeated seizures and is one of the most common neurological condition. The seizures are caused by bursts of electrical activity in ...
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  • Ewing family of tumors

    Ewing's sarcoma is a rare bone tumor that occurs most often in adolescents. It may also arise outside of the bone in soft tissue (extraosseous Ewing...
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  • Fall prevention

    Injuries from falls may be more likely among older adults and in people who have had a stroke or have multiple sclerosis or osteoporosis. ...
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  • Familial adenomatous polyposis

    Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is a rare inherited cancer predisposition syndrome characterized by hundreds to thousands of precancerous color...
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  • Gallbladder cancer

    Gallbladder cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the gallbladder....
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  • Head injury

    Most injuries to the head are minor. Bumps, cuts, and scrapes on the head and face usually heal well and can be treated the same as injuries to other ...
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  • Heart attack

    A heart attack—also called myocardial infarction or MI—occurs when an area of heart muscle is completely deprived of blood, and the heart muscle cells...
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  • Heart disease

    Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. It is an umbrella term, made up of a variety of different diseases affecting the hea...
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  • Heart murmur

    A heart murmur is an extra sound that the blood makes as it flows through the heart. Your doctor uses a stethoscope to listen to your heartbeat. When ...
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  • Her2 Neu breast cancer

    Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2/neu) is a genetic protein that is in part responsible for how certain cancer cells grow, divide, and r...
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  • Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer

    The average woman has a small chance of getting breast cancer and an even smaller chance of getting ovarian cancer. Your chances may be slightly hig...
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  • Hereditary colon cancer

    Colon cancer genetic testing is a blood test that can tell you whether you carry rare changed, or mutated, genes that can cause colon cancer. Although...
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  • Hip fracture

    A hip fracture is more than a broken bone. If you are older, breaking your hip can mean a major change in your life. You will likely need surgery, and...
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  • Hodgkin lymphoma

    Hodgkin lymphoma is cancer of the lymph system, which is the network that carries lymph fluid, nutrients and waste material between the body tissues...
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  • Hypopharyngeal cancer

    Hypopharyngeal cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the hypopharynx. The hypopharynx is the bottom part ...
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  • Inflammatory breast cancer

    Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare, fast-growing type of breast cancer. It is often called IBC for short. Unlike other breast cancers, this ty...
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  • Interstitial lung disease (ILD)

    Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is an inflammatory lung disorder of unknown origin (idiopathic) characterized by abnormal formation of fibrous tissue (f...
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  • Invasive carcinoma of the breast (IDC)

    This cancer starts in a milk duct, breaks through the wall of the duct, and invades the fatty tissue of the breast. From there, it can spread to other...
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  • Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC)

    This cancer starts in the mammary, or milk, glands (lobules) and can spread to other parts of the body. About 10 percent of breast cancers are this ty...
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  • Islet cell tumors (endocrine pancreas)

    Islet cell tumors are abnormal cells that form in the tissues of the pancreas. An islet cell tumor may also be called a pancreatic endocrine tumor (PE...
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  • Kidney failure

    Acute renal failure (also called acute kidney injury) means that your kidneys have suddenly stopped working. Your kidneys remove waste products and he...
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  • Laryngeal cancer

    Laryngeal cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the larynx.   The larynx (voice box) is located just below ...
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  • Leukemia

    Leukemia is cancer of the blood cells. It starts in the bone marrow, the soft tissue inside most bones. Bone marrow is where blood cells are made. ...
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  • Lip and oral cavity cancer

    Lip and oral cavity cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the lips or mouth. The oral cavity includes the following: ...
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  • Liver cancer

    Adult primary liver cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the liver. Find more information at Providence Live...
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  • Liver disease

    Liver diseases can include cirrhosis, infections (such as hepatitis) and liver tumors. ...
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  • Lobular carcinoma in situ

    Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) is a type of noninvasive breast cancer that is confined to the cells lining the very end of the milk ducts (lobules) ...
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  • Lung cancer

    Lung cancer starts when abnormal cells grow out of control in the lung. They can invade nearby tissues and form tumors. Lung cancer can start anywhere...
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  • Lung metastasis

    Lung cancer may spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. The most common sites are the bones, the brain, the liver, the other lung, the lini...
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  • Lymphedema

    Lymphedema is a collection of fluid that causes swelling (edema) in the arms and legs....
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  • Male breast cancer

    Many people believe that only women have breast cancer. Although male breast cancer is very rare, about 1 percent of breast cancers occur in men. Th...
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  • Mediastinal tumor

    Mediastinal tumors are growths that form in the area that separates the lungs. This area contains the heart, large blood vessels, windpipe (trachea)...
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  • Meningioma

    Meningiomas are benign, slow-growing tumors, classified as brain tumors but actually growing in the three protective membranes that surround the bra...
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  • Memory loss

    Most people assume that it is normal for a person to lose memory as he or she ages. It's not normal, but it is common. Memory loss causes real probl...
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  • Melanoma, metastatic

