Medical terms A–Z

A substance that is being studied in the treatment of anemia in patients who are receiving chemotherapy.

A substance being studied in the treatment of cancer.

A drug designed to fix one problem that created a larger one, and much of the reason anti-inflammatories now carry heart warnings.

A type of chamomile plant with daisy-like white flowers that is found in Europe, North America, and Argentina.

A substance being studied in the treatment of cancer.

Romiplostim is an injectable medication that raises platelet counts in chronic immune thrombocytopenia by stimulating platelet production in the bone marrow.

A drug used to control pain and to cause a temporary loss of feeling in one part of the body, during and after surgery.

A drug used to control pain and to cause a temporary loss of feeling in one part of the body, during and after surgery.

The active ingredient in a drug that helps control the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood and is being studied in the prevention and treatment of some types of cancer.

A drug that helps control the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood and is being studied in the prevention and treatment of some types of cancer.

Rosuvastatin calcium is a statin medication that lowers LDL cholesterol and triglycerides by blocking a liver enzyme involved in cholesterol production.

An abbreviation for a chemotherapy combination used with other types of therapy to treat colorectal cancer.

A rare inherited disorder that affects the skin and many other parts of the body, including the bones, eyes, nose, hair, nails, teeth, testes, and ovaries.

A substance being studied in the treatment of cancer.

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

A substance being studied for its ability to increase the effectiveness of radiation therapy.

Nearly every child meets it in the first years of life, and one infection gives only partial protection, so reinfection continues through adulthood.

A substance being studied in the treatment of adult brain tumors.

A drug used to end early pregnancies.

A drug that is used to treat many types of cancer and is being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer.

A cancer vaccine made with a form of a vaccinia virus that does not cause disease in humans.

A drug that is being studied for its ability to enhance the effectiveness of fluorouracil and prevent gastrointestinal side effects caused by fluorouracil.

A measure of the percentage of cells in a tumor that are in the phase of the cell cycle during which DNA is synthesized.

A protein that is made by many different types of cells and is involved in processes that take place both inside and outside of the cell.

A protein that is made by many different types of cells and is involved in processes that take place both inside and outside of the cell.

One injection, no catheter, and a needle placed deliberately below the point where the spinal cord itself stops.

Five vertebrae that stop being separate bones, forming the wedge through which the entire upper body transfers its weight to the legs.

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

SAHA belongs to a drug class that works by altering how tightly DNA is packaged within a cell, rather than damaging the DNA directly.

Saline is a solution of salt dissolved in water, formulated to closely match the body's own fluid concentration for medical use.

The fluid that keeps the mouth working, protects teeth between meals, and starts breaking down food before it is swallowed.

A gland in the mouth that produces saliva.

An uncommon head and neck cancer whose behavior depends far more on the microscope findings than on its size.

Surgical removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries.

Treatment that is given after the cancer has not responded to other treatments.

A radioactive substance used in the treatment of bone cancer and bone metastases (cancers that have spread from the original tumor to the bone).

Plant compounds named for the lather they raise in water, and the reason quinoa is rinsed before it is cooked.

A drug that belongs to the family of drugs called protease inhibitors.

A substance being studied in the treatment of cancer.

Granulomas of sarcoid look almost identical to those of tuberculosis under the microscope, so infection has to be excluded before the label is applied.

Some cases settle on their own without treatment while others scar the lungs permanently, and the two are hard to tell apart early on.

Sarcoma is a relatively uncommon cancer arising from connective tissues such as bone, cartilage, fat, or muscle rather than from organ linings.

A type of cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs and that contains long spindle-shaped cells.

A substance being studied in the treatment of cancer.

A substance that helps make more white blood cells, especially granulocytes, macrophages, and cells that become platelets.

A type of skin cancer on or under the skin that has spread from the primary tumor through the lymph system and is not more than 2 centimeters away from the original tumor.

A substance being studied in the treatment of prostate and other types of cancer.

The kind of fat that stays solid on a cold plate, and the one most closely tied to raised cholesterol in the blood.

