General Medical Terms

Describes a condition caused by not getting enough calories or the right amount of key nutrients needed for health.

A byproduct of lipid (fat) metabolism in the body.

Mammary structures and glands are those of the breast, most notably the tissue responsible for producing milk during lactation.

A common condition marked by benign (not cancer) changes in breast tissue.

A system used to deliver internal radiation therapy to breast cancer patients after surgery to remove their cancer.

The area of the neck, chest, and lymph nodes in the armpit that are exposed to radiation.

A mass is simply a lump identified in the body, a descriptive finding rather than a diagnosis, since it may prove benign, malignant, or unrelated to cancer entirely.

Mast cells are immune cells stationed throughout skin and mucosal tissue that release histamine and drive allergic and inflammatory reactions.

A finding, condition, or trait labeled maternal originates from or relates to the mother, as distinguished from paternal or fetal factors.

Because these enzymes can also weaken normal tissue architecture, their activity is implicated in disease processes well beyond their role in ordinary repair.

A type of benign (not cancer) germ cell tumor (type of tumor that begins in the cells that give rise to sperm or eggs) that often contains several different types of tissue such as hair, muscle, and…

The maxillary sinus is the largest paranasal sinus, an air filled space within the cheekbone that drains into the nasal cavity.

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

A monoclonal antibody that is being studied in the treatment of certain lymphoproliferative disorders and psoriasis.

A lymph node located above the collar bone and between the center of the body and a line drawn through the nipple to the shoulder.

In statistics, the median is the middle value in an ordered data set, a measure clinicians often favor over the average when data are skewed.

The time from either diagnosis or treatment at which half of the patients with a given disease are found to be, or expected to be, still alive.

A fibrous cord that connects the urinary bladder to the umbilicus (navel).

The thin membrane that lines the chest cavity in the area between the lungs.

Refers to the use of drugs to suppress the function of the ovaries or testicles.