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Starting at what is commonly called middle age, operations of the human body begin to be more vulnerable to daily wear and tear; there is a general decline in physical, and possibly mental, functioning. In the Western countries, the length of life is often into the 70s.
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In general, only about three percent of the elderly living independently in the community will experience depression. That figure increases to around 20 to 30 percent of persons in nursing homes or with chronic illnesses like emphysema, heart disease or diabetes.
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Aging is the process of growing older, a process that includes physical changes and, sometimes, mental changes. "The aged" refers to elderly people, those who have reached an advanced age.
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Through the daily grapevine of popular culture, we get the message over and over that young is better than old. But new research contradicts these age-old stereotypes. Indeed, studies suggest that the older you get, the happier you become.
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Starting at what is commonly called middle age, operations of the human body become more vulnerable to daily wear and tear. There is a general decline in physical, and possibly mental, functioning.
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13 Real-Life Age-StoppersYou can't turn back the clock, but you can slow down the aging processes often associated with getting older.Says Robert N. Butler, M.D., president and CEO of The International Longevity Center in New York City: "Many of t...
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This term is used by demographers when referring to an increase over time in the proportion of older persons in the population. It does not necessarily imply an increase in life expectancy, that " people are living longer that they used to, " or that they are dying on average at older ages, although these phenomena are usually observed in association with aging of the population.
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Consider this fact: More than half the people who ever lived to be 65 are alive today. That alone suggests that myths about aging based on past generations may not hold true for this one. Let's look at 10 of those myths, and see what experts have to say about them.
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Art, music, and other challenging activities may play a role in keeping the mind alert, even for those affected by dementia.
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Discusses what we can do, if anything, to put ourselves in the category of those who live to advanced ages.
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Not only do baby boomers expect to live into their 80s or 90s, but they are expecting to be independent, one expert says.
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Beyond giving you energy to conquer a multitasking day, your diet can help slow the tick-tock of the biological clock that governs the aging process.
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No need to search for a secret formula to erase the effects of getting older. You already have the power to keep yourself feeling young for years.
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This report helps you avoid common health woes, such as heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and sight and hearing disorders.
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This report can help you preserve your independence and remain in your home in your later years. Includes information on financial and legal planning, finding and working with a caregiver, and useful home modifications.
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A practical guide to the causes of memory loss and the steps you can take to improve your ability to learn and remember for a lifetime.
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This report takes a view of the whole woman and helps her choose the most practical strategies for making her midlife transition.
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New research indicates that-while not exactly a fountain of youth-exercise can reverse some of the physiological signs of aging and reduce overall disease and mortality.
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Learn how to put together a caregiving plan, draw on useful services, and address legal, medical, and financial planning issues. Also, find advice on involving family members, handling daily tasks, and maintaining your well being.
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Aimed at older adults, this report provides practical advice on how to avoid common and often deadly accidents at home.
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This report describes causes and treatments for the most common age-related skin problems. It also reviews the newest and most effective cosmetic treatments, including anti-aging creams, laser procedures, Botox injections, and surgeries.
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This report details how physical changes that occur as you age can affect your sexuality.It includes information on the therapies and medications that can help you overcome sexual problems.
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Like the rest of your body, your eyes naturally change throughout your life. These changes occur gradually and become apparent in later years, as the structures in and around your eyes become less efficient. For most people, the first sign is presbyopia, deterioration of close-up vision. Luckily, this problem can be treated with reading glasses or bifocals.
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While regular physical activity is a cornerstone of wellness at any age, it’s during your 30s, 40s and 50s that exercise becomes especially important.
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Physical removal of age spots can be costly and painful. Topical treatments take time to work, but are generally safe, cost less than removal procedures, and are easier on the skin.
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It's never easy to ponder death, whether you're facing the demise of a loved one or the end of your own life. But taking some time to think and plan ahead for those final hours or days can be a future blessing for your family and others close to you. Most people want a say in all life's important decisions. The same should be true regarding decisions surrounding death, such as what kind of medical treatment you receive. But what if you're unable to make your decisions or wishes known? Say, for example, you are unconscious and can't speak or hear. Unless you have spoken with your loved ones and taken certain legal actions, there may be confusion and stress over what those decisions will be and who can make them for you.
