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Cancerhelp - glossary Category: Health and Medicine > Cancer Date & country: 11/12/2007, UK Words: 1261

Beta carotene
An orange substance found in some fruit and vegetables, for example, carrots. It is converted into vitamin A in the body.

Beta-naphthalene
An industrial chemical which might cause cancer of the pancreas.

Bias
To prefer one thing to another and so look at it more favourably. It is possible to do this without knowing it, which is why some trials are designed so that no one knows which patient is having which treatment.

Bicalutamide
Anti-androgen tablet (also called Casodex). It stops the testicles from producing testosterone (the male sex hormone).

Bile
Fluid produced by the liver and stored in the gall bladder. It helps the body to digest fat.

Bile duct
Tube which carries bile from the gall bladder to the duodenum.

Biliary stenting
Treatment for jaundice that is due to a blocked bile duct. A tube called a stent is put into the bile duct to open it up and allow bile to drain.

biliary stenting
Putting a tube (stent) in through the skin to unblock the bile duct and relieve jaundice.

Bilobectomy
Operation to remove 2 lobes of the lung.

Biological response modifiers
These are natural body substances that can now be made in the laboratory in larger than natural amounts. They are then used as drugs to fight cancer, or stimulate the immune system. Some are also called cytokines. They include colony stimulating factors (CSFs), erythropoietin (EPO), interferon, interleukins (ILs) and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)…

Biological therapy
Treatment that uses natural body substances or drugs made from natural body substances to treat cancer eg interferon, interleukin 2, growth factors and monoclonal antibodies. Biological therapies include immunotherapies, gene therapy and vaccines.

Biopsy
(biopsies) A piece of body tissue taken so that the cells can be looked at under a microscope.

Bisphosphonates
Drugs used to treat high levels of calcium in the blood.

Bladder
A muscular sack in the abdomen that collects urine before it is passed out of the body.

Bladder calculi
(bladder stones) Stones in the bladder. Having multiple stones in the bladder for many years can give a higher risk of a type of bladder cancer called squamous cell bladder cancer.

Bladder irrigation
Flushing out the bladder. A tube called a urinary catheter is put into the bladder through the urethra. The catheter is connected to a bag of sterile water or salt solution which flushes out any clots of blood after surgery.

Bladder reconstruction
An operation to make a 'new' bladder if you have to have your bladder removed.

Blind trial
A type of clinical trial where the patient does not know whether they are having the treatment that is being tested, or a fake inactive treatment (placebo) that appears to be the same.

Blocked line
A blocked drip or central line. It can sometimes be unblocked, but may have to be taken out and a new line put in (re-sited).

Blomsinger valve
A type of valve that can help you to speak after you have had your voice box (larynx) removed (a laryngectomy).

Blood cells
(blood cell) There are three types of blood cells: white cells which fight infection; red cells which carry oxygen around the body; and platelets which help the blood to clot.

Blood cholesterol
A type of fat in the blood. People with high levels of cholesterol are thought more likely to have heart attacks.

Blood count
(blood cell count) Blood test to count how many of each type of blood cell there are in the blood.

Blood level
(blood levels) The amount of a particular substance in the blood.

Blood pressure
The pressure in the circulatory system. Blood pressure is measured with two numbers, one on top of the other. The maximum pressure is when the heart is pumping blood through, and the minimum pressure is when it is resting between beats

Blood stream
The circulating blood in the body.

Blood sugar
The amount of sugar in the blood. If the blood sugar is too high, this could be a sign of diabetes. The normal range is between 2.5 - 4.7 mmol/l although it can be higher after a meal.

Blood tests
(blood test) Tests on samples of blood to check general health or to look for specific substances (for example, PSA, HCG and APP levels).

Blood transfusion
Giving extra blood through a drip into a vein. Can be your own blood collected earlier and stored, or more usually blood donated by someone else.

Blood vessels
(artery, arteries, blood vessel, capillary, capillaries, vein(s) Tubes which carry blood around the body: arteries which carry blood containing oxygen; veins which carry blood back to the heart to pick up more oxygen and capillaries, the smallest blood vessels, which connect arteries to veins.

