Druvith/medqa huggingface dataset:
What are the treatments for Osteoarthritis ? 

People with osteoarthritis may find many non-drug ways to relieve pain. Below are some examples. Heat and cold.  Heat or cold (or a combination of the two) can be useful for joint pain. Heat can be applied in a number of different ways -- with warm towels, hot packs, or a warm bath or shower -- to increase blood flow and ease pain and stiffness. In some cases, cold packs (bags of ice or frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel), which reduce inflammation, can relieve pain or numb the sore area. (Check with a doctor or physical therapist to find out if heat or cold is the best treatment.) Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). TENS is a technique that uses a small electronic device to direct mild electric pulses to nerve endings that lie beneath the skin in the painful area. TENS may relieve some arthritis pain. It seems to work by blocking pain messages to the brain and by modifying pain perception. Massage.  In this pain-relief approach, a massage therapist will lightly stroke and/or knead the painful muscles. This may increase blood flow and bring warmth to a stressed area. However, arthritis-stressed joints are sensitive, so the therapist must be familiar with the problems of the disease. Acupuncture.  Some people have found pain relief using acupuncture, a practice in which fine needles are inserted by a licensed acupuncture therapist at specific points on the skin. Scientists think the needles stimulate the release of natural, pain-relieving chemicals produced by the nervous system. A large study supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) revealed that acupuncture relieves pain and improves function in knee osteoarthritis, and it serves as an effective complement to standard care. Nutritional supplements, such as glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, have been reported to improve the symptoms of people with osteoarthritis, as have certain vitamins. Additional studies have been carried out to further evaluate these claims. It is unknown whether they might change the course of disease. Folk remedies  include the wearing of copper bracelets, following special diets, and rubbing WD-40 on joints to lubricate them. Although these practices may or may not be harmful, no scientific research to date shows that they are helpful in treating osteoarthritis. They can also be expensive, and using them may cause people to delay or even abandon useful medical treatment. For general information about alternative therapies, see the Complementary Health Approaches  topic.
What are the treatments for Osteoarthritis ? 

Doctors consider a number of factors when choosing medicines for their patients. In particular, they look at the type of pain the patient may be having and any possible side effects from the drugs. For pain relief, doctors usually start with acetaminophen because the side effects are minimal. If acetaminophen does not relieve pain, then non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen may be used. Some NSAIDs are available over the counter, while more than a dozen others, including a subclass called COX-2 inhibitors, are available only with a prescription. Corticosteroids, hyaluronic acid, and topical creams are also used. Most medicines used to treat osteoarthritis have side effects, so it is important for people to learn about the medicines they take. For example, people over age 65 and those with any history of ulcers or stomach bleeding should use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, with caution. There are measures you can take to help reduce the risk of side effects associated with NSAIDs. These include taking medications with food and avoiding stomach irritants such as alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine. In some cases, it may help to take another medication along with an NSAID to coat the stomach or block stomach acids. Although these measures may help, they are not always completely effective. For more tips on how older adults can avoid medication side effects, see Side Effects in the Taking Medicines topic.
What are the treatments for Osteoarthritis ? 

For many people, surgery helps relieve the pain and disability of osteoarthritis. Surgery may be performed to achieve one or more of the following. - Removal of loose pieces of bone and cartilage from the joint if they are causing symptoms of buckling or locking (arthroscopic debridement).  - Repositioning of bones (osteotomy).  - Resurfacing (smoothing out) bones (joint resurfacing). Removal of loose pieces of bone and cartilage from the joint if they are causing symptoms of buckling or locking (arthroscopic debridement). Repositioning of bones (osteotomy). Resurfacing (smoothing out) bones (joint resurfacing). The decision to use surgery depends on several factors, including the patients age, occupation, level of disability, pain intensity, and the degree to which arthritis interferes with his or her lifestyle. After surgery and rehabilitation, the patient usually feels less pain and swelling and can move more easily.
What is (are) Breast Cancer ? 

