Today, lung cancer has become a widespread condition and is one of the most common causes of cancer-related deaths in the world. The disease is triggered when certain cells in the lungs grow in an uncontrollable and abnormal manner. Lung cancer is recognized in two major categories, i.e., small-cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Like cancer in every part of the body, lung cancer is best treated and manageable when detected in the early stages.

The technology currently used to diagnose and treat lung cancer includes a positron emission tomography (PET) scan. This medical imaging technique involves an imaging device and a radioactive tracer to get a thorough understanding of the tissues in the organ. The scanning process begins by injecting the patient with a tracer that is most commonly fluorodeoxyglucose, which is a substance treated as sugar glucose by the body. Once the fluorodeoxyglucose is fixed in the body, the PET scanner effectively produces a detailed image capture for evaluation. The PET scan may be used in combination with a computed tomography (CT) scan to achieve a three-dimensional image that highlights the lungs’ health with accuracy.

Uses of PET scan in lung cancer
A PET scan can be widely used for diagnosing lung cancer to be a major contributor in the treatment of lung cancer. It can determine the location of the cancerous cells and the extent to which they have spread in the body. An important fact is that a PET scan aids in selecting the most appropriate course of treatment and managing care for lung cancer.

Advantages of a PET scan in lung cancer

Accuracy
A PET or PET-CT scan is the most accurate method that is currently available for determining the traces of cancer cells in the lungs. It is also a reliable tool used to pinpoint whether the treatment is showing results in cancer cell destruction and if the cells are spreading across other body tissues.

Non-invasive procedure
The high accuracy of a PET scan is a great alternative to other invasive methods. It eliminates the need for other surgical procedures that involve the collection of tissue and microscopic analysis of the present cancer cells. The scan greatly drops the need for surgical biopsy.

Painless procedure
A patient undergoing PET scan does not experience any type of pain during the scan procedure. Apart from the minute sting of the needle used for injecting the radioactive substance, the process is devoid of any uncomfortable feeling.

Minute details
A PET scan provides immensely detailed images of the lung tissues. This factor makes it extremely effective when distinguishing between malignant and benign tumors, irrespective of the size.

The history of PET in the field of cancer has been widely debated, experts agree that the pressing concern lies in the right interpretation of the images and using it to route the best management techniques.

Diverticulosis is a condition that occurs mostly in adults as they age. It is usually the result of not consuming fiber. When the body is low on fiber, pouches are formed near the colon that create a very painful situation. Without the required fiber intake, the pressure builds on colon wall and after a period of time, balloon like weak points develop in colon which are called as diverticuli. Diverticulosis gets converted to diverticulitis when the pockets become infected.

To avoid the condition to worsen up, you need to know what foods you should avoid.

People suffering from diverticulosis should avoid eating anything that would aggravating the inflammation in the intestinal track. So avoid food products that contain seeds and nuts. Most of all, avoid having corn and corn products such as tortillas, popcorn, corn flour, etc.

There are residues from the grains that may irritate your stomach, so you might want to completely refrain from eating certain set of grains or refined foods such as enriched breads and cereals such as cheerios and rice krispies.

Fruits and vegetables that have hard seeds or skin should be avoided. Fruits and vegetables with such properties can result indigestion of seeds and fruits and vegetable skins. Thus, they will remain in the intestine for a longer period, complicating the condition. Foods to avoid in such conditions include tomatoes, strawberries, cucumbers, okra, blackberries, kiwi, peppers, and eggplant.

Dairy products are the food products that you should not indulge in. They take longer time to process and digest and can prove to be heavy on the intestines. Whole milk (or full cream milk), whipped cream, or coffee creamers can potentially irritate the stomach if the person is suffering from diverticulosis.

Junk food such as pizza, fried snacks, and greasy cheese laced hamburgers do not fit into high fiber diet and can take be very heavy for the intestine to absorption. People suffering from diverticulosis could aggravate their condition with developing ulcers or developing another diverticulosis episode.

Alcohol and tobacco should also be avoided, generally and also when the person is suffering from diverticulosis. Both of these have the have a good chance of irritating the colon and developing gastric mucosa. Indulging in tobacco and alcohol can result in other health risks as well.

A person who is suffering from diverticulosis or diverticulitis should always consult a doctor as to what food products they can include and avoid to prevent further complications.