Body image
How we imagine ourselves physically. After surgery that changes body appearance, it can be some time before we get used to seeing ourselves differently.

Body mass index
(BMI) A measure of healthy weight - the relationship between your height and your weight. Multiply your height by itself (in metres) to get your height squared. Then divide your weight (in kilograms) by your height squared. The result is your BMI. A healthy BMI is between 18 and 25.

Bone density
Thickness and strength of bone.

Bone graft
A piece of bone, taken from another part of the body and used to replace bone that has to be removed due to either injury or disease.

Bone marrow
The spongy substance in the centre of the bones where red and white blood cells and platelets are made.

Bone marrow harvest
Collecting bone marrow for transplanting later on. It is done under general anaesthetic and usually means an overnight stay in hospital. Up to six punctures are made over the hip bones (and less usually, the chest bone). The marrow is sucked out of the puncture sites into a syringe. For adults, about a litre of bone marrow is taken. This is the…

Bone marrow sample
(bone marrow biopsy, bone marrow test, sample of bone marrow) Taking a small amount of bone marrow to see if it is healthy. It can show if the bone marrow contains cancer cells. A local anaesthetic is put into the skin over the hip bone. A needle is put into the hip and a small amount of bone marrow sucked out. This is examined under a microsc…

Bone marrow transplant
(BMT, bone marrow transplants) Treatment for cancer and some other illnesses. Very high doses of chemotherapy (and sometimes radiotherapy) are given to kill the cancer cells. This also kills the bone marrow, so a drip (transfusion) containing bone marrow needs to be given afterwards. This can be the patient's own marrow which has been frozen and…

Bone metastases
(bone secondaries) Cancer that has spread to the bones from a cancer somewhere else in the body.

Bone scan
Scan which looks for damage to bone. A small dose of a radioactive substance is injected into the bloodstream, gets into the bones and is then photographed with a gamma camera. Damaged bone shows up as a 'hot spot' on the scan.

Booster dose
An extra dose. This term is often used to mean an extra dose of radiotherapy given to a part of the radiotherapy field at the end of a course of treatment.

Borderline
In cancer, means a tumour that has cells that are only just malignant. The cells look more like normal cells than in a more malignant cancer. Borderline tumours are less likely to grow quickly or spread to other parts of the body.

Bowel cancer
Cancer of the colon or rectum. Also called colorectal cancer.

Bowel habits
How often you normally open your bowels (go to the toilet).

Bowel motion
The solid waste left over from digested food and passed out of the body through the back passage.

Bowel obstruction
(blocked bowel) Blockage in the bowel so stools cannot pass through. The bowel may be completely or partly blocked.

Bowel preparation
Preparing the bowel for tests or surgery. May mean an enema or suppositories or several days of laxatives followed by a washout of the bowel, depending on the test or operation that is to be done.

Bowel sounds
The normal noises your bowel makes. After any abdominal surgery your doctor will listen for bowel sounds. When they return, this means your bowel has begun to work normally again and you can start eating and drinking.

Bowel washout
Cleaning out the inside of the bowel. A tube is put into the bowel through the anus. Clean or sterile water is flushed through the tube and allowed to drain out again. This is repeated until the water is clean. It is usually done before major surgery to the bowel to lower the risk of infection after the operation.

Bowen`s disease
A very early form of non melanoma skin cancer. It is sometimes called carcinoma in situ.

Brachytherapy
The medical word for internal radiotherapy. This is radiotherapy given by putting a source of radiation inside the body. For example, radioactive seeds put into the prostate or a radioactive iodine drink for thyroid cancer. Radioactive seeds or needles may also be called interstitial radiotherapy.

Brain tumour
(brain tumours) Benign tumour or malignant tumour (cancer) of part of the brain. There are many different types of brain tumour and they are named depending on which type of brain cells are affected.

