sarnsrun/medquad huggingface dataset:
Topic: Colorectal Cancer
Question: What is (are) Colorectal Cancer ?
Answer: Here are some of the tools used to detect colorectal cancer. - A fecal occult blood test, or FOBT, is a test used to check for hidden blood in the stool. Sometimes cancers or polyps can bleed, and FOBT can detect small amounts of bleeding. Newer, genetically-based stool tests are proving to be more accurate than older tests. A fecal occult blood test, or FOBT, is a test used to check for hidden blood in the stool. Sometimes cancers or polyps can bleed, and FOBT can detect small amounts of bleeding. Newer, genetically-based stool tests are proving to be more accurate than older tests. - A sigmoidoscopy is an examination of the rectum and lower colon -- or sigmoid colon -- using a lighted instrument called a sigmoidoscope. A sigmoidoscopy is an examination of the rectum and lower colon -- or sigmoid colon -- using a lighted instrument called a sigmoidoscope.  - A colonoscopy is an examination of the rectum and the large intestine (but not the small intestine) using a lighted instrument called a colonoscope. A colonoscopy is an examination of the rectum and the large intestine (but not the small intestine) using a lighted instrument called a colonoscope.  - A virtual colonoscopy, which requires the same preparation as a standard colonoscopy, is done with an external scanning machine as opposed to a device inserted into the colon. The colon does need to be inflated with gas for proper scanning. A virtual colonoscopy, which requires the same preparation as a standard colonoscopy, is done with an external scanning machine as opposed to a device inserted into the colon. The colon does need to be inflated with gas for proper scanning.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Colorectal Cancer
Question: What is (are) Colorectal Cancer ?
Answer: Yes. In July 2008, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force made its strongest ever recommendation for colorectal cancer screening: it suggested that all adults between ages 50 and 75 get screened, or tested, for the disease. The task force noted that various screening tests are available, making it possible for patients and their clinicians to decide which test is best for each person.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Colorectal Cancer
Question: What is (are) Colorectal Cancer ?
Answer: The three standard treatments for colon cancer are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Surgery, however, is the most common first step in the treatment for all stages of colon cancer. Surgery is an operation to remove the cancer. A doctor may remove the cancer using several types of surgery. For rectal cancer, radiation treatment also is an option.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Colorectal Cancer
Question: What is (are) Colorectal Cancer ?
Answer: Several types of surgery are available for someone with colorectal cancer. If the cancer is found at a very early stage, the doctor may remove it without cutting through the abdominal wall. Instead, the doctor may put a tube up the rectum into the colon and cut the cancer out. This is called a local excision. If the cancer is found in a polyp, which is a small bulging piece of tissue, the operation is called a polypectomy. If the cancer is larger, the surgeon will remove the cancer and a small amount of healthy tissue around it. This is called a colectomy. The surgeon may then sew the healthy parts of the colon together. Usually, the surgeon will also remove lymph nodes near the colon and examine them under a microscope to see whether they contain cancer. If the doctor is not able to sew the two ends of the colon back together, an opening called a stoma is made on the abdomen for waste to pass out of the body before it reaches the rectum. This procedure is called a colostomy. Sometimes the colostomy is needed only until the lower colon has healed, and then it can be reversed. But if the doctor needs to remove the entire lower colon, the colostomy may be permanent.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Colorectal Cancer
Question: What are the treatments for Colorectal Cancer ?
Answer: Even if the doctor removes all the cancer that can be seen at the time of the operation, many patients receive chemotherapy after surgery to kill any cancer cells that are left. Chemotherapy treatment after surgery -- to increase the chances of a cure -- is called adjuvant therapy. Researchers have found that patients who received adjuvant therapy usually survived longer and went for longer periods of time without a recurrence of colon cancer than patients treated with surgery alone. Patients age 70 and older benefited from adjuvant treatment as much as their younger counterparts. In fact, adjuvant therapy is equally as effective -- and no more toxic -- for patients 70 and older as it is for younger patients, provided the older patients have no other serious diseases. Adjuvant chemotherapy is standard treatment for patients whose cancer is operable and who are at high risk for a recurrence of the disease. Most cases of colon cancer occur in individuals age 65 and over. But studies have shown that older patients receive adjuvant chemotherapy less frequently than younger patients.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Colorectal Cancer
Question: What are the treatments for Colorectal Cancer ?
Answer: For surgery, the main side effects are short-term pain and tenderness around the area of the operation. For chemotherapy, the side effects depend on which drugs you take and what the dosages are. Most often the side effects include nausea, vomiting, and hair loss. For radiation therapy, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, and diarrhea may occur. There are many new drugs that have greatly reduced the degree of nausea that used to be experienced because of some of these treatments.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Colorectal Cancer
Question: What is (are) Colorectal Cancer ?
