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Systemic lupus erythematosus is a multisystem, autoimmune, connective-tissue disorder with a broad range of clinical presentations. There is a peak age of onset in young women between their late teens and early 40s and women to men ratio of 9:1.
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Systemic lupus erythematosus(also called lupus or SLE) is a disease where a person''s immune system attacks and injures the body''s own organs and tissues. Almost every system of the body can be affected by SLE.The body''s immune system is a network ...
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Systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE) is a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disorder. It may affect the skin, joints, kidneys, and other organs.Disseminated lupus erythematosus; SLE; Lupus; Lupus erythematosus.SLE(lupus) is an autoimmune disease.
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Detailed information on systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Detailed information on systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Detailed information on systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disease with protean clinical manifestations that may affect any organs or system. shows the 1997 revised American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for the classification of SLE. The disease is characterized by flares, remissions and autoantibodies directed against several intracellular and cell-surface antigens.
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The following Clinical Topic Tour provides an overview of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and was adapted from materials published by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
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Because most therapeutic interventions in patients with SLE are associated with significant undesirable side effects, the physician must first decide whether a patient needs treatment and, if so, whether conservative management is sufficient or aggressive immunosuppression is necessary. Figure 76-1 presents an algorithm for this decision making.
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My mother was diagnosed a few years ago with lupus (non-systemic). Can this turn into systemic lupus?
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Nearly all people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have a positive (abnormal) ANA -- that is, the sensitivity of the ANA for SLE is quite high. That also means that it is very rare to have lupus with a negative (normal) ANA.
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Systemic lupus erythematosus(also called lupus or SLE) is a disease in which a person''s immune system attacks and injures the body''s own organs and tissues. Almost every system of the body can be affected.The body''s immune system is a network of c...
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Hepatitis B is inflammation(irritation and swelling) of the liver due to the hepatitis B virus(HBV).
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Detailed information on hepatitis B, including causes, symptoms, risk factors, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment
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Detailed information on hepatitis B, including causes, symptoms, risk factors, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment
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Detailed information on hepatitis B, including symptoms and treatment Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver, resulting in liver cell damage and destruction. Five main types of the hepatitis virus have been identified. The most common type that occurs in pregnancy is hepatitis B (HBV). This type of hepatitis spreads mainly through contaminated blood and blood products, sexual contact, and contaminated intravenous (IV) needles. Although HBV resolves in most people, about 10 percent will have chronic HBV. Hepatitis B virus can lead to chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver cancer, liver failure, and death. Infected pregnant women can transmit the virus to the fetus during pregnancy and at delivery. The later in pregnancy a mother contracts the virus, the greater the chance for infection in her baby.
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Detailed information on hepatitis B, including causes, symptoms, risk factors, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment
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Hepatitis B is a highly contagious, sexually transmitted disease caused by a virus that attacks the liver, possibly causing lifelong liver infection, cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, liver cancer and death.
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Virus, also known as serum hepatitis virus, that may lead to chronic infection of the liver in unvaccinated children.Hepatitis B virus(HBV) causes serious illnesses, notably chronic infection of the liver or liver cancer, especially if the virus i...
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Hepatitis B is a potentially serious form of liver inflammation due to infection by the hepatitis B virus(HBV). It occurs in both rapidly developing(acute) and long-lasting(chronic) forms, and is one of the commonest chronic infectious diseases wo...
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Hepatitis B is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus(HBV).Hepatitis B is a form of viral hepatitis that is also known as serum hepatitis, due to its ability to be spread through body fluids and blood. HBV can cause lifelong infection, ci...
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How soon will an infected person's blood test positive for hepatitis B virus after occupational exposure?
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If someone has been vaccinated against hepatitis B, will he or she get a positive result from a routine hepatitis B surface antigen test?
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Syphilis is an infectious systemic disease that may be either congenital or acquired through sexual contact or contaminated needles.Syphilis has both acute and chronic forms that produce a wide variety of symptoms affecting most of the body''s orga...
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Syphilis is an easily spread infection caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum.Syphilis is an infectious disease. The bacteria that causes it spreads through broken skin or mucous membranes.
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A sexually transmitted disease that, if untreated, can cause permanent damage to the heart and central nervous system.Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease(STDs) caused by an organism called Treponema pallidum. The incidence of syphilis among...
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People don't talk as much about syphilis today as they did in the past. But people still become infected with syphilis, and it can cause very serious problems.
