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

Marketing authorisation for drugs
When the drug licensing authority gives a pharmaceutical company the go ahead to market a drug, the drug has 'marketing authorisation'. The drug is then said to be 'licensed', 'approved' or 'registered'. The drug then has to be 'launched' in the UK before doctors can prescribe it for patients.

Mask
(mould, shell) Clear plastic mask of the head made to hold the head and neck still. Worn during radiotherapy treatment.

Massage
Rubbing or kneading the body to stimulate the circulation and relax tension in the muscles. Can produce general feeling of relaxation and well being.

Mastectomy
Operation to remove the breast.

Mastectomy bras
Bras designed for women who have had a breast removed. Each cup has a pocket inside it to hold a Prosthesis (artificial breast).

Mastectomy exercises
Exercises designed to be done after surgery to remove a breast. Aim to increase movement in the arm and shoulder.

Mastectomy swimwear
Swimsuits designed for women who have had a breast removed. Each cup has a pocket inside it to hold a Prosthesis (false breast).

Mature
Fully developed. In terms of cells, means fully differentiated. See Cells, Cell Differentiation, Undifferentiated.

Maximum dose
The highest dose of a drug or radiotherapy that can be safely given.

Meals on wheels
Cooked midday meals delivered people in their own homes. Can be arranged through social services for anyone who lives alone and cannot shop or cook for themselves.

Measles
An infectious disease caused by a virus. Measles can be dangerous to people who have low resistance to infection, for instance after chemotherapy. There is a vaccination for measles, but it should NOT be given during chemotherapy treatment as it is a live virus vaccine.

Median
Word used in statistics and trial results. Means the middle number in a series, for example, if five children are aged 2, 3, 5, 7, and 13, the median age is 5.

Mediastinoscopy
Medical examination of the mediastinum. The doctor makes a small cut at the base of the neck. He puts a small tube through the cut and into the mediastinum. He can look through this tube to examine the area. He can also take tissue samples which will be looked at under the microscope to see if there are any cancer cells.

Mediastinum
Area at the centre of the chest which contains the heart, windpipe (trachea), gullet (oesophagus), large main blood vessels and the lymph nodes that surround the heart.

Medical history
Record of a person's illnesses, allergies, operations and other medical treatments. All doctors ask for this information when they first see a patient.

Medical oncologist
A doctor specialising in the treatment of cancer by chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and biological therapies.

Medical physicist
Specialist in radiation. Makes sure equipment is accurate and safe, and advises doctors on the best type of machine to use.

Medical Research Council
(MRC) Independent body that oversees a number of medical research trials.

Medroxyprogesterone acetate
(Provera) Man-made form of progesterone (female sex hormone) used to treat breast cancer.

Medulloblastoma
(PNET) Type of brain tumour. Commonest type in children. Now called Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumours (PNET's) because they develop from primitive (poorly developed) nerve cells in the brain. The term medulloblastoma is no longer used.

Megestrol acetate
(Megace) Man made form of progesterone (female sex hormone) used to treat breast cancer.

Melanin
The substance that gives skin its colour (pigment).

Melanocyte
The cells in the innermost layer of the epidermis that make the skin pigment, melanin. Melanin is what gives you a sun tan. These cells become cancerous in malignant melanoma.

Melanoma
(malignant melanoma) A particular type of skin cancer. The cancer develops from the cells that produce the skin pigment, melanin. Malignant melanoma in the skin usually develops from an existing mole, but this is not always the case. Much more rarely, it can begin in the eye and, even more rarely, in an internal body organ. If MM is found early, be…

MEN
(multiple endocrine neoplasia) MEN is a rare inherited condition in which two or more tumours develop in the endocrine system. There are several types of MEN and the type you have influences where the tumours develop. MEN is caused by a faulty gene and the genetic fault is different with each type of MEN. The tumours may be benign (non-cancerous)…

MEN 1
(multiple endocrine neoplasia 1) MEN 1 is a rare inherited condition in which you develop tumours in the endocrine system, most commonly in the parathyroid and pituitary glands and the pancreas. But tumours can also develop in the bowel, stomach, pituitary or adrenal glands. The tumours can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer). They often p…

MEN 2
(multiple endocrine neoplasia 2) MEN 2 is a rare inherited condition where you develop tumours in the endocrine system. The tumours are most often in the thyroid gland but can also develop in the adrenal glands and occasionally the parathyroid glands.

Meningioma
Type of brain tumour. Usually benign. Develop from the covering of the brain (meninges). Can be anywhere in the brain or spinal cord.

Menopausal side effects
(symptoms) Side effects from the menopause such as hot flushes, sweating, putting on weight, feeling anxious. These happen because the body is getting used to lower levels of sex hormones (oestrogen and progesterone).

Menopause
'Change of life'. Period of time between the early forties and late fifties when women stop producing sex hormones. Periods become irregular and stop and women can't become pregnant any longer.

Menstrual cycle
Monthly cycle of woman's reproductive system during which an egg is produced (ovulation) and if the egg is not fertilised the lining of the womb is shed as a period. Takes roughly 28 days to complete the cycle.

