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

Red Blood Cells
(Red Blood Cell, Red Cells) Cells found in the blood which carry oxygen from the lungs around the body. If a person doesn't have enough red blood cells, they have anaemia.

Red Spidery Marks
(Telangiectasia) These are a long term side effect of radiotherapy. Extra blood vessels can grow in the skin where radiotherapy treatment has been given in the past.

Reddening
The skin going red.

Reflexology
Type of complementary therapy. Reflexologists use pressure points on the feet, similar to acupuncture points to detect blockages of energy in the body. They seek to correct the blockages by massaging the feet.

Regional Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy that is given to one part of the body only. For example, for secondary bowel cancer in the liver, chemotherapy can be given to the liver through the hepatic artery.

Regional Limb Perfusion
A technique for giving chemotherapy just to an arm or leg. This is most often used to treat malignant melanoma, but it is still an experimental treatment. Under a general anaesthetic, the blood supply to the affected arm or leg is connected to a pump which circulates it, with oxygen and the chemotherapy, through the limb for up to an hour. At the e…

Registered drugs
Drugs that have been given the go ahead for marketing in the UK. Also called 'marketing authorisation', being 'licensed' or being 'approved'. Drugs then have to be 'launched' in the UK before doctors can prescribe them for patients.

Relapse
An illness that has seemed to be getting better, or to have been cured, comes back or gets worse again.

Relaxation Tapes
Cassette tapes that help you to learn to relax. Usually have a recording of someone talking through relaxation exercises and soothing music.

Relaxation Techniques
(Relaxation Exercises) Different ways of relaxing (eg relaxing the muscles in turn, deep breathing).

Remission
If a cancer is in remission, there is no sign of it in examinations or tests. Doctors say 'remission' instead of cure because they cannot always be sure that all cancer cells are gone and the cancer won't come back. Generally, the longer the remission, the less likely this is.

Reproductive System
Body system used in conceiving a pregnancy and having a baby. Includes the womb, ovaries and vagina in women. And the penis, testicles and prostate in men.

Research
Looking into something in a systematic and logical way to find out new facts about it. Cancer research looks into new treatments, but can also find out many other things about cancers for example, who is at risk, how to prevent cancer and how to lessen side effects of treatment.

Research Ethics Committee
Group of people who look at plans for trials to see whether they have been properly though out and prepared. Usually includes doctors, nurses, lawyers and members of the public. Responsible for checking that the best interests of patients have been considered.

Resection
Word used in surgery meaning to cut away. So if something is resected, it is removed during an operation.

Resistance To Infection
How resistant you are to infections shows how well your immune system is working. Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy can lower your white blood cell count and so lower your immunity. Until your white blood cell count recovers, you will have less resistance to infection.

Resistant
Not responsive to treatment. If a cancer becomes resistant to chemotherapy, then the treatment will no longer shrink it.

Respiratory System
The body system for breathing. Includes the nose, windpipe (trachea), airways and lungs.

Retinoblastoma
A rare cancer of the eye. This cancer can either be inherited or just develop spontaneously.

Rhabdomyosarcoma
This is a type of cancer that starts in the cells of muscles that we control, such as the muscles in the arms and legs.

Rheumatoid Arthritis
A type of arthritis that is an auto-immune disease. This means the body thinks some of its own cells are foreign and attacks them. In rheumatoid arthritis, this happens in the joints causing them to swell and become painful.

Rhythm Method
Natural form of trying to prevent pregnancy by avoiding sex in the middle of a woman's menstrual cycle, when becoming pregnant is most likely. Not thought safe when avoiding pregnancy is very important - for example, during cancer treatment or after having particular cancers such as breast cancer.

Rigid laryngoscopy
This is usually part of a panendoscopy. It is an examination of the voice box, done under anaesthetic. A rigid tube is put down your throat. The tube has a light and camera inside so your specialist can see your voice box clearly.

Risk Factors
In medicine, a risk factor is something that may make you more prone to developing a particular condition or disease. For example, smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer and sun exposure a risk factor for skin cancer.

Rodent ulcer
This is a deep ulcer (hole) in the skin that spreads into and eats away the body tissues that surround it. If basal cell cancer is left untreated, it can develop into a rodent ulcer.