Saw palmetto is an herbal supplement derived from a native palm's berries, widely used for urinary symptoms of prostate enlargement despite inconsistent trial evidence.

A substance being studied in the treatment of cancer.

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

A substance being studied for its ability to stimulate the production of blood cells during chemotherapy.

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

A scalpel is a small surgical knife with a thin, precise blade used to make controlled incisions during a procedure.

One word covers several unrelated technologies, so the type of scan performed, not the word itself, decides what the pictures can show.

A scanner is an imaging instrument, such as a CT, MRI, or ultrasound machine, that produces detailed pictures of internal body structures.

The scapula, or shoulder blade, is a flat triangular bone on the back of the shoulder that anchors many of the muscles moving the arm.

Repair rather than regeneration: the body trades the original structure for a fast patch that holds, and the trade is permanent.

SCF is a natural protein signaling blood-forming stem cells to survive, multiply, and mature into the different cell types found in blood.

A drug used to treat hepatitis C infections.

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

A substance that has been studied in the treatment of some types of cancer.

One word covering a timetable and a legal classification, with nothing in common between them except the spelling.

A test in which iodine is applied to the cervix.

The negative symptoms, such as blunted emotion and lost motivation, often shape daily life more than the hallucinations the illness is known for.

A type of glial cell of the peripheral nervous system that helps separate and insulate nerve cells.

A schwannoma is a nerve sheath tumor that is nearly always benign, most often affecting a peripheral nerve or the nerve supplying hearing and balance.

A symptom rather than a diagnosis, and a word stretched loosely to cover almost any leg pain that seems to start in the back.

SCID is a group of rare inherited disorders in which T lymphocyte function is severely impaired, leaving the immune system unable to fight infection.

The defining feature is not the laboratory coat but the obligation to publish a method other people can use to prove the result wrong.

A procedure that produces pictures (scans) of structures inside the body, including areas where there are cancer cells.

A type of breast imaging test that is used to detect cancer cells in the breasts of some women who have had abnormal mammograms, or who have dense breast tissue.

The white of the eye is a shell of dense collagen, and its color is one of the easiest clues to read.

A chronic disorder marked by hardening and thickening of the skin.

A benign condition in which scar-like tissue is found in a gland, such as the breast lobules or the prostate.

The twist counts as much as the bend, since rotation pushes the ribs into the hump that reveals a curve on bending forward.

X-rays of the breasts taken to check for breast cancer in the absence of signs or symptoms.

An organ deliberately kept outside the body, because the cells it protects cannot do their work at core temperature.

An herb that belongs to a group of herbs named the Scutellaria species or scullcap.

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

A substance that contains the element selenium (a nutrient that protects cells against damage) and is found in certain plants such as garlic and broccoli.

Sebum is an oily substance made by skin glands that lubricates and waterproofs skin and hair.

Refers to a new primary cancer in a person with a history of cancer.

Surgery performed after primary treatment to determine whether tumor cells remain.

A term that is used to describe either a new primary cancer or cancer that has spread from the place in which it started to other parts of the body.

Secondhand smoke combines exhaled and burning tobacco smoke, inhaled involuntarily by nonsmokers who share the same air.

To form and release a substance.

A hormone released into the blood by cells in the inner layer of the small intestine.

A drug used to help diagnose gastrinomas (tumors that cause too much gastric acid to be made) and other problems with the pancreas.

A test used to help diagnose problems in the pancreas, such as gastrinomas and pancreatitis.

A sedative reduces central nervous system activity to calm anxiety, ease agitation, or promote sleep, with effects ranging from mild relaxation to deep sedation.

The falling red cells are only a stand-in; what the test really tracks is a shift in the proteins dissolved around them.

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

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

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.

Surgery to remove part of an organ or gland.

Removal of one anatomical unit of an organ along its own blood supply, so the cut runs where nature already divided it.

Most seizures stop by themselves within a couple of minutes, and the confusion that follows often lasts considerably longer than the event.

An error in choosing the individuals or groups to take part in a study.

A drug that acts like estrogen on some tissues but blocks the effect of estrogen on other tissues.