| mole |
No, this is not an animal... This is either a benign pigmented skin area or something known as a Molar pregnancy, or an early pregnancy gone bad in which case the placenta grows abnormally and the fetus(baby) does NOT develop. In some cases, these abnormal placental elements can invade or grow into the muscular wall of the uterus and to metastasize or spread to distant parts of the body by the bloodstream. Please also see GESTATIONAL CHORIOCARCINOMA
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| necrosis |
This means dead tissue which has lost its blood supply. Cancers often outgrow their blood supply and become necrotic in areas as new cancer cells grow nearby. Radiation can also cause a loss of blood supply to parts of the body as well as the cancer which is being treated. These areas become necrotic, often have a bad odor as they can get infected easily. In some cases necrotic areas need to be surgically removed, in other cases the body reabsorbs these areas.
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| negative predictive value |
This means the probability or chance that a disease is not present when the test is negative or normal.
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| neoplasm |
Literally means "new growth". Neoplasms may be benign or malignant.
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| omentum |
The omentum is a large fatty structure which drapes over the intestines inside the abdomen. It evolved in the human body mainly to act as a "band-aid" in case of bad infection or intestinal rupture( e.g. appendicitis). In those cases it simply drapes over the affected area acting like a band-aid to limit spread of infection. Unfortunately, since is has a lot of tiny blood vessels, it is fertile ground for cancers to implant and grow. This is most often a problem in ovarian cancer, and when extensively involved is described as an "omental cake".
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| oncogene |
A gene that, when altered by an injury or mutation, can result in the cell becoming a cancer cell. An inherited oncogene abnormality may cause cancers to run in families, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2.
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| palliation |
When the treatment goal is mainly to relieve symptoms caused by a cancer it is known as palliative. This is in contradistinction to curative therapy, where the goal is mainly to try to cure a cancer. Somtimes, the goals are mixed, but in general, palliative care is instituted when cure is not possible.
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| palliative |
When the treatment goal is mainly to relieve symptoms caused by a cancer it is known as palliative. This is in contradistinction to curative therapy, where the goal is mainly to try to cure a cancer. Somtimes, the goals are mixed, but in general, palliative care is instituted when cure is not possible.
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| peritoneum |
The peritoneum is the internal lining of the abdominal cavity, sort of like the skin covers the external surface of the body.
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| platelets |
Platelets are blood element which are important in helping blood clot and limiting bleeding from injury. When a blood vessel is cut or ruptured, platelets "plug" the leak and release substances which accelerate other clotting mechanisms. Platelets can be significantly lowered during chemotherapy.
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| poistive predictive value |
The probability or chance that a disease is really present when a test for that disease is positive. (see SENSITIVITY, SPECIFICITY and NEGATIVE PREDICTIVE VALUE).
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| positive predictive value |
The probability or chance that a disease is really present when a test for that disease is positive. (see SENSITIVITY, SPECIFICITY and NEGATIVE PREDICTIVE VALUE).
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| precancer |
This is not a very good medical term which describes pre-malignant changes (visible under a microscope after a biopsy of the area in question) which can turn into a cancer. Dysplasia and terms like that are better used in these circumstances. Some cancers have well defined precancer precursors, others do not.
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| prevalence |
Prevalence describes the number of cancers that exist in a given population at any moment in time. Prevalence is usually unknown because not all of the cancers at that moment have been diagnosed in a given population. (see INCIDENCE).
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| rad |
The RAD is a unit of radiation delivered to the tissue being treated by radiation therapy. Technically it means the "radiation absorbed dose". The more modern terms are based on the centigray or cGy and Gray(Gy). 100 RAD = 1 Gy. 1RAD = 1 cGy. Radiation oncologists describe therapy with a specific dose of Gy to a given area.
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