How Tumors Form The body is made up of many types of cells. Normally, cells grow, divide and produce more cells as needed to keep the body healthy. Sometimes, however, the process goes wrong. Cells become abnormal and form more cells in an uncontrolled way. These extra cells form a mass of tissue, called a growth or tumor. Tumors can be benign, which means not cancerous, or malignant, which means cancerous. Breast cancer occurs when malignant tumors form in the breast tissue. Who Gets Breast Cancer?  Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in American women. It is most common among women between the ages of 45-85. (Watch the video to learn more about breast cancer survival rates. To enlarge the videos appearing on this page, click the brackets in the lower right-hand corner of the video screen. To reduce the videos, press the Escape (Esc) button on your keyboard.) Men can get breast cancer too, although they account for only 1 percent of all reported cases. Read more about breast cancer in men.  When Breast Cancer Spreads When cancer grows in breast tissue and spreads outside the breast, cancer cells are often found in the lymph nodes under the arm. If the cancer has reached these nodes, it means that cancer cells may have spread, or metastasized, to other parts of the body. When cancer spreads from its original location in the breast to another part of the body such as the brain, it is called metastatic breast cancer, not brain cancer. Doctors sometimes call this "distant" disease.  Learn about different kinds of breast cancer. Breast Cancer is Not Contagious Breast cancer is not contagious. A woman cannot "catch" breast cancer from other women who have the disease. Also, breast cancer is not caused by an injury to the breast. Most women who develop breast cancer do not have any known risk factors or a history of the disease in their families. Treating and Surviving Breast Cancer  Today, more women are surviving breast cancer than ever before. Nearly three million women are breast cancer survivors. (Watch the video to hear a woman discuss surviving breast cancer.) There are several ways to treat breast cancer, but all treatments work best when the disease is found early. As a matter of fact, when it is caught in its earliest stage, 98.5 percent of women with the disease are alive five years later. Every day researchers are working to find new and better ways to detect and treat cancer. Many studies of new approaches for women with breast cancer are under way. With early detection, and prompt and appropriate treatment, the outlook for women with breast cancer can be positive. To learn more about what happens after treatment, see  Surviving Cancer.
What are the treatments for Breast Cancer ? 

There are many treatment options for women with breast cancer. The choice of treatment depends on your age and general health, the stage of the cancer, whether or not it has spread beyond the breast, and other factors. If tests show that you have cancer, you should talk with your doctor and make treatment decisions as soon as possible. Studies show that early treatment leads to better outcomes. Working With a Team of Specialists People with cancer often are treated by a team of specialists. The team will keep the primary doctor informed about the patient's progress. The team may include a medical oncologist who is a specialist in cancer treatment, a surgeon, a radiation oncologist who is a specialist in radiation therapy, and others. Before starting treatment, you may want another doctor to review the diagnosis and treatment plan. Some insurance companies require a second opinion. Others may pay for a second opinion if you request it. (Watch the video about this breast cancer survivor's treatment. To enlarge the video, click the brackets in the lower right-hand corner. To reduce the video, press the Escape (Esc) button on your keyboard.) Clinical Trials for Breast Cancer Some breast cancer patients take part in studies of new treatments. These studies, called clinical trials, are designed to find out whether a new treatment is both safe and effective. Often, clinical trials compare a new treatment with a standard one so that doctors can learn which is more effective. Women with breast cancer who are interested in taking part in a clinical trial should talk to their doctor. The U.S. National Institutes of Health, through its National Library of Medicine and other Institutes, maintains a database of clinical trials at ClinicalTrials.gov. See a list of the current clinical trials on breast cancer.
What are the treatments for Breast Cancer ? 

There are a number of treatments for breast cancer, but the ones women choose most often -- alone or in combination -- are surgery, hormone therapy, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. What Standard Treatments Do Here is what the standard cancer treatments are designed to do. - Surgery takes out the cancer and some surrounding tissue.   - Hormone therapy keeps cancer cells from getting most of the hormones they need to survive and grow.  - Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors and some surrounding tissue.  -  Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer drugs to kill most cancer cells. Surgery takes out the cancer and some surrounding tissue. Hormone therapy keeps cancer cells from getting most of the hormones they need to survive and grow. Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors and some surrounding tissue.  Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer drugs to kill most cancer cells. Treatment for breast cancer may involve local or whole body therapy. Doctors use local therapies, such as surgery or radiation, to remove or destroy breast cancer in a specific area. Whole body, or systemic, treatments like chemotherapy, hormonal, or biological therapies are used to destroy or control cancer throughout the body. Some patients have both kinds of treatment. Treating Early-Stage Breast Cancer If you have early-stage breast cancer, one common treatment available to you is a lumpectomy combined with radiation therapy. A lumpectomy is surgery that preserves a woman's breast. In a lumpectomy, the surgeon removes only the tumor and a small amount of the surrounding tissue. The survival rate for a woman who has this therapy plus radiation is similar to that for a woman who chooses a radical mastectomy, which is complete removal of a breast. If Cancer Has Spread Locally If you have breast cancer that has spread locally -- just to other parts of the breast -- your treatment may involve a combination of chemotherapy and surgery. Doctors usually first shrink the tumor with chemotherapy and then remove it through surgery. Shrinking the tumor before surgery may allow a woman to avoid a mastectomy and keep her breast. In the past, doctors would remove a lot of lymph nodes near breast tumors to see if the cancer had spread. Some doctors also use a method called sentinel node biopsy. Using a dye or radioactive tracer, surgeons locate the first or sentinel lymph node closest to the tumor, and remove only that node to see if the cancer has spread. If Cancer Has Spread Beyond the Breast If the breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body, such as the lung or bone, you might receive chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy to destroy cancer cells and control the disease. Radiation therapy may also be useful to control tumors in other parts of the body. Get more information about treatment options for breast cancer  and for  recurrent breast cancer.
What is (are) Breast Cancer ? 