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Syphilis is an infectious systemic disease that may be either congenital or acquired through sexual contact or by exposure to contaminated needles.Syphilis has both acute and chronic forms that produce a wide variety of symptoms affecting most of ...
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Syphilis is an infectious systemic disease that may be either congenital or acquired through sexual contact or contaminated needles.Syphilis has both acute and chronic forms that produce a wide variety of symptoms affecting most of the body''s orga...
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Malaria is a parasitic disease that involves high fevers, shaking chills, flu-like symptoms, and anemia.Quartan malaria; Falciparum malaria; Biduoterian fever; Blackwater fever; Tertian malaria; Plasmodium.Malaria is caused by a parasite that is t...
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Detailed information on malaria, including symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and information for travelers
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Detailed information on malaria, including symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and information for travelers
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What are the long-term effects of malaria, especially if you have had it several times?
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Malaria is a serious, infectious disease spread by certain mosquitoes. It is most common in tropical climates.
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Malaria is the most clinically important parasitic disease worldwide. It kills as many as 2.7 million people annually.
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Malaria is a serious infectious disease spread by certain mosquitoes. It is most common in tropical climates.
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Malaria is a serious, infectious disease spread by certain mosquitoes. It is most common in tropical climates.
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We will be living in Nigeria with a 15-month-old child. Is there a way to prevent malaria in children this age?
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Physicians can diagnose the type of lymphoma by performing a biopsy, in which a lymph node is removed and examined in the laboratory. Some of the Non-Hodgkin''s lymphoma types include: Burkitt''s lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, follicular c...
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Non-Hodgkin''s lymphoma is cancer of the lymphoid tissue, which includes the lymph nodes, spleen, and other organs of the immune system.Lymphoma- non-Hodgkin''s; Lymphocytic lymphoma; Histiocytic lymphoma; Lymphoblastic lymphoma; Cancer- non-Hodgkin...
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Cancer occurs when cells in the body begin changing and multiplying out of control. These cells can form lumps of tissue called tumors. Cancer that starts in cells in the body's lymphatic system is called lymphoma. Most types of cancer in the lymphatic system are grouped together under the name non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
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Lymphoma is a kind of cancer that begins in lymphoid tissue. Your lymph system includes glands and vessels that carry liquid called lymph. Its role is to help fight infection. The 2 main types of lymphatic system cancer are Hodgkin's lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Hodgkin's lymphoma is often called Hodgkin's disease. And non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is often called lymphoma. Both of these lymphomas start in white blood cells, called lymphocytes. These cells are made and stored in the lymph nodes.
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Detailed information on non-Hodgkins lymphoma, including symptoms, causes, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment
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Detailed information on non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, including causes, staging, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Detailed information on non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, including causes, stages, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Dr. Thomas Hodgkin classified Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1832. It's also known as Hodgkin's disease. All other types of lymphatic cancers are called non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Hodgkin's lymphoma is discussed under its own section, under specific cancers.
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Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. The drugs are designed to attack and kill cells that divide quickly. Cancer cells divide more quickly than most cells in the body. This means that the drugs used in chemotherapy mainly affect lymphoma cells. However, they can also affect fast-growing normal cells, such as cells in the digestive tract or cells in the hair roots. This is why chemotherapy causes some side effects.
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Researchers are always finding new treatments for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. People diagnosed with it now have more hope for survival than ever before.
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You may have just one type of treatment or a combination. Different types of treatment have different goals. Here are the most common types of treatment for lymphoma and their goals.
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Doctors are not sure how to prevent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The best way for a person to lower his or her chance of getting non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is to stay away from as many risk factors as possible. People with known risk factors should talk to their doctor.
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Screening tests check for signs of disease in people who don't have any symptoms. Your doctor can check you for some types of cancer, even before you have symptoms. But there is no good way to screen for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. If you have enlarged lymph nodes that are not caused by a common infection or that do not return to a normal size after a couple of weeks, your doctor may recommend a biopsy of a lymph node to check for lymphoma cells. Lymphoma can be in the body for months or years before a person shows any signs or symptoms of the disease. If you have any symptoms, see your doctor as soon as possible.
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You may not notice signs of lymphoma in its early stages. In fact, many lymphomas are found through a chest X-ray taken for other reasons.
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Surgery is rarely used to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Your doctor may suggest it to treat extranodal lymphoma. This is lymphoma that starts in an organ, such as the spleen, thyroid, or stomach, rather than in the lymph nodes. During surgery, the surgeon removes the tumor and sometimes the surrounding lymph nodes or tissue as well.
