M
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI):
- A diagnostic procedure, which uses magnetic fields to produce images of the body.
- Maintenance therapy:
- Maintenance therapy ischemotherapy medicine given to keep leukemia in remission. In patients with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, it is usually a three-year course of various types of chemotherapy.
- Malignant:
- Usually refers to a tumor, which is cancerous.
- Malignant tumor:
- A tumor containing cancer cells that can spread to other organs and parts of the body.
- Mammogram:
- Sometimes called mammography. A diagnostic X-ray of the breast to screen for tumors. This technique uses low dose X-rays to produce an image of the breast. All suspicious lumps must be biopsied (see biopsy) to determine whether or not they are cancerous.
- Margins:
- The area of normal tissue remaining after a cancer has been removed. "Clean margins" means no cancer cells are present in the normal tissue around the cancer.
- Mastectomy:
- The surgical removal of a breast.
- Modified radical mastectomy:
- Removal of the entire breast and the underlying muscle and axillary (armpit) lymph nodes.
- Segmental mastectomy or lumpectomy:
- Removal of a lump and a small amount of surrounding breast tissue.
- Simple mastectomy:
- Removal of the entire breast.
- Mediastinoscopy:
- A surgery where a tube in inserted into the chest to examine the organs in the area between the lungs and the lymph nodes. Doctors are able to take tissue samples from the lymph nodes on the right side of the chest during this procedure.
- Mediastinum:
- The area between the lungs, including the heart, trachea, esophagus, bronchi and lymph nodes.
- Medical oncologist:
- A doctor who treats cancer using chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, or biological therapy.
- Melanin:
- The substance in the skin that gives it color.
- Melanocytes:
- The cells in the skin that produce melanin.
- Melanoma:
- A very aggressive form of skin cancer.
- Meninges:
- The three layers of tissue that cover the brain and spinal cord.
- Menstruation:
- Periodic discharge of blood and tissue from the uterus. Menstruation occurs about every 28 days when a woman is not pregnant. Menstruation stops at menopause.
- Metastasis:
- The spread of cancer cells from the original site to distant areas of the body.
- Microcalcifications:
- Tiny deposits of calcium in the breast that cannot be felt but can be detected on a mammogram. Clusterings of microcalcifications may indicate that cancer is present.
- Micro direct laryngoscopy:
- Direct examination of the larynx and the area around it with a microscope placed above the laryngoscope, a flexible, lighted tube.
- Mitosis:
- The process of cell division.
- Modified radical neck dissection:
- A surgical procedure similar to a radical neck dissection that removes all of the cervical lymph nodes but leaves intact either the muscle on the side of the neck, the major vein, or the spinal accessory nerve.
- Mohs surgery:
- A surgical procedure to remove a skin cancer. After a numbing medicine is injected, the cancer is shaved off one thin layer at a time. Each layer is examined under a microscope until the entire tumor is removed.
- Monoclonal antibodies:
- Artificially manufactured antibodies designed to target cancer cells. These may be used to diagnose a cancer, or deliver chemotherapy and radiation therapy directly to a cancer, thus killing the cancer cells and sparing healthy tissue.
- Monocyte:
- A type of white blood cell.
- Morbidity:
- The term usually refers to the proportion of people with an illness.
- Mortality:
- The number of deaths in a given population.
- Motor function:
- In medicine, motor function refers to the movement of body parts.
- Mucosa:
- A layer of tissue that is rich in mucus glands and lines a passage, which connects to the outside of the body, such as the digestive, respiratory, or genitourinary tracts. The mucus glands secrete a fluid, which moistens and protects the tissue.
- Mucositis:
- Inflammation of the lining of the mouth, the gastrointestinal tract, or any mucus membrane.
- Mucus:
- A thick fluid produced by the tissues that line certain organs, including the nose, mouth, throat and vagina.
- Mucus membrane:
- A layer of tissue that is rich in mucus glands and lines a passage, which connects to the outside of the body, such as the digestive, respiratory or genitourinary tracts. The mucus glands secrete a fluid, which moistens and protects the tissue.
- Multifocal:
- Arising from or occurring in more than one spot or location.
- Multimodality therapy:
- Therapy that uses more than one kind of treatment. Also called combination therapy.
- Multiple myeloma:
- A malignant tumor of the plasma cell, which is produced in the bone marrow, and associated, with the production of abnormal proteins.
- Mycosis fungoides:
- A type of non-Hodgkinís lymphoma that first appears on the skin and can spread to the lymph nodes, spleen, liver or lungs. Mycosis Fungoides is one type of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.
