Medical terms A–Z

Small describes width rather than length, since this is by far the longest stretch of the digestive tract, several times the large intestine.

A rare cancer that forms in tissues of the small intestine (the part of the digestive tract between the stomach and the large intestine).

An indolent (slow-growing) type of lymphoma in which too many immature lymphocytes (white blood cells) are found mostly in the lymph nodes.

A group of diseases in which the bone marrow does not make enough healthy blood cells.

Myeloma already present in the marrow and visible in the blood, but not yet doing the organ damage that defines the disease needing treatment.

A substance being studied in the treatment of several types of cancer.

An anticancer drug that is also used in cancer prevention.

Millions of these single letter differences dot every genome, and only a small share change how a gene or its protein behaves.

A drug used in the treatment of chronic pain.

A substance being studied in the treatment of cancer.

A substance being studied in the treatment of cancer.

A substance being studied in the treatment of cancer.

A treatment plan is only as good as the ride to the appointment, and this is the part of care that supplies the ride.

A network of family, friends, neighbors, and community members that is available in times of need to give psychological, physical, and financial help.

Discharge from hospital frequently turns on housing, money and who will help at home, which is the territory a medical social worker occupies.

Sodium is an essential electrolyte that regulates fluid balance, nerve signaling, and blood pressure, distinct from table salt itself.

A substance used in a type of radiation therapy called boron neutron capture therapy.

A form of the mineral iron that is used to treat anemia caused by low amounts of iron in the blood.

A drug that is a type of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug.

A substance being studied in the treatment of certain solid tumors, lymphoma, and myeloma.