<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<communities type="array">
  <community>
    <causes></causes>
    <created-at type="datetime">2009-08-07T18:29:30+00:00</created-at>
    <description></description>
    <diagnosis></diagnosis>
    <disorder-description></disorder-description>
    <expert-id type="integer" nil="true"></expert-id>
    <general-symptoms></general-symptoms>
    <general-test></general-test>
    <general-treatment></general-treatment>
    <id type="integer">1407</id>
    <name>Vaginal Cancer</name>
    <participations-count type="integer">1</participations-count>
    <permalink>vaginal-cancer</permalink>
    <posts-count type="integer">0</posts-count>
    <prevalence-number type="decimal" nil="true"></prevalence-number>
    <prevalence-number-source-url></prevalence-number-source-url>
    <prevalence-type>Per 100,000 Population</prevalence-type>
    <prognosis></prognosis>
    <symptoms-count type="integer" nil="true"></symptoms-count>
    <synonym-tags></synonym-tags>
    <synonyms-count type="integer">0</synonyms-count>
    <topics-count type="integer">0</topics-count>
    <updated-at type="datetime">2009-08-07T18:29:30+00:00</updated-at>
  </community>
  <community>
    <causes></causes>
    <created-at type="datetime">2008-05-21T13:25:34+00:00</created-at>
    <description>&lt;p&gt;Van Der Woude syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by a cleft lip, isolated cleft palate, pits or mucous cysts on the lower lip, and hypodontia.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
    <diagnosis></diagnosis>
    <disorder-description>&lt;p&gt;Van Der Woude syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by a cleft lip, isolated cleft palate, pits or mucous cysts on the lower lip, and hypodontia.&lt;/p&gt;</disorder-description>
    <expert-id type="integer" nil="true"></expert-id>
    <general-symptoms></general-symptoms>
    <general-test></general-test>
    <general-treatment></general-treatment>
    <id type="integer">815</id>
    <name>Van Der Woude Syndrome</name>
    <participations-count type="integer">1</participations-count>
    <permalink>van-der-woude-syndrome</permalink>
    <posts-count type="integer">0</posts-count>
    <prevalence-number type="decimal">2.0</prevalence-number>
    <prevalence-number-source-url>http://www.orpha.net</prevalence-number-source-url>
    <prevalence-type>Per 100,000 Population</prevalence-type>
    <prognosis></prognosis>
    <symptoms-count type="integer" nil="true"></symptoms-count>
    <synonym-tags>VDWS</synonym-tags>
    <synonyms-count type="integer">0</synonyms-count>
    <topics-count type="integer">0</topics-count>
    <updated-at type="datetime">2009-07-21T22:32:09+00:00</updated-at>
  </community>
  <community>
    <causes></causes>
    <created-at type="datetime">2008-07-05T17:18:52+00:00</created-at>
    <description>&lt;p&gt;Vasovagal Syncope is disorder characterized by fainting due to a sudden drop in blood pressure.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
    <diagnosis></diagnosis>
    <disorder-description>&lt;p&gt;Vasovagal Syncope is disorder characterized by fainting due to a sudden drop in blood pressure.&lt;/p&gt;</disorder-description>
    <expert-id type="integer" nil="true"></expert-id>
    <general-symptoms></general-symptoms>
    <general-test></general-test>
    <general-treatment></general-treatment>
    <id type="integer">1135</id>
    <name>Vasovagal Syncope</name>
    <participations-count type="integer">5</participations-count>
    <permalink>vasovagal-syncope</permalink>
    <posts-count type="integer">0</posts-count>
    <prevalence-number type="decimal" nil="true"></prevalence-number>
    <prevalence-number-source-url></prevalence-number-source-url>
    <prevalence-type>Per 100,000 Population</prevalence-type>
    <prognosis></prognosis>
    <symptoms-count type="integer" nil="true"></symptoms-count>
    <synonym-tags>VVS, Vasovagal Episode, Vasovagal Response, Neurocardiogenic Syncope</synonym-tags>
    <synonyms-count type="integer">0</synonyms-count>
    <topics-count type="integer">1</topics-count>
    <updated-at type="datetime">2008-11-24T17:36:19+00:00</updated-at>
  </community>
  <community>
    <causes></causes>
    <created-at type="datetime">2008-05-21T13:25:32+00:00</created-at>
    <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="caps"&gt;VATER&lt;/span&gt;/&lt;span class="caps"&gt;VACTERL&lt;/span&gt; Association is a nonrandom association of birth defects.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
    <diagnosis></diagnosis>
    <disorder-description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="caps"&gt;VATER&lt;/span&gt; Association is a nonrandom association of birth defects. (V) Vertebral (A) Anal &amp;#169; Cardiac (TE) Tracheoesophageal&amp;#174; Renal (L) Limb anomalies.&lt;/p&gt;</disorder-description>
