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atypical lobular hyperplasia

A marker of raised risk in both breasts rather than a lesion that becomes cancer where it sits.

autoclave

An autoclave sterilizes medical and laboratory equipment using pressurized steam at temperatures high enough to destroy microorganisms and their spores.

barrier

A barrier is a structure or mechanism that blocks, filters, or limits passage of substances, cells, or organisms, a concept used throughout physiology.

basophil

Basophils are the least common white blood cell type, releasing histamine and other chemicals that help drive allergic reactions and certain inflammatory responses.

biological agent

One phrase covering two very different things: a medicine made from living material, and an infectious hazard at work.

biopsy

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Removal of cells or tissue for microscopic examination.

biopsy specimen

Tissue removed from the body and examined under a microscope to determine whether disease is present.

bone marrow aspiration

This procedure obtains a liquid marrow sample and is frequently performed together with a separate technique that removes a small solid core.

bone marrow biopsy

A procedure in which a small sample of bone with bone marrow inside it is removed, usually from the hip bone.

brain metastasis

Cancer in the brain has far more often arrived from elsewhere than started there, and that origin decides how it is treated.

bronchial brush biopsy

A procedure in which cells are taken from the inside of the airways that lead to the lungs.

bronchial brushing

A procedure in which cells are taken from the inside of the airways that lead to the lungs.

bronchial washing

A procedure in which cells are taken from the inside of the airways that lead to the lungs.

bronchoscopy

A procedure that uses a bronchoscope to examine the inside of the trachea, bronchi (air passages that lead to the lungs), and lungs.

calcification

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

carcinoma in situ

Abnormal cells that look like cancer under the microscope but have not yet crossed the boundary that would let them spread.

chlorine

Chlorine is a chemical element widely used to disinfect water and surfaces by killing bacteria and other microorganisms.

clear cell

A type of cell that looks clear inside when viewed under a microscope.

clear cell adenocarcinoma

A rare type of tumor, usually of the female genital tract, in which the insides of the cells look clear when viewed under a microscope.

clear cell carcinoma

A description of what the cells look like on a slide, applied to tumors that arise in several unrelated organs.