- Myeloblastic:
- Immature non-lymphocyte type white blood cells.
- Myelodysplastic syndromes:
- A group of disorders in which the bone marrow does not function normally and fails to produce sufficient numbers of healthy blood cells.
- Myelofibrosis:
- A disorder where the bone marrow is replacedby fibrous tissue. Myelofibrosis can occur as part of a myeloproliferative disorder, or as a result of another unrelated condition.
- Myelogenous:
- Produced by or starting in the bone marrow.
- Myeloid:
- A term describing the non-lymphocyte type of white blood cells.
- Myeloma:
- Also called multiple myeloma. A malignant tumor of the plasma cell, which is produced in the bone marrow, and associated with the production of abnormal proteins.
- Myeloproliferative disorder:
- The Myeloproliferative Disorders are diseases where too many of some types of blood cells are made in the bone marrow. The four major types of myeloproliferative disorders are chronic myelogenous leukemia, essential thrombocytopenia, idiopathic myelofibrosis, and polycythemia vera.
- Myelosuppression:
- A decrease in the production of red blood cells, platelets and some white blood cells by the bone marrow.
- Myomectomy:
- A surgical procedure where fibroids are removed through an abdominal incision. It is done to diagnose and remove tumors found in the uterus (leiomyomas or fibroids).
N
- Nadir:
- The lowest point, usually used in reference to blood counts related to chemotherapy.
- Nasopharynx:
- The upper part of the respiratory tract behind the nose.
- Nasopharyngoscopy:
- Examination of the nasopharynx, a tube that connects the area behind the nose (nasal cavity) to the area behind the soft palate of the mouth.
- National Cancer Institute (NCI):
- The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health of the U.S. Government. It is the governmentís primary agency for cancer research.
- Natural killer cells:
- A type of lymphocyte normally present in the body. Their responsibility is to kill cells that are infected with viruses.
- Needle biopsy:
- A type of biopsy where a needle is used to withdraw small amounts of tissue or fluid for examination by a pathologist. This procedure is also called fine needle aspiration.
- Neoadjuvant:
- Therapy given before the primary treatment in order to shrink a tumor.
- Neoplasia:
- Abnormal and uncontrolled cell growth.
- Neoplasm:
- Any new abnormal growth. A neoplasm may be benign or malignant but is generally used to describe a cancer.
- Neoplastic:
- Cancerous or malignant.
- Nephrectomy:
- A surgery to remove a kidney.
- Radical nephrectomy:
- Surgery to remove the kidney, adrenal gland, lymph nodes near the kidney, and surrounding tissue.
- Simple nephrectomy:
- Surgery to remove only a kidney.
- Partial nephrectomy:
- Surgery to remove a tumor from a kidney, but not the kidney itself.
- Nerve sparing surgery:
- A type of surgery in which the surgeon saves the nerves such as those that affect sexual functioning and urination.
- Neuroblastoma:
- A tumor that can begin anywhere in the sympathetic nervous system or the system that regulates tissues such as the glands, muscles, and the heart. It most commonly occurs in the abdomen and is a common type of childhood cancer.
- Neutropenia:
- A decreased number of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell.
- Neutrophil:
- A mature white blood cell that fights bacterial infections. Also called segmented neutrophils or segs. If the neutrophil or seg count is less than 1,000, the patient is at great risk for infection.
- Nevi/nevus:
- A medical term for mole, a skin growth that is usually colored.
- Nitrosureas:
- A group of chemotherapy drugs that can cross the blood-brain barrier. Examples of nitrosureas include carmustine and lomustine.
- Nocturia:
- Frequent urination at night.
- Node-negative:
- Cancer that has not spread to the lymph nodes.
- Node-positive:
- Cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes.
- Nodes:
- Lymph nodes. Small glands that produces lymph fluid. They are the part of the immune system and the body's defenses against infection and cancer.
- Nodule:
- A small group of cells, a small solid mass.
- Non-hodgkinís lymphoma:
- A cancer of the lymphatic system. A type of lymphoma.
- Non-lymphocytic leukemia:
- See Acute Myelogenous Leukemia.
- Nonmelanoma skin cancer:
- A cancer that begins either in the basal or squamous cells of the skin, but not in the melanocytes.
- Nuclear scan:
- A diagnostic procedure in which a weak radioactive substance is injected into the blood stream. The body then absorbs the substance. A machine, like a giant Geiger counter, moves over the area being tested and takes pictures.