    <expert-id type="integer" nil="true"></expert-id>
    <general-symptoms></general-symptoms>
    <general-test></general-test>
    <general-treatment></general-treatment>
    <id type="integer">565</id>
    <name>VATER Association</name>
    <participations-count type="integer">4</participations-count>
    <permalink>vater-association</permalink>
    <posts-count type="integer">0</posts-count>
    <prevalence-number type="decimal">23.0</prevalence-number>
    <prevalence-number-source-url>http://www.orpha.net</prevalence-number-source-url>
    <prevalence-type>Per 100,000 Population</prevalence-type>
    <prognosis></prognosis>
    <symptoms-count type="integer" nil="true"></symptoms-count>
    <synonym-tags>VATER Association, VACTERL Association, VACTERLS Association</synonym-tags>
    <synonyms-count type="integer">0</synonyms-count>
    <topics-count type="integer">0</topics-count>
    <updated-at type="datetime">2009-08-18T03:27:34+00:00</updated-at>
  </community>
  <community>
    <causes></causes>
    <created-at type="datetime">2009-03-10T19:35:50+00:00</created-at>
    <description>&lt;p&gt;Vesicoureteral Reflux is the reversed movement of urine from the bladder into ureters or kidneys.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
    <diagnosis></diagnosis>
    <disorder-description>&lt;p&gt;Vesicoureteral Reflux is the reversed movement of urine from the bladder into ureters or kidneys.&lt;/p&gt;</disorder-description>
    <expert-id type="integer" nil="true"></expert-id>
    <general-symptoms></general-symptoms>
    <general-test></general-test>
    <general-treatment></general-treatment>
    <id type="integer">1367</id>
    <name>Vesicoureteral Reflux</name>
    <participations-count type="integer">0</participations-count>
    <permalink>vesicoureteral-reflux</permalink>
    <posts-count type="integer">0</posts-count>
    <prevalence-number type="decimal" nil="true"></prevalence-number>
    <prevalence-number-source-url></prevalence-number-source-url>
    <prevalence-type>Per 100,000 Population</prevalence-type>
    <prognosis></prognosis>
    <symptoms-count type="integer" nil="true"></symptoms-count>
    <synonym-tags>VUR</synonym-tags>
    <synonyms-count type="integer">0</synonyms-count>
    <topics-count type="integer">0</topics-count>
    <updated-at type="datetime">2009-03-10T19:35:50+00:00</updated-at>
  </community>
  <community>
    <causes></causes>
    <created-at type="datetime">2008-05-26T00:33:44+00:00</created-at>
    <description></description>
    <diagnosis></diagnosis>
    <disorder-description></disorder-description>
    <expert-id type="integer" nil="true"></expert-id>
    <general-symptoms></general-symptoms>
    <general-test></general-test>
    <general-treatment></general-treatment>
    <id type="integer">1096</id>
    <name>Viljoen Smart Syndrome</name>
    <participations-count type="integer">0</participations-count>
    <permalink>viljoen-smart-syndrome</permalink>
    <posts-count type="integer">0</posts-count>
    <prevalence-number type="decimal" nil="true"></prevalence-number>
    <prevalence-number-source-url></prevalence-number-source-url>
    <prevalence-type>Per 100,000 Population</prevalence-type>
    <prognosis></prognosis>
    <symptoms-count type="integer" nil="true"></symptoms-count>
    <synonym-tags></synonym-tags>
    <synonyms-count type="integer">0</synonyms-count>
    <topics-count type="integer">0</topics-count>
    <updated-at type="datetime">2009-08-05T03:08:31+00:00</updated-at>
  </community>
  <community>
    <causes>&lt;p&gt;The condition called &lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt; is caused by a tiny misspelling in one of the two copies of the &lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt; gene in every cell of the body.  This change is usually inherited from one parent.  However, as many as 20% of people with &lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt; are the first person in their family ever to have &lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</causes>
    <created-at type="datetime">2008-05-21T13:25:35+00:00</created-at>
    <description>&lt;p&gt;Von Hippel-Lindau disease is a rare inherited genetic condition involving the abnormal growth of tumors in parts of the body which are particularly rich in blood supply.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
