Medical terms beginning with C

A procedure in which a small amount of C-11 choline (a radioactive form of the vitamin choline) is injected into a vein.

An enzyme that is involved in many cell processes, such as cell division.

A protein involved in normal cell growth.

A substance that has been studied in the treatment of cancer and is being studied in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and certain skin conditions.

A protein on the surface of some cells that binds to stem cell factor (a substance that causes certain types of cells to grow).

A substance made by the pancreas.

A test used to help diagnose a type of pancreatic tumor called an insulinoma.

A test that measures the level of CA 19-9 in the blood.

A substance that may be found in high amounts in the blood of patients with certain types of cancer, including ovarian cancer.

CAB most often abbreviates a coronary artery bypass, surgery that reroutes blood around a blocked heart vessel, though the same letters also denote a community advisory board.

Cachexia is progressive muscle and fat wasting driven by an underlying chronic illness rather than by reduced food intake alone.

Cadmium is a naturally occurring heavy metal used in industry that can accumulate in the body and cause kidney damage with prolonged exposure.

Three older drugs given together on a fixed schedule, a breast cancer regimen now largely displaced by newer combinations.

A group of proteins that bind calcium and move it into cells.

Calcification is the deposit of calcium salts within soft tissue or organs, sometimes a normal effect of aging and sometimes a sign of disease.

A condition in which abnormal amounts of calcium salts are found in soft tissue, such as muscle.

A hormone formed by the C cells of the thyroid gland.

Bone acts as the bank: when blood levels dip, hormones withdraw calcium from the skeleton rather than let the level drift.

A test used to help diagnose a type of pancreatic islet cell tumor called a gastrinoma.

A drug used to lessen the toxic effects of substances that block the action of folic acid, especially the anticancer drug methotrexate.