General Medical Terms

The use of x-rays to create a picture of the breast on a film.

An abnormal opening or passage between two organs or between an organ and the surface of the body.

Its real value is that it forces every branch to be stated, including the choices a written paragraph can leave comfortably vague.

Flow cytometry rapidly measures thousands of individual cells as they stream past a laser, characterizing their size, internal structure, and surface markers.

A grid in the chart where the same measurement is written again and again, so a trend shows at a glance.

Fluid refers to any substance, liquid or gas, that flows and conforms to the shape of its container.

A laboratory technique used to look at genes or chromosomes in cells and tissues.

Fluorescence microscopy uses light-emitting dyes or naturally fluorescent molecules to make specific cells, proteins, or organisms visible against a dark background.

Fluoride is a mineral that strengthens tooth enamel and helps prevent decay, delivered through water, toothpaste, and dental treatments.

One of a group of substances used to treat cancer.

A fluoroscope is the imaging machine that produces continuous, real-time x-ray images, allowing clinicians to observe internal structures as they move.

Fluoroscopy is an imaging procedure that produces continuous, real-time x-ray pictures, commonly used to watch swallowed contrast or guide device placement.

Focal describes a finding, change, or process confined to one specific location rather than spread throughout an organ or tissue.

A substance that blocks the activity of folic acid.

FOLFOX is a chemotherapy regimen combining three drugs to treat colorectal cancer, with several dosing variants used in different clinical situations.

A follicle is a small, sac like cluster of cells, describing both egg containing structures in the ovary and hair bearing structures in the skin.

Follow-up refers to the ongoing monitoring of a person's health or a study participant's status after initial treatment or evaluation.

Anagency in the U.S.

The foreskin is a fold of skin that covers and protects the glans, or head, of the penis.

Formaldehyde is a simple, reactive chemical compound used as a preservative and disinfectant that is also classified as a known human carcinogen.