    <diagnosis>&lt;p&gt;Clinical diagnosis is made when an individual has two different kinds of &lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt;-associated tumors in two different parts of the body, or one kind of tumor and a first-degree relative with a diagnosis of &lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="caps"&gt;DNA&lt;/span&gt; diagnosis may also be performed, even before any symptoms may have occurred.  This &amp;#8220;early warning system&amp;#8221; can be used to good advantage to get the person into a screening program that will help to identify any issues early so that a thoughtful plan for treatment can be developed, tailored to the needs of this individual.  The goal of such a plan should be to maximize the person&amp;#8217;s health, maintain good organ function, and avoid metastatic cancer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For information on &lt;span class="caps"&gt;DNA&lt;/span&gt; testing, see http://vhl.org/dna&lt;/p&gt;</diagnosis>
    <disorder-description></disorder-description>
    <expert-id type="integer" nil="true"></expert-id>
    <general-symptoms>&lt;p&gt;Symptoms vary depending which tumor occurs first.  For a complete discussion, see http://vhl.org/handbook&lt;/p&gt;</general-symptoms>
    <general-test>&lt;p&gt;Tests vary depending on the part of the body being tested.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For a complete screening protocol, and discussions of the body parts to be studied, see http://vhl.org/handbook, especially the Screening Protocol.&lt;/p&gt;</general-test>
    <general-treatment>&lt;p&gt;A list of Common Treatment Recommendations is included in the &lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt; Handbook.  See http://vhl.org/handbook&lt;/p&gt;</general-treatment>
    <id type="integer">984</id>
    <name>Von Hippel-Lindau Disease</name>
    <participations-count type="integer">5</participations-count>
    <permalink>von-hippel-lindau-disease</permalink>
    <posts-count type="integer">0</posts-count>
    <prevalence-number type="decimal">0.3</prevalence-number>
    <prevalence-number-source-url>http://www.orpha.net</prevalence-number-source-url>
    <prevalence-type>Per 100,000 Population</prevalence-type>
    <prognosis>&lt;p&gt;People with &lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt; who adhere to the screening guidelines have a better chance today for a normal life than ever before.  People today can live a pretty normal lifespan, but there will&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In the 16 years that the &lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt; Family Alliance has been together, we have learned many important things, which can be capsulized like this:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;(1) Take good care of your body.  Healthy eating, moderate exercise, plenty of sleep, all are important for keeping your own body&amp;#8217;s defenses working at peak efficiency.  What you read in the press about &amp;#8220;nutrition for cancer prevention&amp;#8221; can be assumed to apply.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;(2) Manage stress.  Take good care of your spirit, and learn how to ease yourself in times of stress.  Exercise, prayer, meditation &amp;#8230; whatever works for you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;(3) Sign up for Health Insurance.  In most countries there is a base of health care available to all.  In the United States, private insurance is essential to get a sufficient base of care to manage &lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt;. If you are considering &lt;span class="caps"&gt;DNA&lt;/span&gt; testing, make sure you have both health insurance and life insurance before you get tested.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;(4) Know your risks.  If you know that you are from a &lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt; family, get tested through &lt;span class="caps"&gt;DNA&lt;/span&gt; testing to find out if you are at risk for the tumors of &lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt;.  If you have the &lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt; gene alteration, then follow the screening protocol.  If you do not have the &lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt; genetic alteration yourself, you cannot pass it to a child.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;(5) Educate Yourself.  The &amp;#8220;&lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt; Handbook: What You Need to Know About &lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt;&amp;#8221; is essential to understanding how &lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt; behaves, and how to protect yourself.  Read this booklet through, and keep it handy, not only for yourself but also to share with your physicians and educate them about this rare disorder.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;(6) Screening Protocol.  