Medical terms A–Z

TPO most often names thrombopoietin, the hormone driving platelet production, though the same abbreviation also names an unrelated thyroid enzyme.

A substance that comes from a type of sea squirt and is being studied in the treatment of cancer.

A rare type of cancer that forms on or just beneath the skin, usually in parts of the body that have been exposed to the sun.

An element found in very small amounts in a given substance.

A substance (such as a radioisotope) used in imaging procedures.

A 2-inch- to 3-inch-long curved metal or plastic tube placed in a surgically created opening (tracheostomy) in the windpipe to keep it open.

The trachea is the airway connecting the larynx to the bronchi, held open by rings of cartilage that keep it from collapsing.

A ridge at the base of the trachea (windpipe) that separates the openings of the right and left main bronchi (the large air passages that lead from the trachea to the lungs).

Surgery to remove the cervix (the end of the uterus that forms a canal between the uterus and the vagina).The upper part of the vagina and certain pelvic lymph nodes may also be removed.

A small opening made by a surgeon between the esophagus and the trachea.

A tracheostomy provides an airway route that bypasses the mouth, nose, and throat entirely, distinguishing it from a tube passed through those structures.

A 0.5-inch- to 1.5-inch-long plastic tube placed in a surgically created opening (tracheostomy) in the windpipe to keep it open.

A 2-inch- to 3-inch-long curved metal or plastic tube placed in a surgically created opening (tracheostomy) in the windpipe to keep it open.

Tradition describes a belief or practice about health passed down within a family, culture, or community, shaping how a person understands and responds to illness.

An ancient form of acupuncture based on the principle that there are five universal elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water) that affect a person's emotions, personality, health, and response…

A protein on the surface of certain cells that binds another protein called TRAIL, which may kill some cancer cells.

A protein on the surface of certain cells that binds another protein called TRAIL, which may kill some cancer cells.

A protein on the surface of certain cells that binds another protein called TRAIL, which may kill some cancer cells.

A drug used to treat moderate to severe pain in adults.

Tranquilizer is an older term for medications that calm anxiety or induce sedation, now mostly replaced clinically by more specific drug class names.