Answer: Various drugs are under study as possible treatments for colorectal cancer. A 2005 study found that patients who took the drug AvastinTM with their standard chemotherapy treatment had a longer progression-free survival than those who did not take Avastin, but the evidence is mixed on whether or not Avastin can extend life. (The generic name for Avastin is bevacizumab.) Scientists are also working on vaccine therapies and monoclonal antibodies that may improve how patients' immune systems respond to colorectal cancers. Monoclonal antibodies are a single type of antibody that researchers make in large amounts in a laboratory.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Colorectal Cancer
Question: How to prevent Colorectal Cancer ?
Answer: Scientists have done research on chemoprevention -- the use of drugs to prevent cancer from developing in the first place. Most of these studies have looked at people with high risk for the disease (where it runs in families) and not in the general population. For example, researchers have found that anti-inflammatory drugs helped keep intestinal tumors from forming, but serious side effects have been noted so researchers are proceeding cautiously. Studies have shown that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can keep large bowel polyps from forming. Bowel polyps can start out benign, or non-cancerous, but can become cancerous. Serious cardiac effects of these drugs have been noted so researchers are also proceeding cautiously in recommending these drugs for prevention.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Colorectal Cancer
Question: Who is at risk for Colorectal Cancer? ?
Answer: Researchers are working hard to understand and identify the genes involved in colorectal cancer. Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer, or HNPCC, is one condition that causes people to develop colorectal cancer at a young age. The discovery of four genes involved with this disease has provided crucial clues about the role of DNA repair in colorectal and other cancers.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Parkinson's Disease
Question: What is (are) Parkinson's Disease ?
Answer: Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder that leads to shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with walking, balance, and coordination. It currently affects about half a million people in the United States, although the numbers may be much higher. Parkinson's disease is both chronic, meaning it lasts for a long time, and progressive, meaning its symptoms grow worse over time. It is not contagious.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Parkinson's Disease
Question: What are the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease ?
Answer: Parkinson's belongs to a group of neurological conditions called movement disorders. The four main symptoms of Parkinson's disease are: - tremor, or trembling in hands, arms, legs, jaw, or head  - rigidity, or stiffness of the limbs and trunk  - bradykinesia, or slowness of movement  - postural instability, or impaired balance. tremor, or trembling in hands, arms, legs, jaw, or head rigidity, or stiffness of the limbs and trunk bradykinesia, or slowness of movement postural instability, or impaired balance. Other symptoms include depression, emotional changes, difficulty swallowing, speech changes, urinary problems, sleep problems, and dementia and other cognitive problems. Parkinson's symptoms usually begin gradually and get worse over time. As the symptoms become more severe, people with the disorder may have difficulty walking, talking, or completing other simple tasks. They also experience non-motor, or movement, symptoms including mental and behavioral changes, sleep problems, depression, memory difficulties, and fatigue. Parkinson's disease not only affects the brain, but the entire body. While the brain involvement is responsible for the core features, other affected locations contribute to the complicated picture of Parkinson's.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Parkinson's Disease
Question: Who is at risk for Parkinson's Disease? ?
Answer: About 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease each year. The disease strikes about 50 percent more men than women. The average age of onset is 60 years, and the risk of developing the disease increases with age. Parkinson's disease is also more common in developed countries, possibly because of increased exposure to pesticides or other environmental toxins.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Parkinson's Disease
Question: What causes Parkinson's Disease ?
Answer: Parkinson's disease occurs when nerve cells, or neurons, in an area of the brain that controls movement die or become impaired. Normally, these neurons produce an important brain chemical known as dopamine, but once the neurons become impaired, they produce less dopamine and eventually die. It is this shortage of dopamine that causes the movement problems of people with Parkinson's.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Parkinson's Disease
Question: What is (are) Parkinson's Disease ?
Answer: Dopamine is a brain chemical messenger, or neurotransmitter. It is responsible for transmitting signals between a brain region called the substantia nigra and multiple brain regions. The connection between the substantia nigra and the corpus striatum is critical to produce smooth, purposeful movement. Loss of dopamine results in abnormal nerve-firing patterns within the brain that cause impaired movement.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Parkinson's Disease
Question: What is (are) Parkinson's Disease ?
Answer: Lewy bodies are unusual deposits or clumps of the brain protein alpha-synuclein, along with other proteins, which are seen upon microscopic examination of the brain. Many brain cells of people with Parkinson's disease contain Lewy bodies. Researchers do not yet know why Lewy bodies form or what role they play in the development of Parkinson's disease. The clumps may prevent the cell from functioning normally, or they may actually be helpful, perhaps by keeping harmful proteins "locked up" so that the cells can function.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Parkinson's Disease
Question: How to diagnose Parkinson's Disease ?