BRCA1
(breast cancer gene, cancer gene, ovarian cancer gene) Gene that increases the risk of getting breast, ovarian, bowel or prostate cancer. Out of every 100 women who have a faulty version of this gene, between 80 and 85 will develop breast cancer at some point in their life. So they have a lifetime risk of 80-85%. Ovarian cancer lifetime risk is…

BRCA2
(breast cancer gene, cancer gene) Gene that increases the risk of getting breast and ovarian cancer in women and breast and prostate cancer in men. Out of every 100 women who have a faulty version of this gene, between 80 and 85 will develop breast cancer at some point in their life (80-85% lifetime risk). Ovarian cancer lifetime risk is about 27%…

Breast cancer
Cancer of the breast, usually in women, but does occur rarely in men.

Breast enhancer
(breast enhancers) Partial artificial breast used by women who have had an operation to remove part of the breast (called a segmentectomy).

Breast examination
Medical examination of the breasts to look for anything wrong, including lumps. The examination can be done by a doctor or breast care nurse.

Breast implant
(breast implants) An artificial breast shape put under the skin or muscle during an operation. Used to replace a breast that has had to be removed for medical reasons. Can also be used for cosmetic reasons to make the breast look bigger.

Breast lump
(breast lumps) Lump in the breast that may or may not be cancerous. Nine out of ten breast lumps are not cancer.

Breast prostheses
(breast prosthesis) Artificial breasts. Can be external (worn outside the body in a bra) or internal (put in during an operation).

Breast reconstruction
Operation to make a new breast after one has been removed. Can be done by putting in a breast implant or by using muscle and skin from the back or abdomen.

Breast screening
Examining healthy women to see if breast cancer can be picked up early - usually before there are any symptoms.

Breast self awareness
Being aware of how one's breasts normally look and feel so that any abnormal changes will be noticed as soon as possible.

Breast tumours
An overgrowth of cells in the breast, forming a lump. Tumours can be benign (non cancerous) or cancer.

Breast ultrasound
Scan of the breast using sound waves.

Breathlessness
Difficulty breathing.

Breslow scale
(Breslow, Breslow thickness) A scale that measures the thickness (depth) of malignant melanomas. The thicker the primary melanoma is, the greater the risk of the cancer coming back elsewhere in the body in the future. This is because a thicker melanoma will have grown deeper into the layers of the skin. The deeper the melanoma has grown, the mor…

Bronchi
(bronchus) The airways (tubes) taking air into the lungs. The main bronchi are the airways that connect the windpipe (trachea) to each lung. So there is a right and a left bronchus. The bronchi connect to the secondary bronchi that go to each lobe of the lungs. There are even smaller tertiary bronchi that go to each segment of the lungs.

Bronchioles
(bronchiole) These are the smallest airways in the lungs. They connect the smallest tertiary bronchi to the alveoli (air sacs) where oxygen is absorbed.

Bronchitis
Infection of the airways of the lungs.

Bronchoscope
A flexible tube with an eye piece and a light that enables doctors to see inside the windpipe (trachea) and the main airways of the lungs.

Bronchoscopy
A medical examination of the airways of the lungs. A sedative is given. Then a flexible tube is put down the nose or into the mouth and down into the airways. The doctor can see the inside of the airways using an eye piece. Samples of tissue can be taken (biopsies) for examination under the microscope.

Bypass
Type of surgery to go round a blockage.

CA19-9
A chemical marker produced by some types of cancer, which can be found in the blood. It is sometimes found in people who have suspected pancreatic cancer, but is not specific enough to use as a screening test.

Caesium
(caesium 137, caesium wires) A radioactive metal used to treat cancers of the cervix, uterus and vagina. Also used in the form of thin wires to treat other types of cancer.

Calcification
Calcium collecting in the body tissues. In breast tissue, can be picked up on a mammogram. Calcification itself is harmless in the breast, but particular patterns of calcification may be a sign of breast cancer.

Calcium
A substance which is essential to life. Calcium salts are needed for healthy bones and teeth. A small amount of calcium is found in the blood. If this level is too high (hypercalcaemia) or too low (hypocalcaemia) this can be dangerous. Levels of calcium can be measured with a blood test.