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These treatments use substances that are also naturally made by your immune system. They work by killing lymphoma cells or slowing their growth. Or they get your own immune system to more effectively attack the lymphoma cells.
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There is really no way to know for sure if you're going to get non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Certain factors can make you more likely to get it than another person. However, having one or more risk factors does not necessarily mean you will get lymphoma. In fact, you can have all the risk factors and still not get it. Or you can have no known risk factors and still get it.
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A biopsy is a test to check for lymphoma. For it, your doctor removes a small piece of tissue or fluid from the place that may have lymphoma. Then, the tissue is checked by a pathologist. This special doctor looks at the tissue under a microscope for lymphoma cells. A biopsy is the only way to diagnose non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
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Your doctor may suggest this type of treatment if one of these cases applies to you.
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Most of the risks for lymphoma are ones you have little control over, which makes it hard to prevent the disease. At this point, the best thing you can do to help prevent lymphoma is to take steps to avoid known risk factors. These include HIV and pesticides. If you have other risk factors, discuss these with your doctor. Your doctor may want to check you more often for the signs and symptoms of lymphoma.
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The side effects from chemotherapy usually get better or go away when the treatment ends. The extent of these side effects varies. It depends on the specific drugs you take, how you take them, and how your body reacts to them. Talk with your doctor or nurse about what to expect and how to ease these side effects.
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Here's an overview of how you may feel after radiation treatments. Which symptoms you have depends mainly on which part of your body is treated.
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Side effects following this treatment are usually mild. They may include ones such as these.
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With most types of lymphoma, a grading system is used to help identify how fast the cells are growing and how they might respond to treatment. Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas are categorized into low-grade and high-grade. Sometimes these may be referred to as indolent or aggressive lymphomas.
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Stem cells are immature cells that are the "starter” cells for all types of tissues. The goal of a transplant is to help your body make new blood cells. The new stem cells replace the normal cells that were killed during high-dose chemotherapy used to treat the lymphoma.
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If you're having lymphomalike symptoms, your doctor will want to know why. Your doctor is likely to ask you questions about these things.
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Your doctor may request other tests to learn more about your specific type of lymphoma and to see how widespread the lymphoma is. Along with previous exams, biopsy, and blood tests, these can help your doctor know the stage and prognosis of your disease and decide about the most effective types of treatment for you. You may need one or more of these tests.
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Stem cell transplants may be autologous, which means the stem cells come from your own body. Or they may be allogeneic, which means the stem cells come from a donor. Discuss the risks and benefits of each approach with your doctor beforehand. Here's a general description of how a stem cell transplant is done.
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The goal of radiation is to use high-energy X-rays to kill lymphoma cells and shrink tumors. This may also ease symptoms. To treat lymphoma, a machine directs radiation to the outside of your body. That's why it's called external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT). If you have stage I or stage II lymphoma, you may get radiation as your main (primary) treatment. And you are also likely to have chemotherapy.
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Q: What are lymphomas? A: Lymphoma is a type of cancer. It starts in the infection-fighting lymphatic system. There are 2 main types of lymphoma. They are Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's. With either type, cells in lymphoid tissue grow out of control.
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The early side effects of a stem cell transplant aren't from the transplant but from the high-dose chemotherapy and radiation. These should go away over time while you are recovering from the transplant. You may also experience a strange taste in your mouth from the preservative used to freeze the stem cells. These are some common side effects. They vary depending on whether or not you had your stem cells from a donor. Ask your doctor which ones may be most likely for you.
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If you have internal radiation treatment, you may need to stay in the hospital overnight. Generally, when internal radiation is used to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the specific type used is called systemic radiation therapy.
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External radiation therapy is the most common type given for lymphoma. You can have this as an outpatient in a hospital or a clinic. That means you don't need to stay overnight in the hospital. This type of radiation may come from a machine called a linear accelerator.
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If you're having treatment directed at just a small part of your body, you'll probably be able to have radiation as an outpatient. That means you can have it done at a hospital or clinic without having to spend the night. If you're preparing for a stem cell transplant, you will have the treatments as an inpatient, which means you'll have to stay in the hospital.
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In some cases, radiation is useful for the treatment of lymphoma. Your doctor may recommend it for these reasons.
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How you get chemotherapy and how often you get it depends on the drugs you take. Here is what is generally true for people with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who are getting chemotherapy as part of their treatment.