Answer: There are currently no blood or laboratory tests to diagnose sporadic Parkinson's disease. Diagnosis is based on a person's medical history and a neurological examination, but the disease can be difficult to diagnose accurately. Doctors may sometimes request brain scans or laboratory tests in order to rule out other diseases. However, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans of people with Parkinson's usually appear normal. Recently, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has approved an imaging technique called DaTscan, which may help to increase accuracy of the diagnosis of Parkinsons disease. Since many other diseases have similar features but require different treatments, it is very important to make an exact diagnosis as soon as possible to ensure proper treatment.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Parkinson's Disease
Question: What is (are) Parkinson's Disease ?
Answer: The main therapy for Parkinson's disease is the drug levodopa, also called L-dopa. It is a simple chemical found naturally in plants and animals. Nerve cells use levodopa to make dopamine to replenish the brain's supply. Levodopa helps to reduce tremors and other symptoms of Parkinson's disease during the early stages of the disease. It allows most people with Parkinson's to extend the period of time in which they can lead relatively normal, productive lives.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Parkinson's Disease
Question: What is (are) Parkinson's Disease ?
Answer: Carbidopa is a drug that is usually given along with levodopa. It delays the body's conversion of levodopa into dopamine until the levodopa reaches the brain. This prevents or reduces some of the side effects that often accompany levodopa therapy. Carbidopa also reduces the amount of levodopa needed.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Parkinson's Disease
Question: What are the treatments for Parkinson's Disease ?
Answer: Yes. Other medications available to treat some symptoms and stages of Parkinson's disease include direct dopamine agonists, MAO-B inhibitors, COMT inhibitors, an anti-viral drug, and anticholinergics. Direct dopamine agonists are drugs that mimic the role of dopamine in the brain. They can be used in the early stages of the disease, or later on to give a more prolonged and steady dopaminergic effect in people who experience "wearing off" or "on-off" effects from taking the drug. Dopamine agonists are generally less effective than levodopa in controlling rigidity and bradykinesia. They can cause confusion in older adults. MAO-B inhibitors are another class of drugs that can reduce the symptoms of Parkinson's by causing dopamine to build up in surviving nerve cells. COMT inhibitors prolong the effects of levodopa by preventing the breakdown of dopamine. COMT inhibitors can usually make it possible to reduce a person's dose of levodopa. Amantadine, an old antiviral drug, can help reduce Parkinson's symptoms in the early stages of the disease, and again in later stages to treat dyskinesias. Anticholinergics can help reduce tremors and muscle rigidity.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Parkinson's Disease
Question: What are the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease ?
Answer: Doctors may prescribe a variety of medications to treat the non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease, such as depression and anxiety. Hallucinations, delusions, and other psychotic symptoms may be caused by some drugs prescribed for Parkinson's. Therefore, reducing or stopping those Parkinson's medications may make these symptoms of psychosis go away. A variety of treatment options, including medications, also are available to treat orthostatic hypotension, the sudden drop in blood pressure that occurs upon standing.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Parkinson's Disease
Question: What is (are) Parkinson's Disease ?
Answer: Deep brain stimulation, or DBS, is a surgical procedure used to treat a variety of disabling disorders. It is most commonly used to treat the debilitating symptoms of Parkinsons disease. Deep brain stimulation uses an electrode surgically implanted into part of the brain. The electrodes are connected under the skin to a small electrical device called a pulse generator, implanted in the chest. The generator and electrodes painlessly stimulate the brain to help stop many Parkinson's symptoms such as tremor, bradykinesia, and rigidity. DBS is primarily used to stimulate one of three brain regions: the subthalamic nucleus, the globus pallidus, or the thalamus. Researchers are exploring optimal generator settings for DBS, whether DBS of other brain regions will also improve symptoms of Parkinsons disease, and also whether DBS may slow disease progression. Deep brain stimulation usually reduces the need for levodopa and related drugs, which in turn decreases dyskinesias and other side effects. It also helps to relieve "on-off" fluctuation of symptoms. People who respond well to treatment with levodopa, even if only for a short period, tend to respond well to DBS.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Parkinson's Disease
Question: what research (or clinical trials) is being done for Parkinson's Disease ?
Answer: Genetics is one of the most exciting areas of Parkinson's disease research. Studying the genes responsible for inherited cases can help researchers understand both inherited and sporadic cases of the disease. Sporadic means the disease occurs randomly and does not seem to run in families. Identifying gene defects can also help researchers - understand how the disease occurs   - develop animal models that accurately mimic the death of nerve cells in human Parkinson's disease  - identify new drug targets   - improve diagnosis. understand how the disease occurs develop animal models that accurately mimic the death of nerve cells in human Parkinson's disease identify new drug targets improve diagnosis.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Parkinson's Disease
Question: What is (are) Parkinson's Disease ?
