A substance when injected into the body can stimulate resistance to a specific disease.
Vagina:
A female reproductive organ. Also called the birth canal.
Venipuncture:
Piercing a vein with a needle to obtain blood samples or to administer medication or fluids.
Virus:
A very small infectious organism.
Vulva:
The fatty folds of tissue that surround the opening of the vagina.
Vulvectomy:
Surgery to remove the vulva, the fatty folds of tissue surrounding the opening of the vagina. It is done to remove a tumor growing in the vulvar area.
W
Waldenströmís macroglobulinemia:
A rare disease that starts in the bone marrow and causes a rapid growth of B lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell.
Warning signs:
Symptoms that can suggest the possibility of cancer.
Watchful waiting:
Active observation and regular monitoring of a patient without actual treatment.
Whipple procedure:
A surgery used to treat pancreatic cancer. The head of the pancreas, duodenum, a part of the stomach and other surrounding tissues are removed.
White blood cells:
A type of blood cell, which is responsible for fighting germs, infections, and cancer.
White blood count:
A blood test that counts the number of white blood cells in a given blood sample.
WOC Nurse:
A Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nurse. Like an enterostomal therapy nurse. A nurse specially trained to help patients with stomas, wounds, skin care concerns, or continence problems.
X
Xerostomia:
Dry mouth. It occurs when the body is not able to make enough saliva.
X-ray:
Energy used to produce images or pictures of internal body structures to diagnose disease.