Breast Cancer — page 2 of 2

Breast Cancer terms

101. Myelin sheath (my' uh lin) the tubular structure that surrounds the nerve fibers.
102. necrosis (ne-KRO-sis) Refers to the death of living tissues.
103. Negative (neg'eh tiv) having a value less than zero; indicating absence of a condition, organism, etc.
104. Neoadjuvant (nee-oh ad'-joo vunt) chemotherapy is initial use of chemotherapy in patients with localized cancer that could be treated by an alternative but not…
105. Nipple In anatomy, the small raised area in the center of the breast through which milk can flow to the outside.
106. non-melanoma skin cancer Skin cancer begins in the outer layer of the skin. Melanoma is a cancer that begins in skin cells that produce melanin, which gives your skin color.
107. oncologist (on-KAH-loh-jist) A doctor who specializes in treating cancer. Some oncologists specialize in a particular type of cancer treatment.
108. Osteoporosis (OS-tee-oh-puh-ROH-sis) A condition that is marked by a decrease in bone mass and density, causing bones to become fragile.
109. Ovarian (oh-VAYR-ee-un) Having to do with the ovaries, the female reproductive glands in which the ova (eggs) are formed.
110. Palliative (pal-ee-uh-tiv) affording relief, but not cure. An alleviating medicine.
111. Pathologist (puh-THAH-loh-jist) A doctor who identifies diseases by studying cells and tissues under a microscope.
112. Pituitary gland (pih-TOO-ih-TAYR-ee...) The main endocrine gland. It produces hormones that control other glands and many body functions, especially growth.
113. Placebo An inactive substance or treatment that looks the same as, and is given the same way as, an active drug or treatment being tested.
114. Plastic Surgeon A surgeon who specializes in reducing scarring or disfigurement that may occur as a result of accidents, birth defects, or treatment for diseases.
115. ploidy (PLOY-dee) The number of sets of chromosomes in a cell or an organism. For example, haploid means one set and diploid means two sets.
116. Positive (poz'ih-tiv) having a value greater than zero; indicating existence or presence of a condition, organism, etc.
117. Postmenopausal (post-MEH-nuh-pawz-ul) Having to do with the time after menopause. Menopause ("change of life") is the time in a woman's life when menstrual periods stop…
118. Premenopausal (pree-MEH-nuh-pawz-ul) Having to do with the time before menopause. Menopause ("change of life") is the time of life when a woman's menstrual periods stop…
119. Proliferative (pro li" fer uh tiv) the reproduction or multiplication similar forms, such as cells.
120. Prophylactic In medicine, something that prevents or protects.
121. Pseudogynecomastia (soo'-doh-guy'-neh-co-mast"-ee-uh) false gynecomastia; condition of fat distribution in men and boys that makes them appear as if they have breasts.
122. Radiation (RAY-dee-AY-shun) Energy released in the form of particle or electromagnetic waves.
123. Radiation Oncologist (RAY-dee-AY-shun on-KAH-loh-jist) A doctor who specializes in using radiation to treat cancer.
124. Radiation Therapy (RAY-dee-AY-shun THAYR-uh-pee) The use of high-energy radiation from x-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, protons, and other sources to kill cancer cells and…
125. Radiologist (RAY-dee-AH-loh-jist) A doctor who specializes in creating and interpreting pictures of areas inside the body.
126. Radiotherapeutic ablation (ray"-dee-o-ther"-uh-pyoo'-tik ay-blay"-shun) therapy using ionizing radiation to remove or destroy a part.
127. Retrospective Looking back at events that have already taken place.
128. Rheumatoid arthritis (ROO-muh-TOYD ar-THRY-tis) An autoimmune disease that causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints, and may cause severe joint damage, loss of…
129. Rooting reflex (ROO'-ting REE'-flex) a reflex in infants that causes the turning of the head to the nipple and opening of the mouth when the cheek is touched or stroked.
130. S-phase fraction A measure of the percentage of cells in a tumor that are in the phase of the cell cycle during which DNA is synthesized.
131. Schwann cells (shwon sels) specialized glial cells that form the myelin sheath that coats many axons (nerve cells that carry messages away from the cell).
132. Sclerosis (skleh ro' sis) a hardening, especially of a part that has been inflammed. There is increased formation of connective tissue.
133. Sentinel Lymph Node The first lymph node to which cancer is likely to spread from the primary tumor.
134. Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection (sin"-tin-ul' limf nod di-seck-shun) or .
135. Stage The extent of a cancer in the body. Staging is usually based on the size of the tumor, whether lymph nodes contain cancer, and whether the cancer has…
136. Stellate Star shaped.
137. Stereotactic (ster"ee-oh-tak'tik) characterized by precise positioning in space.
138. Stroma (stro' mah) the supporting tissue or matrix of an organ; as distinguished from the functional part of the organ.
139. Surgeon A doctor who removes or repairs a part of the body by operating on the patient.
140. Symptom A sign or indication that a person has a condition or disease. Some examples of symptoms are headache, fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and pain.
141. Systemic Therapy (sis-TEH-mik THAYR-uh-pee) Treatment using substances that travel through the bloodstream, reaching and affecting cells all over the body.
142. Tissue (TISH-oo) A group or layer of cells that work together to perform a specific function.
143. Tumor (TOO-mer) An abnormal mass of tissue that results when cells divide more than they should or do not die when they should.
144. Ultrasound (UL-truh-SOWND) A procedure in which high-energy sound waves (ultrasound) are bounced off internal tissues or organs and make echoes.
145. Vein (vayn) a vessel through which blood passes from various organs or parts back to the heart.
146. X-ray A type of high-energy radiation. In low doses, x-rays are used to diagnose diseases by making pictures of the inside of the body.