Mesothelioma
Type of cancer most commonly diagnosed in the sheets of skin-like tissue that cover each lung. These are called the pleura, or pleural membranes. Mesothelioma is sometimes also diagnosed in the peritoneum. This is the sheet of tissue that lines the wall of the abdominal cavity and covers the digestive system organs inside the abdomen. Mesotheliom…

Meta-analyses
(meta-analysis) Taking the results of lots of trials that have tested the same treatment, and looking at the results all together. This can give a more accurate picture than looking at the results separately.

Metastases
(metastasis, secondary cancer, secondaries) Areas of cancer spread - for example, areas in the liver where cancer has spread from another part of the body are called liver metastases.

Metastatic breast cancer
Breast cancer which has spread to other parts of the body.

Methotrexate
An anti-cancer drug (chemotherapy).

Microscopic spread
(micrometastases) This means cancer that has spread, but the spread is too small to be seen on scans or with the naked eye during surgery. In some types of cancer that are known to spread quite quickly, doctors sometimes assume that the cancer is elsewhere in the body even if they cannot find it. So, they will then treat with chemotherapy (which tr…

Minerals
Naturally occurring inorganic chemicals. Some are necessary in tiny amounts for a healthy diet including calcium, iron, iodine and selenium.

Miscarriage
End of a pregnancy before the baby has developed enough to survive. It can happen naturally or accidentally. The medical term for a miscarriage is spontaneous abortion.

Mitomycin
An anti-cancer drug (chemotherapy).

Mitoxantrone
An anti-cancer drug (chemotherapy). Used to be called mitozantrone.

Mixed cell cancer
Cancer containing more than one type of cell (for example, teratoma and seminoma).

Mixed glioma
Glioma which contains more than one type of cell.

MMR
Combination vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella. You should not have this vaccination if you are having chemotherapy as it is live.

Modified radical mastectomy
Operation to remove the breast and the lymph glands under the arm.

Monoclonal antibodies
(mabs, magic bullets) Many copies of a single antibody. These can be made in the laboratory and used for targeted cancer treatment. There are many different types of antibodies.

Monounsaturated fat
Type of unsaturated fat in the diet found mainly in olive oil. Unsaturated fats are found in vegetables and vegetable oils.

Morning after pill
Pill to prevent pregnancy. Can be taken for up to 72 hours after unprotected sex has taken place.

Mould room
Room in hospital where masks (moulds) are made.

Mouth ulcer
Painful area of broken skin inside the mouth.

Mouthwash
Liquid used to clean the mouth by swilling it around. Usually not swallowed.

Moxibustion
A technique used in traditional Chinese medicine. A stick or cone of burning mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris) is placed over an acupuncture point and burned. The purpose is to stimulate and strengthen the blood and the life energy, or qi, of the body.

MRI
See Magnetic resonance imaging.

Mucinous
Pronounced myoo-sin-us. Mucinous carcinoma is a type of cancer that begins in cells that line certain internal organs and produces mucin (the main component of mucus).

Mucus
A slimy substance produced by mucous membranes in the body. Mucous membranes are the moist tissues that line the inside of the body openings, for example the mouth and throat, the vagina. Mucus is produced to make body tissues slippery and reduce damage from friction.

MUGA
MUGA stands for multiple gated acquisition. It is a type of heart scan that shows how well the heart is pumping blood around the body. It uses very

Multi disciplinary team
(MDT) A team made up of various health professionals who work together to discuss your case and how best to manage your treatment and care. The team may include specialist doctors, surgeons, cancer specialist doctors, specialist nurses, doctors specialising in diagnosis from tissue specimens (histopathologists), physiotherapists, occupational thera…

Multi-centre trial
Trial where patients are recruited from more than one hospital. Many multi-centre trials recruit patients from different countries.

Multifactorial
Means 'many factors involved'. When used about a disease, means it has more than one cause. For example, someone may develop a cancer partly because of their genetic make up, partly because of their diet and partly because of other factors in their environment.

Mumps
Infectious disease. You should not have a vaccination against mumps if you are having chemotherapy as the vaccine is live.

Muscle reconstruction
Type of plastic surgery which uses muscle tissue to rebuild part of the body which has been removed during surgery (for example, the breast).

Mutation
A change in a gene. Genes are really codes that tell a cell to make a particular protein. If a gene is mutated, the protein it makes will be abnormal. Mutation can also alter how a gene works by permanently switching it on or off.

MYCN
MYCN is a gene that is important in a childhood cancer called neuroblastoma. Some children with neuroblastoma have too many copies of this gene. This is called 'gene amplification'. Doctors think that children with too many copies of the MYCN gene may not respond as well to standard treatment for neuroblastoma as those children who do not have MY…

Mycosis fungoides
A very rare type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that affects the skin. It is one of a group of conditions called cutaneous T cell lymphomas. MF usually begins with red scaly patches forming on the skin. These can be very itchy. In the second stage raised red plaques (patches) can form. The last stage is raised lumps forming on the skin which are tumours…

Myelodysplastic syndromes
Pronounced my-lo-dis-plas -tic sin dromes. These are a group of conditions affecting the bone marrow. The bone marrow makes many abnormal blood cells but there are not enough healthy blood cells in the blood. Myelodysplastic syndromes are not cancer but they can sometimes develop into leukaemia.

