General Medical Terms

The examination of tissue specimens under a microscope.

The study of diseased cells and tissues using a microscope.

A research study in which the medical records of groups of individuals who are alike in many ways but differ by a certain characteristic (for example, female nurses who smoke and those who do not…

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, abbreviated HLH, is a rare condition of excessive immune activation that damages organs and destroys blood cells.

A rare inherited disorder that increases the risk of developing benign (not cancer) tumors of the skin and the uterus (leiomyomas) and malignant (cancer) tumors of the uterus (leiomyosarcoma) and…

A substance that blocks an enzyme needed by the body to make cholesterol and lowers the amount of cholesterol in the blood.

Homeostatic describes processes and mechanisms that maintain the body's internal stability despite ongoing changes in its external or internal environment.

In oncology, describes cancer that responds to hormone treatment.

A program that provides special care for people who are near the end of life and for their families, either at home, in freestanding facilities, or within hospitals.

A hot flash is a sudden sensation of body warmth, flushing, and sweating, most familiar with menopause but also linked to certain medications and conditions.

When radioactive material is used to examine the thyroid with a scanner, nodules that collect more radioactive material than the surrounding thyroid tissue are considered "hot." Hot nodules are…

Cells of the uterine cervix that are moderately or severely abnormal and may become cancer.

A monoclonal antibody that is being studied in the treatment of some types of cancer.

A Chinese herb that has been used as a treatment for a variety of medical problems.

A monoclonal antibody that binds to the protein MUC1, which is found on breast, ovarian, pancreatic, gastric, and colon cancer cells.

A type of herpesvirus that may cause Kaposi sarcoma (a rare cancer that can cause skin lesions) and a type of lymphoma (cancer that begins in the lymph system), especially in patients who have a…

A type of antibody made in the laboratory by combining a human antibody with a small part of a mouse or rat monoclonal antibody.

A slow-growing tumor that develops from trophoblastic cells (cells that help an embryo attach to the uterus and help form the placenta) after fertilization of an egg by a sperm.

Hydration describes the body's water content and the medical practice of providing fluids to maintain or restore an adequate balance of water.

The abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles of the brain.