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Cancer and Leukaemia Terms and Titles
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Displaying 67 terms beginning with "C"
Cancer is a disease where the cells in the body grow out of control and develop into tumours, cancers or abnormal growths.
Cancer Centres are hospitals, which have specialist teams, who are able to treat large numbers of cancer patients. Patients will often be those who need complex cancer tests or treatments or those with less common types of cancer.
This is the unit in a local hospital, overseen by a cancer consultant, which is responsible for diagnosing and treating the more common types of cancer.
The term given to a cell, group of cells, growth, lesion or tumour which are cancer.
This is a thin plastic tube inserted into a vein in the underarm or into the back of the hand, through which medication or fluid can be injected into veins.
Capillaries are very small tubes, which are part of the blood system or blood vessels.
Carbohydrates are one of the three major food sources, needed by the body for energy. They are found in everyday food such as bread, beans, pasta, rice, wheat and sugar. The other two major food sources are fats and proteins.
Carboplatin is a drug used in chemotherapy. This is one of the group called platinum drugs.
Anything, a substance or activity, which is known or thought to cause cancer.
See Carcinogen.
The name given to cancers which start to grow in the epithelium, the tissue that covers all the body organs and lines all the body cavities, including the skin. Most cancers are carcinomas.
Carcinomatosis (pronounced car sin no mat toe sis), sometimes called carcinosis is where a cancer has spread to different parts of the body. It can be where a large area of the body has been affected by cancer.
See Carcinomatosis.
Cardio means to do with the heart.
Care means looking after.
Carmustine (prounced car mus teen) is a drug used in chemotherapy.
Cataract is a condition in which the lens of the eye usually becomes impaired, resulting in blurred vision. The condition can be treated with surgery.
This a thin tube which is inserted into the body to drain away fluid. The most common catheter drains urine from the bladder.
See Intensive Care Unit.
This is the way in which living things develop and grow, through the process of the cell dividing in two, thereby doubling each time in number.
See Stem Cell Collecting Machine.
Body or Somatic cells are the building blocks, the basic parts of a person's body. Cells are the smallest parts capable of independent existence.
This is the 'line', a thin tube, which is put into one of the veins in a person's chest, near to the heart, through which chemotherapy drugs are gradually introduced into the blood stream, known as being given intraveneously. The central line is also a means by which a doctor may take blood samples for testing. Putting in the central line is a safe procedure and it can remain in place for many months.
Central Nervous System contains the majority of the nervous system and consists of the brain and the spinal cord.
Cerebellum (Latin for 'little brain', pronounced seh re bell uum) is situated at the base of the brain and to the rear. It is a region of the brain that controls our senses, coordination and automatic activities such as breathing.
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a clear body fluid that circulates in and around the central nervous system. Essentially, the brain "floats" in it and is protected by it.
Cerebrum (pronounced seh ree brum) The largest and most well-developed of the five major divisions of the brain, biggest part of the brain, is grey, walnut-shaped section at the top. Amongst other things, the cerebrum deals with complex behaviours such as social interactions, learning, working memory, speech and language.
This is a screening test which can show whether or not there is cancer in the neck of a woman's womb.
CHART (Short for Continuous hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy) means more than one treatment or fraction of radiotherapy is being given in a day.
Check Ups or Follow Up Appointments are made for a person to see a doctor, after treatment has finished, to see how they are doing.
Chemoradiation is where chemotherapy and radiotherapy are either given together or straight after one another. For example this could be chemotherapy, followed by radiotherapy, then more chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy is treatment using chemicals as drugs which are known to be effective in treating cancer.
A chemical used as a drug, which is known to be effective in treating cancer.
A plan or schedule of treatment using anti-cancer drugs.
This is the bone at the front of the chest, where the ribs join. During a bone marrow harvest, bone marrow may be taken from the chest bone. The medical name for a chest bone is the sternum.
Chicken Pox is an infectious disease caused by the herpes zoster virus, can also cause a painful condition called shingles. Chicken pox can be especially harmful for those who have had chemotherapy. This is particularly so for those who have had a high dose of chemotherapy for bone marrow transplant or stem cell transplant.
Chondrosarcoma is a type of sarcoma affecting cartilage, the smooth, shiny tissue that normally covers the ends of long bones.
Chromosomes are found in the nucleus (centre) of all human cells and consist of millions of genes. When an egg is fertilised during conception, by the egg and sperm joining together, one set of chromosomes is inherited from each of the parents.
Chronic describes a disease, condition or illness, which is long term and slowly worsens. This differs from an acute illness or disease, which comes on very quickly, is serious or severe but is short-lived.
Chronic Eosinophilic Leukaemia is a type of leukaemia, in which eosinophils, a type of white blood cell, are overproduced by the bone marrow. As a result, the eosinophils build up in the bone marrow itself and in the blood and other body tissues.
Cisplatin (pronounced sis-pla-tin) is a drug used in chemotherapy. This is one of the group called platinum drugs.
This is somewhere, usually part of a hospital, where outpatients go for diagnosis or care.
This is a doctor who specialises in using radiation to treat cancer.
Where a new drug, test, treatment or procedure is being tried out, it is said to be, on trial. During a clinical trial, researcher will investigate whether the drug, test, treatment or procedure is safe, whether there are any side effects and how effective it is.
Clotting or Coagulation is where, when a person is bleeding, the blood solidifies to form a plug for the wound. Platelets, one of the three types of blood cells, cause the blood to clot, which stops bleeding.
See Clotting.
Colon or Bowel or Large Bowel or Large Intestine, is where waste products left from digested food passes from the small bowel. Here fluid and some nutrients are absorbed, before the waste products then go through to the rectum.
A community nurse or district nurse, is a qualified nurse who provides care for a person at home, including giving any medication needed or carrying out any procedures.
This is a series of special x-rays which allow doctors to build up an internal image of the body.
Congenital relates to a condition which existed at birth.
Consciousness is where someone is aware or conscious of what is happening or going on around themselves.
Many treatments or procedures can only be carried out if the patients, the patient's parents, guardians or representatives agree or consent to them being carried out.
The senior doctor who oversees a person's treatment and makes the decisions as to what is in that person's best interests medically. They do this, among other things, by reviewing progress, analysing results of tests, deciding on treatment options and monitoring the course of the illness and its treatment.
See CHART.
Someone a person can talk with about their feeling or concerns. A counsellor will usually have a qualification in counselling or people-helping, which gives them an understanding of human behaviour, relationships and emotions.
See Blood Count.
See Chemotherapy Regime.
Craniopharyngiomais is a tumour which develops in a part of the brain, called the pituitary stalk. They are usually found in children between five and ten years old. Just under 10% of all paediatric brain tumours are craniopharyngiomais. They are classified as benign and are also known as Rathke Pouch, hypophyseal duct tumours or adamantinomas.
The part of the skull enclosing the brain, also known as the braincase.
See Intensive Care Unit.
See Cerebrospinal fluid.
See Computerised Tomography Scan.
Curitron or Selectron is a type of machine used to give internal radiotherapy.
Cystic Cerebellar Astrocytoma or Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma or Pilocytic Astrocytoma is a type of brain tumour, found usually in childhood. It is generally considered to be benign and is classed as a low grade glioma.
Cyto means to do with cells.
Cytology is an aid to diagnosis using the microscopic examination of individual blood cells.
Something, such as a chemical drug, that is toxic or poisonous to the cells of a body. Anti-cancer drugs can be said to be cytotoxic as they are toxic or poisonous to cancerous cells.
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