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Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is an infectious disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It was first recognized in the United States in 1981.
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AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is the final and most serious stage of HIV disease, which causes severe damage to the immune system.
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Detailed information on HIV and AIDS, including transmission, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the final and most serious stage of the disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus. Symptoms begin when an HIV-positive person presents a CD4-cell (also called T cell, a type of immune cell) count below 200.
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Homosexuals and heterosexuals alike are at risk. Infected people can pass HIV on to anyone with whom they have intimate contact. Men can infect female or male partners, as can women.
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A person with HIV can look and feel perfectly healthy. But that person can give HIV to others as soon as he or she is infected with the virus.
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Detailed information on HIV and AIDS, including transmission, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Detailed information on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) during pregnancy
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Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is an infectious disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). AIDS is the advanced form of infection caused by HIV and typically only manifests itself after a long latency period after initial HIV infection.
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If you're not quite sure what's up with AIDS these days, don't feel alone. Misconceptions and falsehoods concerning AIDS and HIV abound.
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New drug treatments can delay the effects of AIDS and are helping patients live longer. But the reality is that no medicine can cure AIDS or the virus that causes it, HIV. Once inside the body, HIV destroys immune system cells, making it difficult to fight off illness.
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Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is an infectious disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It was first recognized in the United States in 1981.
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What's true and what's not when it comes to AIDS? Here's a look at some common myths surrounding HIV infection and AIDS.
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Detailed information on HIV and AIDS, including transmission, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) by infecting helper T cells of the immune system. The most common serotype, HIV-1, is distributed worldwide, while HIV-2 is primarily confined to West Africa.
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Caging a Killer: Fighting AIDS for Two DecadesOften called the president's lead physician in the war against AIDS, Eric P. Goosby, M.D., has been a leading AIDS researcher for nearly two decades.
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Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS, is the final, life-threatening stage of infection with any of the human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV-1, its many subtypes, or HIV-2), which are transmitted from person to person sexually (including via anal, oral, and vaginal intercourse, both heterosexually and homosexually), through contact with blood (mainly via equipment used to inject illicit drugs and, rarely, via medical uses of blood), and perinatally (from mother to fetus or newborn during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, or after birth through breast-feeding). ORIGIN AND HISTORY HIV-1 and HIV-2 both appear to have been transmitted to humans from primates in Central and West Africa, probably to hunters or processors of carcasses of primates consumed as food (referred to as " bush meat " ).
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Detailed information on HIV home care for your child
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HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) was identified in 1983 by the French scientist Luc Montagier and his staff at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. Ever since that discovery, scientists have been searching for ways to treat those infected with HIV, and to produce a vaccine to prevent its spread.
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Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is the most commonly used drug in the world. Pharmacologically, alcohol is classified as a central nervous system depressant.
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This report includes information on recognizing the symptoms of problem drinking, treatment techniques, coping with a loved one's drinking, and overcoming denial.
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Alcoholism is defined as alcohol seeking and consumption behavior that is harmful. Long-term and uncontrollable harmful consumption can cause alcohol-related disorders that include: antisocial personality disorder , mood disorders (bipolar and major depression) and anxiety disorders.
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It's important to understand how alcohol and drugs can affect your health and well being.
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Besides having trouble with school and relationships, teenagers taking drugs may display emotional extremes with irritability, anger and changes in sleep patterns.
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Excessive drinking can cause potentially fatal conditions, not only high blood pressure, but also damage to the brain, heart or liver; diabetes and stroke.
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Like cancer or heart disease, alcoholism is a primary chronic disease with its own symptoms and causes. The disease is progressive and often fatal if not treated.
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Effective treatment for alcohol dependency is available, but treatment rates among alcohol abusers are low because of lack of awareness and embarrassment.
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Each year, about 100,000 deaths in the United States are related to alcohol consumption. Learn more about the effects of abusing alcohol by taking this quiz.
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Cancer is not just one disease, but a large group of almost 100 diseases. It is a genetic disease, with two main characteristics of uncontrolled growth of the cells in the human body and the ability of those cells to migrate from the original site and spread to distant sites.
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Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Cancerous cells are also called malignant cells.
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Understanding CancerThe term "cancer" refers to a group of diseases in which cells grow and spread unrestrained throughout the body. It is difficult to imagine anyone who has not heard about this disease.
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Cancer is the end product of a multistep process (carcinogenesis) that occurs over many years. The term " cancer " actually refers to numerous distinct diseases characterized by abnormal cell growth and differentiation.
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Does Ageism Exist in Cancer Care?What if you had cancer and were not offered a new treatment because of your age?
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Coping With Cancer Through Mind, Body, Spirit and EmotionsWith one out of every two or three people at risk for cancer, as suggested by the American Cancer Society, perhaps it comes as no surprise that the topic of cancer and stress are tightly li...
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A group of diseases characterized by uncontrollable cell growth. Cancer is a family of diseases in which cells replicate at an extremely rapid pace.
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The Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer: A Guide to Cancer and Its Treatments is a unique and invaluable source of information for anyone touched by cancer. This collection of over 450 entries provides in-depth coverage of specific cancer types, diagnostic procedures, treatments, cancer side effects, and cancer drugs.
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Whether you’re facing major surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy, a second opinion can help ensure you’re getting the most targeted, effective treatment for your condition.
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If You Are Diagnosed With CancerQuestions for the doctor:What kind of cancer do I have?Is it invasive?
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Detailed information on the most common diagnostic procedures for cancer
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No matter what your age or lifestyle, the choices you make today and in the future can improve your chances of living a healthy and cancer-free life.
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Cancer is not just one disease, but a large group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled and abnormal growth of the cells in the human body and the ability of these cells to spread to distant sites (metastasis). If the spread is not controlled, cancer can result in death.
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Seek Support if Cancer StrikesA 4-foot northern pike stars in one of actor Rob Lowe's favorite tales about his father."Like many kids, I really enjoyed going on fishing trips with my dad," says Mr.
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Understanding Cancer StatisticsStatistics are often used in news reports or in talking about someone's risk for getting cancer or whether a treatment will work. These statistics can be confusing or misleading if you do not understand how they are ...
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Oral Contraceptives and Cancer Risk: Questions and AnswersKey PointsSome cancers depend on naturally occurring sex hormones for their development and growth. Researchers are interested in learning whether the hormones in oral contraceptives affect...
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Detailed information on cancer, including cancer diagnosis, cancer staging, cancer grading, cancer treatment, cancer surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, biological therapy, and cancer clinical trials
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Detailed information on coping with a cancer diagnosis in a child
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The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute is the most authoritative source of information on cancer incidence and survival in the United States. Established in 1973, SEER originally provided cancer incidence data for Connecticut, Iowa, New Mexico, Utah, and Hawaii, and for the metropolitan areas of Detroit and San Francisco-Oakland.
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Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth of tissue cells in the body and the invasion by these cells into nearby tissue and migration to distant sites. Cancer results from alterations (mutations) in genes that make up DNA, the master molecule of the cell.
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Cyclist Lance Armstrong is proof that you can not only survive cancer, but that you can actually resume a normal livelihood, one of his doctors says.
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A Cancer Survivor’s Guide to CaregivingBy Jim RiceAs a rectal cancer survivor, I have had several caregivers. An enterostomal therapy nurse took care of me at the hospital after my colostomy surgery; home health care nurses came to my house for se...
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Detailed information on diagnosing cancer in children
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Cancer is not just one disease, but a large group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled and abnormal growth of the cells in the human body and the ability of these cells to spread to distant sites (metastasis). If the spread is not controlled, cancer can result in death.