Myeloma
Cancer that develops from the plasma cells of bone marrow.

Myocardial infarction
Heart attack.

Myosarcoma
Cancer of a muscle.

Naevoid basal cell syndrome
An inherited skin disorder that can increase your risk of developing basal cell skin cancer. Also called Gorlin's syndrome.

Naevus
(Naevi) Medical name for a mole or moles - the brown pigment patches that most fair skinned people naturally have on their skin.

Nasoendoscopy
A test to examine your upper airways and voice box. A tube is put up your nose and down into your throat. The tube contains a light and a camera so your doctor can see inside.

Nasogastric Tube
Tube which is put down the nose into the stomach. Can be used to drain the stomach, or for tube feeding.

National Breast Screening Programme
System of inviting all women in the UK between 50 and 65 years old for a health check for breast cancer. Involves having a mammogram every three years.

Nausea
Feeling sick.

Navel
Umbilicus or tummy button.

Neck dissection
Surgery to remove all the lymph nodes in one or both sides of the neck.

Needle Aspiration
Type of biopsy. A needle is put into the area to be examined (for example, a breast lump) and some cells sucked out. The cells are then looked at under the microscope to see if any are cancerous.

Needle Biopsy
Sample of tissue taken with a needle and looked at under a microscope.

Neoadjuvant Therapy
(Neoadjuvant Treatment) Giving chemotherapy before surgery to try to shrink a cancer and so perform a smaller operation.

Nephrostomy
Operation to relieve a waterlogged kidney. A nephrostomy tube is put in and connected to a drainage bag outside the body. A kidney may become waterlogged because the tube that drains the urine into the bladder has become blocked, by secondary cancer for example.

Nerve Block
Procedure sometimes done for pain control. The nerves causing the pain are 'blocked' by injecting them with alcohol to kill them, or with a local anaesthetic to numb them.

Nerve Preservation
(Nerve Sparing) Treatment that aims to avoid damaging important nerves. There are newer types of prostatectomy and cystectomy where the surgeon tries to use nerve preservation techniques to reduce the risk of impotence after the operation.

Neuroendocrine tumours
Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) are rare cancers. The commonest type of NET is carcinoid tumour, which grows most often in the appendix and small bowel, but may occur in other parts of the digestive system, or the lung, pancreas, kidney, ovaries and testicles.

Neutropenia
A drop in the number of white blood cells called neutrophils. This can happen a week to 10 days after having chemotherapy. Your neutrophil count gradually improves over the following days or weeks. Neutropenia may sometimes be spelt as neutropaenia.

Neutrophil
A type of white blood cell that is very important in fighting infection. Your doctor will regularly measure your neutrophil count if you are having chemotherapy.

Nickel
Metal that is used in various industrial processes, for example, to make other metal alloys, in coin making and in electroplating. Can cause lung cancer. But this is extremely rare.

Nicotine
Addictive poison found in tobacco.

Night Sweats
Heavy sweating that happens at night for no apparent reason. Can be a symptom of Hodgkin's Disease or Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Nipple Discharge
Abnormal leakage of fluid from the breast.

Nitrosamines
Chemicals that are thought to be carcinogenic (cause cancer). Used in curing meats, so found in bacon, ham, salami etc.

Nodular Melanoma
A type of malignant melanoma, found most commonly in the skin of the chest or back. Can develop quite quickly and is most common in middle aged people.

Nodule
Small lump.

Non Small Cell Lung Cancer
(Non Small Cell) Name for a group of types of lung cancer: squamous cell, adenocarcinoma and large cell lung cancers. These are grouped together because they all respond to roughly the same treatments and behave in similar ways.

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
(NHL) A group of diseases that are cancers of the lymphatic system. There are many different types of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. They can be low, intermediate or high grade. They are classified as different stages depending on how many groups of lymph nodes are involved and where they are in the body. Treatment depends on grade and stage and includes …

Nucleus
The nucleus is the control centre of the cell. Inside the nucleus are the chromosomes, made of our genes. The genes are made of DNA. The DNA is a code for making body proteins, the building blocks of the human body.

Numbness
Loss of feeling.

Oat Cell Lung Cancer
Another name for small cell lung cancer. Called this because the cells look oat shaped under the microscope.

Obese
(Obesity) 'Obese' means more than about 25% overweight. It is measured by comparing your weight with your height to get your body mass index (BMI). Obesity is a risk factor for a number of different diseases, including some cancers.

Obesity
Obesity contributes to the cause of some cancers. 'Obese' means more than about 25% overweight. It is measured by comparing your weight with your height. There is information in the Healthy Eating section on how to work out your ideal weight.

Occult tumour
An occult tumour is one that is hidden or can't be found. Sometimes this is called an unknown primary tumour. The place where a cancer begins is called the primary cancer. If a secondary cancer is found in the body, but the doctors don't know where the cancer started, they call it an unknown primary tumour.