Rubella
(Rubella Vaccine, German Measles, German Measles Vaccine) Infectious disease. You should not have a vaccination against rubella if you are having chemotherapy as the vaccine is live.

Saline
Solution of salt in water.

Saliva
Spit. Made by the salivary glands. Keeps the mouth healthy and moist and contains an enzyme which begins to digest food before it reaches the stomach.

Sarcoma
Cancer that has developed from cells of the body's connective tissues. Muscle, bone, nerves, blood vessels, fat and fibrous tissues are all connective tissues.

Saturated Fat
Type of fat found in meat and dairy products. Too much fat in the diet has been linked to an increased risk of some cancers due to an associated obesity. There is no direct proven link between animal fat and cancer, but high meat intake has been linked to increased risk of digestive system cancers.

Scan
(Scans) Looking at the inside of the body from the outside to see if there is anything wrong (eg CT scan or Ultrasound scan).

Scapula
The shoulder blade.

Schwannoma
A tumour of the nerve sheath (fatty covering of the nerves). Can occur in the major nerves of the head or the peripheral nerves (outside the brain and spinal cord). One of the commonest sites is the main nerve for hearing, the acoustic nerve. Schwannomas are usually benign, but can rarely be malignant.

Screening
(Screening Programme, Screening Test, Screening Tests) Testing the general population to see if a particular disease can be picked up early - usually before that person has noticed any symptoms. Can only be done if there is a reliable and simple test for the disease, as with the cervical smear test or mammogram.

Second Cancer
Different type of cancer caused by previous cancer treatment. Must not be confused with secondary cancer, which is a cancer which has spread.

Second degree relative
Second degree relatives are your aunts and uncles, nephews and nieces, grandparents and grand children and half brothers and sisters. A quarter of their genes are the same as yours. This only applies to blood relatives.

Second Line Treatment
This is the treatment you have if your first course of cancer treatment doesn't work or your cancer comes back after a period of time.

Second Look Laparotomy
Operation that is done after chemotherapy (most often for ovarian cancer) to see if the cancer inside the abdomen has gone, or shrunk.

Second Opinion
Getting another view on diagnosis or treatment from another doctor.

Secondary Brain Tumour
(Metastatic Brain Tumour) Cancer which has spread to the brain from somewhere else in the body. The doctor can tell this by looking at the cells under a microscope. They will look like the original cells, rather than like brain cells. For example, if the cancer has spread from the lung, the cancer cells in the brain will look like lung cells.

Secondary Breast Cancer
Cancer that has spread from the breast to another part of the body (eg liver, bone).

Secondary Bronchi
(Secondary Bronchus) The airways that branch off from the bronchi to each lobe of the lungs.

Secondary Cancer
(Secondaries) Cancer spread. Cancer cells have broken away from the primary cancer (where the cancer began in the body) and have spread to another organ or part of the body, where they have begun to grow. Secondary cancer has to be treated according to the type of cells that it is made up of. For example, breast cancer cells that have spread to the…

Secondary Lung Cancer
Lung cancer that has spread from the lungs to another part of the body (eg the liver).

Secondary Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer that has spread from the prostate to another part of the body (eg the bones).

Sedative
Drug given to relax you. Will often make you drowsy. Used before some medical procedures that are not usually done under general anaesthetic, for example bronchoscopy.

Segmentectomy
Operation to remove a segment of a body organ, for example a segment of a lung.

Selectron
(Curitron) Machine used in internal radiotherapy treatment. Automatically puts in and takes out the radioactive source. Reduces the amount of radiation the hospital staff and visitors are exposed to as the source can be automatically taken back into the machine when someone else is in the room.

Selenium
Antioxidant mineral that you need in tiny amounts in your diet to help keep your immune system healthy. May help prevent cell damage that can lead to cancer. Selenium is in meat, fish and seafood, eggs and cereals. Deficiency is very rare in the UK.

Self Catheterisation
Using a catheter to drain your own urine, either from the bladder or from a 'continent urinary diversion' after having your bladder removed.

Self Help Group
(Self Help Groups) Groups of patients (and sometimes their relatives or friends) who have the same type of disease. Get together to talk about their experiences and find ways of helping themselves.

