P

Palliative treatment:

therapy that relieves symptoms such as pain, but does not alter the course of the disease.

Peristalsis:

progressive contraction and relaxation of the intestines.

Primary site:

the site in the body where cancer originated.

Prognosis:

a prediction of the course of the disease.

Prosthesis:

an artificial substitute for a missing body part.

O

Oncologist:

a physician who specializes in treating cancer.

Oncology:

the science dealing with the physical, chemical and biologic properties and features of cancer.

Ommaya reservoir:

a device implanted in the ventricle of the brain through which chemotherapy is administered.

N

Neoplasm:

any new abnormal growth.

Neutropenia:

low white blood cell count, which creates high risk for infection.

Nuclear scan:

a technique in which radioactive dye in injected into a vein, so that images of the body can be recorded to detect the cancerous tissue. The brain, bone, and liver are common sites scanned.

M

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI):

a technique using magnetic fields to produce images of the body; useful in disease diagnosis, including cancer.

Malabsorption:

impaired intestinal absorption of nutrients.

Malignant tumor:

a mass of cancer cells. A malignant tumor may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant areas of the body.

Mammogram:

the image produced by a low-dose x-ray of the breast.

Melanoma:

a type of skin cancer such as a mole, which changes in appearance.

L

Lesion:

a change in body tissue; sometimes used as a synonym for tumor.

Leukemia:

cancer of the blood-forming tissues. Categorized as acute or chronic.

Lymph nodes or glands:

small, bean-shaped structures located along the channels of the lymphatic system. These nodes can contain bacteria or cancer cells.

Lymphoma:

a form of cancer that affects the lymph system, which is categorized as Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s varieties.

I

Informed consent:

the process by which sufficient information is provided by the healthcare team in understandable language about proposed treatment in order for the patient to make decisions about treatment and care.

IV:

intravenous. This means an injection of a solution into a vein such as intravenous fluids.

H

Hematologist:

a physician who specializes in treating blood disorders, such as leukemia and anemias.

Hormone therapy:

treatment of cancer by removing, blocking, or adding hormones. Hormones are chemicals produced by glands, which control how certain cells or organs act.

Hyperalimentation:

nourishing the body through the veins or a tube into the stomach with high calorie fluids; also called total parenteral nutrition (TPN).

G

Growth factor:

a hormone-like substance (medication) that stimulates the bone marrow to produce blood cells; also called colony-stimulating factor (CSF).

E

Edema:

swelling of the body tissues with fluid.

Emesis:

vomiting with or without nausea.

C

Cancer:

a general term for a large group of diseases (more than 100), all characterized by uncontrolled growth, invasion, and spread of abnormal cells to other parts of the body.

Carcinogen:

any substance that initiates or promotes the development of cancer. For example, asbestos is a carcinogen.

Carcinoma:

a form of cancer that develops in tissues covering the lining organs of the body, such as the skin, the uterus, the lung, or the breast. Adenocarcinoma affects glandular tissue. Squamous cell carcinoma affects epithethial tissue.

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