The body is made up of many types of cells. Normally, cells grow, divide, and produce more cells as needed to keep the body healthy. Sometimes, however, the process goes wrong. Cells become abnormal and form more cells in an uncontrolled way. These extra cells form a mass of tissue, called a growth or tumor. Tumors can be benign, which means not cancerous, or malignant, which means cancerous.
What is (are) Breast Cancer ? 

Breast cancer occurs when a malignant tumor forms in the breast tissue. The cancer can be found in the breast itself or in the ducts and lymph nodes that surround the breast.
What is (are) Breast Cancer ? 

When cancer spreads from its original location in the breast to another part of the body such as the brain, it is called metastatic breast cancer, not brain cancer. Doctors sometimes call this "distant" disease.
Who is at risk for Breast Cancer? ? 

Did You Know: Breast Cancer Statistics? Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in American women. It is most common among women between the ages of 45-85. Today, more women are surviving breast cancer than ever before. Over two million women are breast cancer survivors. (Watch the video to learn more about breast cancer survival rates. To enlarge the video, click the brackets in the lower right-hand corner. To reduce the video, press the Escape (Esc) button on your keyboard.) Men can get breast cancer too, although they account for only one percent of all reported cases. Read more about breast cancer in men.
What are the symptoms of Breast Cancer ? 

When breast cancer first develops, there may be no symptoms at all. But as the cancer grows, it can cause changes that women should watch for. You can help safeguard your health by learning the following warning signs of breast cancer. -  a lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area  - a change in the size or shape of the breast  - a dimple or puckering in the skin of the breast  -  a nipple turned inward into the breast  -  fluid, other than breast milk, from the nipple, especially if it's bloody  - scaly, red, or swollen skin on the breast, nipple, or areola (the dark area of skin around the nipple)  - dimples in the breast that look like the skin of an orange. a lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area a change in the size or shape of the breast a dimple or puckering in the skin of the breast a nipple turned inward into the breast fluid, other than breast milk, from the nipple, especially if it's bloody scaly, red, or swollen skin on the breast, nipple, or areola (the dark area of skin around the nipple) dimples in the breast that look like the skin of an orange. Don't Ignore Symptoms You should see your doctor about any symptoms like these. Most often, they are not cancer, but it's important to check with the doctor so that any problems can be diagnosed and treated as early as possible. Some women believe that as they age, health problems are due to "growing older." Because of this myth, many illnesses go undiagnosed and untreated. Don't ignore your symptoms because you think they are not important or because you believe they are normal for your age. Talk to your doctor.
What is (are) Breast Cancer ? 

One definition of cure is being alive and free of breast cancer for 5 years. If the cancer is found early, a woman's chances of survival are better. In fact, nearly 98 percent of women who discover their breast cancer when it is near the site of origin and still small in size are alive 5 years later. However, women whose cancer is diagnosed at a late stage, after it has spread to other parts of the body, have only a 23.3 percent chance of surviving 5 years. To learn more about what happens after treatment, see Surviving Cancer.
How to prevent Breast Cancer ? 

When studying ways to prevent breast cancer, scientists look at risk factors and protective factors. Anything that increases your chance of developing cancer is called a cancer risk factor. Anything that decreases your chance of developing cancer is called a cancer protective factor. Some risk factors for cancer can be avoided, but many cannot. For example, both smoking and inheriting certain genes are risk factors for some types of cancer, but only smoking can be avoided. Regular exercise and a healthy diet may be protective factors for some types of cancer. Avoiding risk factors and increasing protective factors may lower your risk but it does not mean that you will not get cancer. Different ways to prevent cancer are being studied, including - changing lifestyle or eating habits  - avoiding things known to cause cancer  - taking medicine to treat a precancerous condition or to keep cancer from starting. changing lifestyle or eating habits avoiding things known to cause cancer taking medicine to treat a precancerous condition or to keep cancer from starting.
What are the symptoms of Breast Cancer ? 

