Medical terms A–Z

Nourishment arrives already broken down and ready for the bloodstream, which is why the intestine can be bypassed for months or years.

The distribution of the tingling carries most of the information, since it maps onto whichever nerve or nerve root is affected.

A synthetic noncalcemic, nonphosphatemic vitamin D analogue.

Surgery to cut the parts of the vagus nerve that cause gastric acid to be made in the stomach.

The outer layer of the pericardium, which is a thin sac of tissue that surrounds the heart.

The layers of tissue that line the abdominal wall and the pelvic cavity.

A progressive disorder of the nervous system marked by muscle tremors, muscle rigidity, decreased mobility, stooped posture, slow voluntary movements, and a mask-like facial expression.

A dopamine-mimicking tablet best known for shrinking pituitary tumors that flood the body with the milk hormone.

Cancer that forms in a parotid gland, the largest of the salivary glands, which make saliva and release it into the mouth.

Removal of the large salivary gland in front of the ear, an operation planned around the facial nerve threaded through it.

The salt form of an SSRI, notable for its strength against anxiety and for a difficult stop when it is withdrawn.

A family of DNA repair enzymes whose blockade kills cancer cells that have already lost their other way of mending breaks.

PARP inhibitors block an enzyme that helps repair DNA damage, a strategy especially effective against cancers already missing a separate repair pathway.

An enzyme involved in many functions of the cell, including the repair of DNA damage.

Surgery to remove part of the bladder (the organ that holds urine).

Surgery to remove the uterus, but not the cervix.

An operation to remove part of the larynx (voice box).

The removal of cancer as well as some of the breast tissue around the tumor and the lining over the chest muscles below the tumor.

Kidney tissue does not grow back, and keeping more of it lowers the chance of kidney trouble years after the cancer is gone.

Surgery to remove part of one ovary or part of both ovaries.

Surgery to remove most, but not all, of the vulva (the external female genital organs, including the clitoris, vaginal lips, and the opening to the vagina).

A decrease in the size of a tumor, or in the extent of cancer in the body, in response to treatment.

A decrease in the size of a tumor, or in the extent of cancer in the body, in response to treatment.

Surgery to remove an affected area of the vulva (the external female genital organs, including the clitoris, vaginal lips, and the opening to the vagina) along with a small amount of surrounding…

A type of radiation therapy given only to the part of the breast that has cancer in it.

Built to reach a receptor its predecessor barely touches, at the cost of pushing blood sugar up in a large share of users.

Treatment with injections of antibodies made in another animal or in the laboratory.

Two trainings in one person, which separates the role from a hospital chaplain and from a therapist who leaves belief aside.

Having to do with the father, coming from the father, or related through the father.

A disorder marked by anemia caused by iron deficiency, and a web-like growth of membranes in the throat that makes swallowing difficult.

Having to do with a sign or symptom that is specific to a certain disease.

A broken bone caused by disease, often by the spread of cancer to the bone.

The stage of cancer (extent of cancer in the body) that is based on how the cells in samples of tissue look under a microscope.

A method used to determine the stage of cancer (extent of cancer in the body).

The doctor whose name appears on the report that names the disease, usually without ever having met the person it describes.

The document that turns a piece of removed tissue into a diagnosis, and the basis on which most cancer treatment is planned.

A person who helps a patient work with others who have an effect on the patient's health, including doctors, insurance companies, employers, case managers, and lawyers.

(Other name for: papaverine)

(Other name for: papaverine)

It clears the body faster than most of its class, which is why missed doses and abrupt stops are felt more sharply.

The hydrochloride salt of a small molecule inhibitor of multiple protein tyrosine kinases with potential antineoplastic activity.

A chemotherapy combination used to treat endometrial, ovarian, head and neck cancers, and non-small cell lung cancer that has spread.

A mixture of eight herbs that has been sold as a dietary supplement and promoted as a way to keep the prostate healthy and to treat prostate cancer.

Small doses taken at the moment they are wanted track pain better than larger ones handed out on a fixed clock.

Primary CNS lymphoma.

Despite the name, the defining problem is hormonal rather than the small follicles that scans pick up, and it reaches well beyond the ovaries.

PCR rapidly generates millions of copies of a targeted DNA sequence in a test tube, a core technique behind many infection and genetic tests.

An orally available pyridopyrimidine-derived cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor with potential antineoplastic activity.