Answer: The Parkinsons Disease Biomarkers Identification Network, or PD-BIN, is an initiative developed by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to discover and validate biomarkers for Parkinsons disease. Biomarkers are measurable characteristics that can reveal whether the disease is developing or progressing. Biomarkers could help doctors detect Parkinsons disease before symptoms appear and improve diagnosis of the disorder.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Parkinson's Disease
Question: What is (are) Parkinson's Disease ?
Answer: The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) has launched a broad effort called NIH Exploratory Trials in Parkinson's Disease, or NET-PD, to find drugs to slow the progression of Parkinson's disease. The first studies tested several compounds. One of these, a nutritional supplement called creatine, is now being evaluated in a larger clinical trial to find out if it slows the clinical decline seen in people with Parkinson's disease. For more information on NET-PD trials visit: http://parkinsontrial.ninds.org.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Leukemia
Question: Who is at risk for Leukemia? ?
Answer: In many cases, no one knows why some people develop leukemia and others do not. However, scientists have identified some risk factors for the disease. A risk factor is anything that increases a person's chances of developing a disease. Most people who have known risk factors do not get leukemia, while many who do get the disease have none of these risk factors. Risk Factors Studies have identified the following risk factors for leukemia. - older age  -  male  - white  - working with certain chemicals  -  smoking  - exposure to very high levels of radiation  - certain health conditions  -  past treatment with chemotherapy or radiation therapy.  older age male white working with certain chemicals smoking exposure to very high levels of radiation certain health conditions past treatment with chemotherapy or radiation therapy. More than 65 percent of people diagnosed with leukemia are over 55. Disorders and Genetic Diseases Certain disorders and genetic diseases, such as Down syndrome, may increase the risk of leukemia. About 3 out of 10 people with a blood disorder known as myelodysplastic syndrome develop acute myeloid leukemia. In this disorder, as in leukemia, abnormal cells are formed in the bone marrow and too few healthy blood cells enter the bloodstream. Radiation Exposure People exposed to very high levels of radiation, such as the atomic bomb blast in Hiroshima, Japan or nuclear power plant accidents, also are at risk of developing leukemia. Studies of atomic blasts have estimated that survivors have a five and a half times greater risk of developing leukemia than the general public. Cancer Treatments Chemotherapy and radiation therapy have been helpful to a lot of people in the treatment of many forms of cancer, and indeed are often lifesaving. However, these therapies have been linked to the development of second cancers, including leukemia, many years after treatment, particularly in people who received intensive therapy early in their lives. Chemotherapy for a first cancer is a stronger risk factor for developing leukemia later than is radiation therapy. The combination of chemotherapy and radiation can significantly increase the risk of leukemia after a first cancer. Powerful cancer-fighting chemotherapy drugs, known as alkylating agents and epipodophyllotoxins, have been associated with leukemia. The dose given and length of treatment as well as other factors may contribute to a person's risk of developing leukemia. Acute myeloid leukemia is the most common type of cancer that has been linked to chemotherapy treatment. Radiation therapy may increase a person's chance of developing leukemia. Several factors influence this risk, such as the dose of radiation administered. A person's age at the time of therapy does not seem to be a risk factor for leukemia. Recently, researchers have gained a much greater understanding of the risk of second cancers due to earlier treatment exposures. They have been able to limit the effective doses given in primary cases so as to reduce the risk of a recurrence or second cancer.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Leukemia
Question: What are the treatments for Leukemia ?
Answer: There are many treatment options for people with leukemia. The choice of treatment depends on your age and general health, the type of leukemia you have, whether or not it has spread outside the bone marrow, and other factors. If tests show that you have leukemia, you should talk with your doctor and make treatment decisions as soon as possible, although many patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia do not require treatment for many years. Working With a Team of Specialists A team of specialists often treats people with leukemia. The team will keep the primary doctor informed about the patient's progress. The team may include a hematologist who is a specialist in blood and blood-forming tissues, a medical oncologist who is a specialist in cancer treatment, and a radiation oncologist who is a specialist in radiation therapy. 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 or your doctor requests it. Clinical Trials for Leukemia Some leukemia patients take part in studies of new treatments. These studies, called clinical trials, are designed to find out whether a new treatment is safe and effective and better than current treatments. Talk to your doctor if you are interested in taking part in a clinical trial. 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. Click here to search for current clinical trials on leukemia.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth