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hypofractionated radiation therapy

Radiation treatment in which the total dose of radiation is divided into large doses and treatments are given less than once a day.

hypofractionation

Radiation treatment in which the total dose of radiation is divided into large doses and treatments are given less than once a day.

hypogammaglobulinemia

A condition in which the level of immunoglobulins (antibodies) in the blood is low and the risk of infection is high.

hypoglycemia

Two symptom sets arrive in sequence, the adrenaline alarm first and confusion later, and the second is the one people cannot self-report.

hypopharyngeal cancer

Cancer that forms in tissues of the hypopharynx (the bottom part of the throat).

hypopharynx

The last stretch of throat, where the paths of air and food finally part company and where cancer is often found late.

hypospadias

A birth defect in which the opening of the urethra (the tube through which urine leaves the body) is not in its normal place.

hypotension

/ hy-poh-TEN-shun /

Blood pressure that is lower than expected for a person or situation.

hypothalamus

The pituitary is called the master gland, yet it takes its orders from the structure sitting directly above it.

hypothesis

A study is built backward from it: the question decides the design, the number of participants, and what will count as an answer.

hypothyroidism

Too little thyroid hormone.

hypoxemia

A pulse oximeter reports how full the hemoglobin is, not how much oxygen the blood holds, and the two can part company.

hypoxia

Oxygen can fail tissue at several points along its journey, and where the failure happens defines the type of hypoxia.

hypoxic

An adjective rather than a diagnosis, it labels how much oxygen a place holds, from a whole body to one tumor core.

stage I hypopharyngeal cancer

The tumor is found only in one area of the hypopharynx and is 2 centimeters or smaller.

numbness

Sensation reduced or absent in an area, which is a different finding from the tingling and pins and needles it is often confused with.

sodium thiosulfate

One simple reaction, a sulfur atom loosely held and easily given away, explains a list of uses that otherwise looks unrelated.

-emia

Whatever the root names, this ending places it in the bloodstream or describes the state of the blood itself.

18F-EF5

A substance that is being studied in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to detect tumor hypoxia (a low level of oxygen in the tumor).This may help predict how the tumor will respond to…

ACTH

ACTH is a pituitary hormone that signals the adrenal glands to release cortisol, rising during stress and following a natural daily rhythm.