An orally bioavailable, synthetic organic molecule targeting mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPK/ERK kinase or MEK) with potential antineoplastic activity.

A signal released when a vessel is torn, telling repair cells to multiply and move toward the damage.

The largest amount of a substance or radiation that a person is exposed to at one time.

Peau d'orange describes dimpled skin from blocked lymphatic drainage, notably in inflammatory breast cancer but also seen in lymphedema.

(Other name for: vitamin A compound)

PediaSure is a brand of nutritional supplement drink marketed for children who need extra calories and nutrients beyond regular meals.

Children are not scaled-down adults, since organ maturity, body composition and the normal range for vital signs all shift with age.

A doctor who specializes in treating blood disorders in children.

A registered nurse with an advanced degree in nursing who specializes in the care of children.

A surgeon who specializes in the treatment of children.

A pedigree is a diagram mapping family relationships across generations, often used to trace the pattern of an inherited condition.

In the body, a structure that has a peduncle (a stalk or stem) or is attached to another structure by a peduncle.

(Other name for: Haemophilus influenzae b vaccine)

A filter rather than a guarantee: it tests method and reasoning, and rarely tests whether the underlying data are real.

A publication that contains original articles that have been written by scientists and evaluated for technical and scientific quality and correctness by other experts in the same field.

PEG is a synthetic polymer used in medications, ointments, and laxatives, valued for its ability to hold water and extend a drug's action.

A feeding tube placed into the stomach through the abdominal wall with the help of a camera, avoiding an open operation.

A drug used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

A covalent conjugate of recombinant interferon alfa, subtype 2a, and polyethylene glycol (PEG), used as an antiviral and antineoplastic agent.

A covalent conjugate of recombinant interferon alpha, subtype 2b, and polyethylene glycol (PEG), used as an antiviral and antineoplastic agent.

A complex of polyethylene glycol conjugated with human recombinant cytokine interleukin-2 (IL-2) with antineoplastic activity.

(Other name for: PEG-interferon alfa-2b)

A form of megakaryocyte growth and development factor (MGDF) that is made in the laboratory.

A form of megakaryocyte growth and development factor (MGDF) that is made in the laboratory.

A complex of polyethylene glycol conjugated with L-asparaginase.

(Other name for: PEG-interferon alfa-2a)

A single injection after chemotherapy that pushes the marrow to make infection-fighting white cells, replacing a run of daily shots.

It blocks the receptor rather than the hormone, so the hormone level in blood rises even as its effects on the body fall away.

A substance being studied in the treatment of melanoma, liver cancer, and other types of cancer.

A liposome-encapsulated form of the hydrochloride salt of the anthracycline antineoplastic antibiotic doxorubicin.

A pegylated formulation of a recombinant form of human hyaluronidase with potential antitumor activity.

A substance being studied in the prevention of cancer.

A type of plant that is native to southern Africa and has white, pink, purple, or red flowers and 3- to 5-lobed leaves.

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

A water soluble antifolate with anti-proliferative activity.

Having to do with the pelvis (the lower part of the abdomen located between the hip bones).

A physical examination in which the health care professional will feel for lumps or changes in the shape of the vagina, cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, and rectum.

Surgery to remove the lower colon, rectum, and bladder, and create stomata (openings) through which urine and stool are passed out of the body.

Surgery to remove lymph nodes in the pelvis for examination under a microscope to see if they contain cancer.

The muscles and ligaments that line the part of the body between the hips.

The pelvis is the bony basin at the base of the trunk that connects the spine to the legs and shelters the bladder, rectum, and reproductive organs.

The disodium salt of a synthetic pyrimidine-based antifolate.

(Other name for: penicillin V potassium)

A synthetic derivative of pyrimidine with antineoplastic activity.

A penectomy is a surgical procedure removing part or all of the penis, most often performed to treat penile cancer.

A molecule that grips copper and other metals tightly enough to drag them out of the body in urine.

Its beta-lactam ring is both the reason penicillin works and the target bacteria disable when they become resistant.

The potassium salt of penicillin V, a member of the penicillin antibiotic family with broad-spectrum bactericidal activity.

Penile cancer is a rare malignancy usually beginning in the skin of the penis, often diagnosed as a visible lesion or change on the surface.

A firm rod or inflatable device that is placed in the penis (an external male reproductive organ) during a surgical procedure.

An external male reproductive organ.

A drug used to treat infections caused by certain microorganisms.