    When melanoma spreads (metastasizes), it usually spreads first into nearby lymph nodes. It can also spread through the bloodstream. Distant metastases...
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  • Metastatic squamous neck cancer with occult primary

    Metastatic squamous neck cancer with occult primary is a disease in which squamous cell cancer spreads to lymph nodes in the neck and it is not known ...
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  • Mitral valve disease

    Mitral valve stenosis is a heart problem in which the mitral valve doesn't open as wide as it should. It is a lifelong disease. When you first...
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  • Mitral valve prolapse

    Your mitral valve controls blood flow on the left side of your heart. The valve opens and closes with each heartbeat. It works like a one-way gate, le...
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  • Mitral valve regurgitation

    Mitral valve regurgitation means that one of the valves in your heart—the mitral valve—is letting blood leak backward into the heart. Heart valves ...
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  • Mild cognitive impairment (MCI)

    Some older people have greater memory and cognitive difficulties than do those undergoing normal aging, but their symptoms are not so severe as to jus...
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  • Multiple myeloma

    Multiple myeloma is a rare form of cancer characterized by excessive production (proliferation) and improper function of certain cells (plasma cells) ...
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  • Multiple sclerosis

    Multiple sclerosis, often called MS, is a disease that affects the central nervous system—the brain and spinal cord. It can cause problems with muscle...
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  • Myocarditis

    Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle. Myocarditis may occur after a viral, fungal, or bacterial infection, such as diphtheria, rheumatic fe...
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  • Nasopharyngeal cancer

    Nasopharyngeal cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the nasopharynx, which is the upper part of the pharynx ...
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  • Neuroblastoma

    Neuroblastoma is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in nerve tissue of the adrenal gland, neck, chest or spinal cord. Neuroblastom...
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  • Nonepileptic events

    People with nonepileptic seizures (NES) have periods of seizure-like activity. NES are characterized by a loss of or change in physical function witho...
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  • Non-Hodgkin lymphoma

    Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is cancer of the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system. The lymphatic system is found throughout the body. W...
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  • Non-small cell lung cancer

    Non-small cell lung cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the lung. There are several types of non-small ...
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  • Occupational and other respiratory diseases

    An environmental illness can occur when you are exposed to toxins or substances in the environment that make you sick. These health hazards may be fou...
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  • Oligodendroglial tumors

    An oligodendroglial tumor begins in brain cells called oligodendrocytes, which help keep nerve cells healthy. Oligodendrocytes are a type of glial c...
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  • Oral complications of chemotherapy and head/neck radiation

    The oral cavity is at high risk of side effects from chemotherapy and radiation therapy for a number of reasons. Chemotherapy and radiation ther...
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  • Oropharyngeal cancer

    Oropharyngeal cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the oropharynx. The oropharynx is the middle part of ...
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  • Osteosarcoma

    Osteosarcoma and malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of the bone are diseases in which malignant (cancer) cells form in bone. Osteosarcoma is t...
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  • Ovarian cancer

    Ovarian cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in the ovaries. It is the fifth-most common cause of cancer deaths in women. ...
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  • Pancreatic cancer

    Pancreatic cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the pancreas. The pancreas is a gland about 6 inches lon...
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  • Parkinson's disease

    Parkinson's disease affects the way you move. It happens when there is a problem with certain nerve cells in the brain. Normally, these nerve ce...
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  • Patent foramen ovale (PFO)

    A small opening between the two atria (foramen ovale) is present at birth. Shortly after birth, the atrial septum gradually grows and seals this openi...
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  • Pericarditis

    Pericarditis is a swelling and irritation of the pericardium, which is the sac that surrounds your heart. Most of the time the cause is either not...
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  • Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP)

    Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a rare degenerative neurological disorder characterized by loss of balance and impaired walking; loss of contr...
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  • Prostate cancer

    What is prostate cancer? Prostate cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in the tissues of the prostate gland. The prostate gland is a walnut-sha...
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  • Progressive muscular atrophy

    Progressive muscular atrophy is a rare type of ALS which affects only the lower motor neurons.  (ALS affects both the upper and lower motor neuro...
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  • Salivary gland cancer

    Salivary gland cancer is a rare disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the salivary glands. ...
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  • Sarcoma, adult soft tissue cancer

    Adult soft tissue sarcoma is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the soft tissues of the body. The soft tissues of the body incl...
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  • Senior health

    As we age, we have special health concerns. They can range from memory loss and broken hips to concerns about exercising safely. Our topics can help y...
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  • Skin cancer, melanoma

    Melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer that starts in the pigment-producing skin cells called melanocytes. These cells become abnormal, grow unco...
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  • Skin cancer, non-melanoma

    Skin cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in the skin. It is the most common type of cancer. It is almost always cured when it is found early and ...
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  • Small cell lung cancer

    Small-cell lung cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the lung. There are two types of small-cell lung can...
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  • Stroke

    A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked or bursts. Without blood and the oxygen it carries, part of the brain starts to die. The...
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  • Supraventricular tachycardia

    Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) means that from time to time your heart beats very fast for a reason other than exercise, high fever, or stress. Ty...
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  • Temporal lobe epilepsy

    Temporal lobe epilepsy involves the portions of the brain that control emotions and memory. The temporal lobes are located on each side of the head ju...
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  • Testis cancer

    Testicular cancer occurs when abnormal cells grow out of control in the testicles (testes). Testicular cancer is highly curable, especially when i...
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  • Thoracic malignancy

    Thoracic malignancies are a group of cancers of the chest that include lung cancer, mesothelioma, esophageal cancer, chest wall tumors, airway tumor...
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  • Thymoma and thymic carcinoma

    Thymoma and thymic carcinoma are diseases in which malignant (cancer) cells form on the outside surface of the thymus. There are different types...
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  • Thyroid cancer

    Thyroid cancer is a disease that occurs when abnormal cells begin to grow in the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is shaped like a butterfly and is ...
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  • Tongue cancer

    Tongue cancers are oral cancers that are differentiated by their location in the mouth and on the tongue. If the cancer is on the forward portion of...
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  • Tracheal cancer

    Tracheal cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the trachea. ...
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  • Tracheostomy

    A tracheostomy is a hole is made in the front of the neck to allow a patient to breathe following a total laryngectomy or to treat sleep apnea. ...
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  • Traumatic brain injury

    A concussion is a brain injury that is caused by a sudden blow to the head or to the body. The blow shakes the brain inside the skull, which tempora...
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  • Type 1 diabetes

    Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong disease that develops when the pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that lets sugar (glucose) move from the blood...
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  • Type 2 diabetes

    Type 2 diabetes is a lifelong disease that affects the way your body uses food for energy. The disease develops when the cells of the body become resi...
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  • Uterine leiomyosarcoma

    A uterine leiomyosarcoma is a rare malignant (cancerous) tumor that arises from the smooth muscle lining the walls of the uterus (myometrium). ...
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  • Vaginal cancer

    Vaginal cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the vagina....
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  • Vulvar cancer

    Vulvar cancer is a rare disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the vulva. Vulvar cancer forms in a woman's external ge...
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  • Ventricular tachycardia

    Ventricular tachycardia is a fast heart rhythm that starts in the lower part of the heart (ventricles). If left untreated, some forms of ventricular t...
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  • Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome

    Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is an abnormal electrical connection (or bypass tract) between the atria and ventricles of the heart. The bypass tract ...
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  • Dizziness

    Dizziness is a word that is often used to describe two different feelings. It is important to know exactly what you mean when you say "I feel d...
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  • Fibromyalgia

    Fibromyalgia is widespread pain in the muscles and soft tissues above and below the waist and on both sides of the body. Fibromyalgia is a syndrome—a ...
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  • Adrenal adenomas

    Adrenal adenomas are common benign tumors on the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are located above the kidneys. The hormones produced by the adre...
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  • Adrenal gland cancer

    Adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the outer layer of the adrenal gland. There are two adrenal gla...
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  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

    Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a disease in which certain nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord slowly die. These nerve cells are called...
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  • Astrocytic tumors

    An astrocytic tumor begins in star-shaped brain cells called astrocytes, which help keep nerve cells healthy. An astrocyte is a type of glial cell and...
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  • Cerebral palsy

    Cerebral palsy is a group of problems that affects body movement and posture. It is related to a brain injury or to problems with brain growth. It i...
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  • Chest wall tumor

    Chest wall tumors can occur when lung cancer has spread (metastasized) into the chest cavity. A chest CT scan is used most often to determine whether ...
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  • Cystic fibrosis

    Cystic fibrosis is a disease that causes mucus in the body to become thick and sticky. This glue-like mucus builds up and causes problems in many of t...
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  • Fractures

    A fracture is a break in a bone. Fractures can range from a hairline crack in the bone to the bone being broken into two or more pieces that no ...
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  • Gastroesophageal junction cancer

    Gastroesophageal junction cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the place where the esophagus is connected to the stomach. ...
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  • Gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors

    Gastric cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the lining of the stomach. The wall of the stomach is made up of three lay...
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  • Muscular dystrophy

    Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rare muscle disorder, but it is one of the most frequent genetic conditions, affecting approximately 1 in 3,500...
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  • Neuroendocrine tumors

    Carcinoid syndrome is a disease consisting of a combination of symptoms, physical manifestations and abnormal laboratory chemical findings caused by a...
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  • Transient ischemic attack (TIA)

    Some people call a transient ischemic attack (TIA) a mini-stroke, because the symptoms are like those of a stroke but do not last long. A TIA happens ...
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  • Ventricular fibrillation

    Fast heart rhythms that begin in the lower chambers of the heart are called ventricular arrhythmias. They usually are fast and regular, such as ventri...
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  • Mesothelioma

    Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects the membrane that covers and protects various internal organs of the body (mesothelium). The mesoth...
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