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Chemotherapy has a distinct advantage over other types of treatment. It can reach all parts of the lymphatic system. And that means it can kill lymphoma cells all over your body. That's why many types of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are treated with chemotherapy. Your doctor will decide about using chemotherapy for you based on the type of lymphoma you have.
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You and your doctor will need to carefully weigh the pros and cons of this procedure. A transplant allows for the delivery of much higher doses of chemotherapy than would otherwise be possible. This may cure an aggressive lymphoma. However, many people who need a transplant cannot withstand the side effects. Your doctor may recommend this procedure in the following cases.
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When you are being treated for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, it is likely that you will have symptoms of the disease and side effects from treatment, too. For instance, the lymphoma itself can cause symptoms such as pressure or pain. Or the tumor may interfere with the function of an organ.
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After diagnosing your lymphoma, your doctor needs to see how far the disease has spread, called its stage. Lymphoma may be in just one area, but it tends to be more widespread. That's because it can easily move through the lymphatic system. Your treatment plan and prognosis depend on the type of lymphoma you have and its stage. But the chances of curing lymphoma have more to do with the type than the stage.
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Usually you get monoclonal antibodies by intravenous infusions. That means the medicine drips slowly into your vein through an IV needle, which is taped to your hand or arm. You may get these in your doctor's office or a clinic, and you'll get them for several weeks.
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It's likely that you will have physical concerns about your lymphoma. You may have symptoms from the disease, and you may have side effects from your treatment. In this section, you'll learn more about how to respond to some of the most common ones. Your reaction depends on the treatment you get. We've listed symptoms and side effects alphabetically so that you can easily find tips to ease the problems you are having.
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Dealing with your feelings is often easier as you learn more about your disease and get support. Here are some ways you might get help. Ask questions and talk about your concerns with your healthcare team. Talk with friends and relatives. Get in touch with others who have had lymphoma. Meet with a social worker, psychologist or psychiatrist, or member of the clergy. Many people with lymphoma go to support groups. There, they can share what they have learned about lymphoma and its treatments. Here are some ways to find support.
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The treatment options for people with lymphoma depend on the kind of lymphoma and its stage, as well as other factors. If the lymphoma is contained to the lymph nodes, it can be treated with radiation. If the lymphoma has spread, it's usually treated with chemotherapy alone or with radiation, depending on the type of lymphoma. If the lymphoma persists or recurs after treatment, it may be treated with high- or low-dose chemotherapy with bone marrow transplants.
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Some people use statistics to try to figure out their chances of getting lymphoma or of being cured. However, statistics show what happens to large groups of people. But no two people are alike. So statistics can't be used to predict what will happen to a certain person. This is especially true for this lymphoma because there are many types. How lymphoma pro gresses depends on the type you have.
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Expert-reviewed information summary about the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma during pregnancy.
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Expert-reviewed information summary about the treatment of childhood non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
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Expert-reviewed information summary about the treatment of adult non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
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Drug interactions are changes in the effect of one drug due to the effect of either another drug taken at the same time(drug-drug interactions) or food consumed while the drug is being taken(drug-food interactions).Some drugs are deliberately comb...
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Drug allergies are a group of symptoms caused by allergic reaction to a drug(medication).Adverse reactions to drugs are common, and almost any drug can cause an adverse reaction. Reactions range from irritating or mild side effects such as nausea ...
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Detailed information on different types of drug rashes, including acne, exfoliative dermatitis, fixed drug eruption, hives, morbiliform/maculopapular rash, purpuric eruptions, Stevens-Johnson syndrome
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A drug allergy is an adverse reaction to a medication, often an antibiotic, that is mediated by the body''s immune system. A drug sensitivity is an unusual reaction to a drug that does not involve the immune system.Adverse reactions to medication m...
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If you want to be fully informed, you should read the fine print connected with any drug that you intend to use.
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Drug metabolism is the process by which the body breaks down and converts medication into active chemical substances.Drugs can interact with other drugs, foods, and beverages. Interactions can lessen or magnify the desired therapeutic effect of a ...
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Detailed information on food-drug interactions A food-drug interaction can occur when the food you eat affects the ingredients in a medication you are taking, preventing the medicine from working the way it should.
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Chemotherapy and radiation treatments save lives. They also can bring a variety of temporary but unpleasant side effects.
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A guide to information available online and in print about the side effects of prescription drugs.
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Exploring the causes and treatment for loss of taste, which may result from years of taking high blood pressure medications.
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Can the high blood pressure drugs Vasotec and Toprol affect the libido?
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