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Life as a cancer survivor can be as rich and rewarding as you decide to make it. In fact, increased awareness of mortality is all some people need to feel more alive than ever.
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Cancer survivors know how important a job can be to their psychological and financial well being. Here are tips to improve the ability to continue working, as well as some ways to handle workplace discrimination during treatment.
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A Swedish study, over 29 years, finds 33 percent more cases of cancer among obese people than in the general population.
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Sex and Cancer: Questions for Your DoctorWhat sexual impact should I expect from my cancer or its treatment?How long will these changes last?
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Virtual Colonoscopy: A Noninvasive Option for Cancer ScreeningThis year more than 145,000 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed in the United States. In a large number of those cases, the cancer will be advanced.
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Nutrition for Patients During Cancer TreatmentNutrition plays a significant role in the treatment of cancer. In fact, you can improve your overall outcome by eating well.
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Take a Vacation From CancerAugust is a popular time of year for vacations. It's summer, the kids are out of school, and the mountains and beaches are beckoning.
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Understanding Cancer Screening TestsMost cancers are easier to treat when they are found in their earlier stages. Doctors find cancers when they are small and normally undetectable by using screening tests such as mammography, blood tests, CT scan...
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Coping With Cancer: The FamilyCancer is a blow to every family it touches. How it is handled is determined to a great extent by how the family has functioned as a unit in the past.Problems within the family can be the most difficult to handle; you...
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Cancer is not just one disease, but a large group of almost one hundred diseases. Its two main characteristics are uncontrolled growth of the cells in the human body and the ability of these cells to migrate from the original site and spread to distant sites.
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Cancer Patient Finds Support, Empowerment OnlineWhen Geri Malter was diagnosed with a retroperitoneal liposarcoma (a rare kind of tumor in the fatty tissues of the abdomen) in 1983, her first thought was, "I need to talk to someone else with this ...
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Insurance Rights of Cancer SurvivorsWhen cancer strikes, you may start thinking about health insurance in a new light. Chances are, you will use your health insurance more than ever before.
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Understanding Cancer TestsDoctors use tests like mammography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT) scans to help them screen for, diagnose, treat, and monitor cancer. If you have been diagnosed with cancer, you may have h...
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Cancer FAQQ: What is cancer?A:Cancer is what happens when a group of cells grows uncontrollably and in an abnormal and disorderly way.
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Obesity and CancerKey Points:During the last two decades, the percentage of overweight and obese adults and children has been steadily increasing (see Question 2).Lack of physical activity is strongly associated with obesity (see Question 3).In ad...
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Vasectomy and Cancer RiskSome studies have raised questions about a possible relationship between vasectomy (an operation to cut or tie off the two tubes that carry sperm out of the testicles) and the risk of developing cancer, particularly prosta...
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Discusses the use of anti-inflammatory drugs in cancer prevention and cites numerous studies on the protective value of NSAIDs and coxibs to a variety of cancers.
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The ins and outs of screening for testicular and prostate cancers, including an in-depth discussion of the benefits and drawbacks of the leading prostate cancer test, the prostate specific antigen test.
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Many studies link exercise with a reduced risk of certain types of cancer. The biggest reductions were for colon and breast cancer, but its effect on other cancers is so far inconclusive.
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Research has found that statin drugs may inhibit the growth of cancer cells in laborotory experiments, but much more research is necessary before any definite benefits can be determined.
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Detailed information the most common types of surgery to treat cancer, including biopsy, endoscopy, laparoscopy, laparotomy, laser surgery, cryosurgery, electrosurgery, and excisional surgery
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Detailed information on surgery for prostate cancer, including the different types and potential side effects
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Detailed information on treating cancer in children
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Detailed information on the causes of cancer in children
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Although some complementary and alternative methods have been scientifically proven to promote healing or reduce symptoms, many have not.
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Cancer is characterized by uncontrolled growth of cells in the body and the ability of these malignant cells to spread (metastasize) to distant sites within the body. If the spread is not controlled, cancer can result in death.
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