Follow the screening protocol as laid out by the &lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt; Family Alliance and their panel of experts.  This will help you identify problems early, so that you have time to assemble a good team of doctors and put together a sensible plan that will maintain your organ health and keep your organs working for you throughout your lifetime, while avoiding metastatic cancer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;(7) Second (or third) Opinions.  If there is time before any surgery or other procedure, it is wise to obtain a second (or even a third) opinion from one of the &lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt; experts who have seen more cases of &lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt; than your local doctor.  This is especially true in the kidney and pancreas and in the female reproductive tract.  &lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt; looks like some much more threatening diseases in those areas, and we have learned how to stay healthier longer with &lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt;-specific strategies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;(8) Be a Powerful Patient!  The strategies we have learned for dealing with &lt;span class="caps"&gt;VHL&lt;/span&gt; are good for lots of conditions.  We share them with a broader audience at http://powerfulpatient.org.  Learn to take charge of your health and manage your health care team.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;(9) Talk with Others &amp;#8212; here, or at http://vhl.inspire.com, or on the phone or in a face-to-face support group.  Sharing your fears reduces them in half.  Be optimistic, and remember to &lt;span class="caps"&gt;LIVE&lt;/span&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;</prognosis>
    <symptoms-count type="integer" nil="true"></symptoms-count>
    <synonym-tags>VHL, Von Hippel Lindau Disease </synonym-tags>
    <synonyms-count type="integer">0</synonyms-count>
    <topics-count type="integer">1</topics-count>
    <updated-at type="datetime">2009-08-04T14:28:15+00:00</updated-at>
  </community>
  <community>
    <causes></causes>
    <created-at type="datetime">2008-05-21T13:25:32+00:00</created-at>
    <description>&lt;p&gt;Von Willebrand Disease is a type of hemophilia.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
    <diagnosis></diagnosis>
    <disorder-description>&lt;p&gt;Von Willebrand Disease is a type of hemophilia.&lt;/p&gt;</disorder-description>
    <expert-id type="integer" nil="true"></expert-id>
    <general-symptoms></general-symptoms>
    <general-test></general-test>
    <general-treatment></general-treatment>
    <id type="integer">609</id>
    <name>Von Willebrand Disease</name>
    <participations-count type="integer">0</participations-count>
    <permalink>von-willebrand-disease</permalink>
    <posts-count type="integer">0</posts-count>
    <prevalence-number type="decimal">12.5</prevalence-number>
    <prevalence-number-source-url>http://www.orpha.net</prevalence-number-source-url>
    <prevalence-type>Per 100,000 Population</prevalence-type>
    <prognosis></prognosis>
    <symptoms-count type="integer" nil="true"></symptoms-count>
    <synonym-tags>VWD, von Willebrand's</synonym-tags>
    <synonyms-count type="integer">0</synonyms-count>
    <topics-count type="integer">0</topics-count>
    <updated-at type="datetime">2009-06-03T02:37:54+00:00</updated-at>
  </community>
  <community>
    <causes></causes>
    <created-at type="datetime">2009-08-05T20:48:39+00:00</created-at>
    <description>&lt;p&gt;Vulvar Cancer is a malignant growth in the vulva.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
    <diagnosis></diagnosis>
    <disorder-description>&lt;p&gt;Vulvar Cancer is a malignant growth in the vulva.&lt;/p&gt;</disorder-description>
    <expert-id type="integer" nil="true"></expert-id>
    <general-symptoms></general-symptoms>
    <general-test></general-test>
    <general-treatment></general-treatment>
    <id type="integer">1406</id>
    <name>Vulvar Cancer</name>
    <participations-count type="integer">1</participations-count>
    <permalink>vulvar-cancer</permalink>
    <posts-count type="integer">0</posts-count>
    <prevalence-number type="decimal" nil="true"></prevalence-number>
    <prevalence-number-source-url></prevalence-number-source-url>
    <prevalence-type>Per 100,000 Population</prevalence-type>
    <prognosis></prognosis>
    <symptoms-count type="integer" nil="true"></symptoms-count>
    <synonym-tags></synonym-tags>
    <synonyms-count type="integer">0</synonyms-count>
    <topics-count type="integer">1</topics-count>
    <updated-at type="datetime">2009-08-05T21:09:35+00:00</updated-at>
  </community>
</communities>