Semen
The milky white liquid that contains sperm and comes out of the penis when a man has an orgasm.

Seminal Vesicle
(Seminal Vesicles) Two glands at the base of the bladder. They make and secrete the liquid part of semen that mixes with the sperm made by the testicles. This liquid contains nutrients (food) for the sperm.

Seminoma
Type of testicular cancer most common in men between 30 and 50 years old.

Sentinel Lymph Node
The 'sentinel' lymph node is the lymph node near a body organ or part of an organ which is thought to be the first that the tissue fluid draining from that organ reaches. So, if there is a cancer in the organ, this lymph node may be the one most likely to contain cancer cells if the cancer has begun to spread. Different techniques are being tried t…

Seroma
Collection of fluid under a wound after an operation.

Serotonin
A hormone found in the brain, platelets, digestive system and the pineal gland (a small gland in the brain). It acts as a chemical messenger, sending messages between nerves (neurotransmitter). It also sends messages to make blood vessels narrower. Some carcinoid tumours make serotonin and high levels in the body can cause diarrhoea, wheezing and…

Serous
Less common type of ovarian cancer.

Sex Hormones
The hormones that 'make' us male and female and control the production of eggs in women and sperm in men. The female sex hormones are oestrogen and progesterone. The male sex hormone is testosterone. Some cancers use sex hormones to help them grow. So, for these cancers, treatments can be aimed at stopping the body making sex hormones. This can cau…

Sexual Impotency
Inability to get an erection.

Shark Cartilage
An alternative cancer therapy aimed at reducing the blood supply to the cancer. It's sold as a food supplement, not a drug. There is no research evidence to show that shark cartilage works against any type of cancer. Brand names of shark cartilage include Carticin, Cartilade and Benefin.

Shell
Another word for mask or mould used during radiotherapy treatment to the head.

Side Effects
Unwanted effects of medical treatment.

Sigmoid colon
An 'S' shape bend that joins the descending colon to the rectum.

Sigmoidoscopy
(Sigmoidoscope) Examination of the rectum (back passage) and colon (large bowel) using a sigmoidoscope. The sigmoidoscope is a thin bendy tube which is put up into the colon and rectum through the anus. The tube is connected to an eyepiece which allows the doctor to see inside the bowel. And to take biopsies (samples of tissue) for examination unde…

Silicone
Substance used to make body implants (for example, artificial breasts). Also used to make some medical equipment (for example, urinary catheters). Used because it is very unlikely to cause an allergic reaction.

Silicone Implant
Artificial body part - for example, breast or testicle put into the body to replace a part that has been removed.

Simple Mastectomy
Operation to remove the breast only.

Simulator
Specialised X-ray machine used to plan radiotherapy treatment.

Skin Graft
Replacing an area of skin with another piece taken from elsewhere in the body. Occasionally in skin cancer surgery, a wide area of skin is affected and has to be removed. This is then replaced with a piece of your own skin. This is most often taken from the upper thigh. Skin grafts have to be carefully watched while they are healing to make sure th…

Skin Markings
(Skin Marks) Lines drawn on the body with a felt tip pen during radiotherapy planning. These are used to line up the radiotherapy machine every day.

Skin Nodule
(Skin Nodules) Lump on the skin.

Skin Reaction
Reddening and sometimes peeling of the skin that can happen as a reaction to radiotherapy treatment. Similar to moderate sunburn. Severe skin reactions to radiotherapy are now quite rare since the use of newer 'skin sparing' radiotherapy techniques.

Small bowel
(Duodenum, Ileum) Also called the small intestine or ileum. Connects the stomach to the large bowel (colon). Digestion continues in the first part of the small bowel (the duodenum). In the rest of the small bowel (the ileum), nutrients from digested food are absorbed into the body.

Small Cell Lung Cancer
(Small Cell) Type of lung cancer. Behaves differently from the other main types of lung cancer and so is treated differently. Can spread early, so often treated with chemotherapy.

Small Cell Lymphocytic
Type of lymphoma. The cells appear small under the microscope. This is a low grade type of lymphoma.

