This is a special building or part of a building, in which tests are carried out by scientists, qualified people. These tests, sometimes referred to as research or studies, are to see whether particular treatments, drugs or procedures will be helpful in treating disease, illness or injury and that they are safe.
Laboratory Tests, Research or Studies are tests, also known as research or studies, which are carried out in a laboratory, to see whether a treatment, drug or procedure would be helpful for treating disease, illness or injury. Many laboratory studies will be carried out before a drug, treatment or procedure is tried out on humans. These studies may just be done in test tubes but some things will be tested on animals before being tested on humans.
Laparoscope (pronounced lap are row scope) is a thin, (flexible) bendy tube, filled with optical fibres with a light on the end. It is used for looking at abdominalorgans, to take a biopsy or to carry out small abdominaloperations.
Laparoscopic ultrasound, Laparoscopy or Laparotomy is a minor or small operation, where a laparoscope is inserted, pushed through, a small cut in the abdomen. A doctor is then able to see inside the body and can take a biopsy. It is also possible to take pictures of the inside of the abdomen. These operations can be used to diagnose or to see how well chemotherapy has worked.
These are very concentrated or intense beams of light, strong enough to cut through body tissue. Lasers can be used in treatment to kill off abnormalpre-cancerouscells and to deal with advanced cancer. Lasers are very precise and accurate, causing less damage than a knife. This is because lasers seal or cauterise damaged blood vessels as they cut.
This an anaesthetic, which only makes a part of the body numb but the person remains conscious, fully awake and alert. An anaesthetic is used so that an operation or procedure can be carried out, without the patient feeling pain.
Local spread is where the cancer has moved or spread into an area next to or adjacent, to where it began to grow. If the cancer has moved to other parts of the body, further away from where it started to grow, it is known as secondary cancer or metastasis.
Localised Cancer is a cancer which affects only the area of the body where it started to develop and the tissues immediately next to it. A localised bone cancer, for instance, only affects the bone in which it started and possibly in an adjoining muscle or tendon.
Long Term Effects or Long Term Side Effects are the long-lasting and sometimes permanent, unwanted results or effects of a course of treatment. Sometimes the long term effects of radiotherapy may not appear for months, even years, after treatment has finished.
After a bloodtest has been taken the levels of red or white blood cells in the specimen are counted. If the number is lower than normal, the patient is said to have a low blood count.
Low Grade Lymphomas are slower growing and less acutediseases than high grade. Usually they will be treated with mild chemotherapy. If they are not causing any problem, doctors may just keep an eye on or monitor a patient. Low grade lymphomas can often be kept under control for many years, though it is difficult to cure them completely.
These are two organs, one on the left and one on the right of our chest. When we breathe in, the air passes through the lungs and the oxygen it contains is filtered or taken out. The oxygen goes into the blood. The blood carries the oxygen around the body to provide the energy all parts of the body need. The body uses the oxygen and produces carbon dioxide as a waste product. The blood then carries the carbon dioxide back to the lungs. The lungs then filters it out and gets rid of it, when we breathe out.
This is system of tubes and glands in the body which fights infection and filters body fluid. It is made up of the spleen, the lymphatic vessels and the lymph glands.
Lymphoedema is the swelling of a part of the body due to a blockage of the lymph vessels, which can occur after surgery or radiotherapy. The lymphoedema or swelling occurs because cancer is blocking the lymphglands. The most commonly affected parts of the body are the arms or legs.