When breast cancer first develops, there may be no symptoms at all. But as the cancer grows, it can cause changes that women should watch for. You can help safeguard your health by learning the following warning signs of breast cancer. - a lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area  - a change in the size or shape of the breast  - ridges or pitting of the breast; the skin looks like the skin of an orange  - a change in the way the skin of the breast, areola, or nipple looks or feels; for example, it may be warm, swollen, red, or scaly  - nipple discharge or tenderness, or the nipple is pulled back or inverted into the breast. a lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area a change in the size or shape of the breast ridges or pitting of the breast; the skin looks like the skin of an orange a change in the way the skin of the breast, areola, or nipple looks or feels; for example, it may be warm, swollen, red, or scaly nipple discharge or tenderness, or the nipple is pulled back or inverted into the breast. You should see your doctor about any symptoms like these. Most often, they are not cancer, but it's important to check with the doctor so that any problems can be diagnosed and treated as early as possible.
What is (are) Breast Cancer ? 

A mammogram can often detect breast changes in women who have no signs of breast cancer. Often, it can find a breast lump before it can be felt. If the results indicate that cancer might be present, your doctor will advise you to have a follow-up test called a biopsy.
What are the treatments for Breast Cancer ? 

You can seek conventional treatment from a specialized cancer doctor, called an oncologist. The oncologist will usually assemble a team of specialists to guide your therapy. Besides the oncologist, the team may include a surgeon, a radiation oncologist who is a specialist in radiation therapy, and others. Before starting treatment, you may want another doctor to review the diagnosis and treatment plan. Some insurance companies require a second opinion. Others may pay for a second opinion if you request it. You might also be eligible to enroll in a clinical trial to receive treatment that conventional therapies may not offer.
what research (or clinical trials) is being done for Breast Cancer ? 

Clinical trials are research studies on people to find out whether a new drug or treatment is both safe and effective. New therapies are tested on people only after laboratory and animal studies show promising results. The Food and Drug Administration sets strict rules to make sure that people who agree to be in the studies are treated as safely as possible. Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country. Information about clinical trials can be found at http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials on the website of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Check NCI's list of cancer clinical trials for breast cancer prevention trials that are now accepting patients.
What are the treatments for Breast Cancer ? 

Once breast cancer has been found, it is staged. Staging means determining how far the cancer has progressed. Through staging, the doctor can tell if the cancer has spread and, if so, to what parts of the body. More tests may be performed to help determine the stage. Knowing the stage of the disease helps the doctor plan treatment. Staging will let the doctor know - the size of the tumor and exactly where it is in the breast.  - if the cancer has spread within the breast.  - if cancer is present in the lymph nodes under the arm.  - If cancer is present in other parts of the body. the size of the tumor and exactly where it is in the breast. if the cancer has spread within the breast. if cancer is present in the lymph nodes under the arm. If cancer is present in other parts of the body.  Read more details about the stages of breast cancer.
What are the treatments for Breast Cancer ? 

Standard treatments for breast cancer include - surgery that takes out the cancer and some surrounding tissue  - radiation therapy that uses high-energy beams to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors and some surrounding tissue.  - chemotherapy that uses anti-cancer drugs to kill cancer most cells  - hormone therapy that keeps cancer cells from getting most of the hormones they need to survive and grow. surgery that takes out the cancer and some surrounding tissue radiation therapy that uses high-energy beams to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors and some surrounding tissue. chemotherapy that uses anti-cancer drugs to kill cancer most cells hormone therapy that keeps cancer cells from getting most of the hormones they need to survive and grow. (Watch the video to learn about one breast cancer survivor's story. To enlarge the video, click the brackets in the lower right-hand corner. To reduce the video, press the Escape (Esc) button on your keyboard.)
What is (are) Breast Cancer ? 

There are two types of breast-conserving surgery -- lumpectomy and partial mastectomy. - Lumpectomy is the removal of the tumor and a small amount of normal tissue around it. A woman who has a lumpectomy almost always has radiation therapy as well. Most surgeons also take out some of the lymph nodes under the arm. Lumpectomy is the removal of the tumor and a small amount of normal tissue around it. A woman who has a lumpectomy almost always has radiation therapy as well. Most surgeons also take out some of the lymph nodes under the arm. - Partial or segmental mastectomy is removal of the cancer, some of the breast tissue around the tumor, and the lining over the chest muscles below the tumor. Often, surgeons remove some of the lymph nodes under the arm. In most cases, radiation therapy follows. Partial or segmental mastectomy is removal of the cancer, some of the breast tissue around the tumor, and the lining over the chest muscles below the tumor. Often, surgeons remove some of the lymph nodes under the arm. In most cases, radiation therapy follows.
What are the treatments for Breast Cancer ? 

Even if the surgeon removes all of the cancer that can be seen at the time of surgery, a woman may still receive follow-up treatment. This may include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or hormone therapy to try to kill any cancer cells that may be left. Treatment that a patient receives after surgery to increase the chances of a cure is called adjuvant therapy.