Small Non-Cleaved Burkitt's
Type of lymphoma. The cells look small under the microscope and are not split. The cells have a particular appearance and are named after the person that first classified this type of lymphoma. Burkitt's Lymphoma is a rare and special type of lymphoma that is usually treated with combination chemotherapy.

Small Non-Cleaved Non-Burkitt's
Type of lymphoma. The cells look small under the microscope and are not split. This looks similar to the cells in Burkitt's Lymphoma, but are not the same so this type of lymphoma is called Non-Burkitt's. It is usually treated with combination chemotherapy.

Smear
(Cervical Screening, Cervical Smear, Pap Smear, Pap Test, Smear Test) Screening test to detect cancer of the cervix. A scraping of cells is taken from the surface of the cervix and examined under the microscope to see if any of them are showing signs of becoming cancerous. This is a test for pre-cancer. A positive smear does not mean you have cance…

Social worker
Someone whose job it is to give people support, arrange care, and help with claiming financial benefits. There are social workers who support people with cancer and their families.

Soft Diet
Diet of soft and mashed foods that are easy to swallow and don't need much chewing. Often recommended when the mouth is sore from chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or when it is difficult to swallow.

Solar keratosis
A skin lesion that is very sensitive to sunlight and may be the first warning sign of a skin cancer developing. Usually slightly raised, red or pink and may be scaly.

Solid tumour
A solid tumour is any cancer that has developed in a body organ or tissue apart from the blood system or lymphatic system. So, it is any cancer apart from a leukaemia or lymphoma.

Somatostatin
Hormone which helps to control the secretion of insulin by the pancreas and gastrin by the stomach.

Somatostatinoma
A rare type of cancer of the pancreas which produces too much of a hormone called somatostatin causing diarrhoea and stomach ulcers.

Somnolence
(Somnolence Syndrome) Feeling extremely tired, drowsy and irritable. Can be a side effect of a long course of radiotherapy to the brain. May last for some weeks after treatment has finished.

SPECT Scan
SPECT stands for 'Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography'. It is similar to a PET scan. You have an injection of a very small amount of a radioactive chemical, which circulates in your blood and shows up the cancer on the scanner.

Speculum
Instrument used to hold the vagina open during an internal examination. Enables the doctor to see the cervix clearly.

Speech therapist
Someone trained to help people re-learn how to speak and swallow properly. If you have surgery to your mouth or voice box, you will see a speech therapist.

Sperm Bank
Place of storage for frozen sperm samples.

Sperm Banking
Collecting, freezing and storing sperm samples for use in the future. Can be done before cancer treatment is given. If the treatment causes infertility, the frozen sperm can be used.

Sperm Count
Number of healthy sperm counted in a sperm sample. Indicates how healthy the sperm sample is and so whether it is worth freezing the sample for sperm banking.

Spermatic Cord
Pipeline which runs from the testicle towards the penis. Contains the tube which carries sperm, blood vessels, nerves and lymph vessels.

Spine
Backbone

Splanchnicectomy
Nerve block of the splanchnic nerve in the abdomen. This is sometimes done for severe pain in cancer of the pancreas which is not responding to pain killers.

Spleen
Body organ. Part of the lymphatic system. The spleen is on the left of the body, just under the diaphragm. It filters the blood, removing worn out red blood cells and stores red blood cells. It also contains lymph node tissue and many lymphocytes. The spleen is sometimes removed in Hodgkin's Disease. It is perfectly possible to live healthily witho…

Spread
Growth of a cancer from where it started. A cancer can spread to areas next to where it began to grow (local spread) or to other parts of the body (secondary cancer or metastasis).

Squamous Cell Cancer
A cancer that develops from squamous cells found in the skin that covers the outside and lines the inside of the body. For example, a squamous cell cancer of the lung develops from the cells that line the airways.

Squamous Cells
Type of flat skin cells that cover the outside and inside of the body. Many cancers are squamous cell cancer.

Stage
(Stages) The size of a cancer and how far it has spread. Used to decide on the best course of treatment. There can be any number of stages, but for most cancers there are about four. Stage one is the smallest cancer and stage four (or the highest number) means the cancer has spread away from where it started to another part of the body.