Calorie
A measurement of energy. One calorie is the energy needed to heat one gram of water by one degree centigrade. The amount of energy in food is measured in calories. There are 1000 calories in a kilocalorie.

Cancer
Cancer is a disease where a population of cells in the body grow and divide without responding to the normal processes that limit their growth. They spread into and destroy nearby tissues, and may spread to other parts of the body through the blood stream or lymphatic system. Cancerous tumours are called malignant. See the glossary term for the …

Cancer type
A term used to refer to the part of the body in which the cancer started. For example, breast cancer. This term may also be used to describe the type of cell a cancer is made of, such as adenocarcinoma (glandular cells) or gliobastoma (glial cells).

Cancer vaccines
A type of experimental treatment currently being researched. It may be able to limit cancer growth or eventually, stop people getting cancers. Research for this type of treatment is at a very early stage.

Cannula
A tube put into the body for giving, or draining off, fluid. It usually means a fine tube that goes into a vein.

Capillary network
System of the smallest blood vessels found throughout the body. The capillaries connect the bigger blood vessels, such as arteries and veins, and take oxygen and nutrients directly to the body cells.

Capsular contracture
A complication of breast reconstruction surgery using an implant. After the operation, a fibrous covering (capsule) naturally forms around the implant. In some women the capsule can shrink and become tight, making the implant change shape.

Carbohydrate
One of the three major food groups, the others are protein and fats. Carbohydrates are made up of simple sugars linked together. They are a source of energy for the body and are involved in many important chemical processes in the body. There are many different kinds of carbohydrates.

Carbon dioxide
A waste gas from the body tissues. The carbon dioxide is absorbed into the blood, then filters back into the alveoli (air sacs in the lungs) and is breathed out.

Carboplatin
A chemotherapy drug.

Carcinoembryonic antigen
(CEA) A marker (chemical) used to help diagnose some types of cancer, such as bowel cancer. It can also be used to check whether the cancer may have come back (recurred). CEA is not always a reliable test for cancer. The level can go up due to other illnesses and it does not always go up in everyone with bowel cancer.

Carcinogen
Something that causes cancer.

Carcinoma
A cancer of the epithelial tissue that covers all the body organs and lines all the body cavities (for example, skin). Most cancers are carcinomas.

Carcinoma in situ
An early cancer that has not broken through the basement membrane of the tissue it is growing in. So it cannot spread anywhere else in the body and can usually be cured by removing it surgically.

Carcinomatosis
Means that a cancer has spread to many different sites throughout the body. Or sometimes, a large area of the body. It may also be called carcinosis.

Cardiac sphincter
The valve between the bottom of the foodpipe and the top of the stomach. The valve opens to allow food to pass into the stomach but stops the stomach contents moving back up into the foodpipe (oesophagus).

Cartilage
Dense, tough tissue that lines the joints. A cancer of cartilage is called a chondrosarcoma.

Catheter
A tube passed into the body to drain away fluid. For example, a urinary catheter which drains urine from the bladder.

Cautery
Controlling bleeding or destroying an area of body tissue, using either a needle heated by an electric current, or a chemical substance.

Cell
(cells) The building blocks of the body. Every part of the body is made up of individual cells. Cells are basically very similar. But each type of cell is specially adapted for the part of the body it makes up. For example, the liver is made up of liver cells. Cancer is a disease that starts with one cell becoming cancerous.

Cell adhesion
Cells sticking together, so that they stay in the right place in the body. Most normal cells must do this to survive. The cells stick together using specific adhesion molecules (receptors) that interact with molecules (counterreceptors) on the surface of other cells.

Cell differentiation
The process of cells becoming specialised as they grow and develop. For example, cells 'differentiate' into mature blood cells or bone cells. Very young cells are not very specialised. They haven't developed the particlar specialised features of differentiated cells. See also the glossary term 'undifferentiated'.

Cell division
(doubling, growth, multiplying) How cells multiply and so body tissues grow. Each cell can split into two, reproducing itself exactly. This is called doubling. Normally, this is a slow, well controlled process. In cancer, it gets out of control. Cell division happens too often and so a lump is formed. In cancers of the blood forming tissues, t…