Medical terms A–Z

An anticancer drug that belongs to the family of drugs called antimetabolites.

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

A substance used to treat bacterial infections.

Tiny surface vessels stretched permanently wide, visible as red threads that fade under pressure and refill the moment it lifts.

A substance that is being studied in the treatment of cancer.

Distance stops being the obstacle, but a physical examination does not travel down a video link, so some visits cannot be replaced.

The enzyme that rebuilds chromosome ends, switched off in most adult tissue and switched back on in the great majority of cancers.

Telomeres are protective caps of repetitive DNA at chromosome ends that shorten with each cell division, limiting how many times a cell can divide.

The brand name for temozolomide, one of the few chemotherapy drugs that reaches brain tissue in useful amounts.

An anticancer drug that is also used in cancer prevention.

An oral chemotherapy that reaches brain tissue unaided, which is why it anchors treatment of the most aggressive brain tumors.

A drug used to treat advanced renal cell carcinoma (a type of kidney cancer).

Tendons are tough fibrous cords that transmit a muscle's pulling force to bone, distinct from ligaments that connect bone to bone.

Tissue from painful tendons usually shows disorganized collagen rather than inflammatory cells, which is why tendinopathy has largely replaced the name.

An anticancer drug that is a podophyllotoxin derivative and belongs to the family of drugs called mitotic inhibitors.

A procedure in which mild electric currents are applied to some areas of the skin.

A type of germ cell cancer that usually forms in the testes (testicles).

Its tissues are recognizable and in the wrong place, and whether that tissue is fully formed matters less in the testis than in the ovary.

An alpha blocker that relaxes the muscle collar around the bladder outlet, easing urine flow within days rather than months.

A drug used to treat urinary problems caused by an enlarged prostate.