Glossary of Cancer Terms - M-P

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magnetic resonance imaging - MRI- a procedure in which a magnet linked to a computer is used to create detailed pictures of areas inside the body. Also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging.

malignant - cancerous; a growth with a tendency to invade and destroy nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body.

mandible - the lower jaw.

mandibulotomy - a procedure in which the jawbone is split with a saw to get access to a tumor.

mastectomy - surgery to remove the breast; can be partial or complete.

maxilla - the upper jaw.

mediastinoscopy - a procedure in which a tube is inserted into the chest to view the organs in the area between the lungs. The tube is inserted through an incision above the breastbone. This procedure is usually performed to get a tissue sample from the lymph nodes on the right side of the chest.

metastasis - the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another. Tumors formed from cells that have spread are called "secondary tumors" and contain cells that are like those in the original (primary) tumor.

mucosa - the lining of the mouth and gastrointestinal tract.

myelodysplastic syndrome - disease in which the bone marrow does not function normally. Also called preleukemia or smoldering leukemia.

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nasopharynx - the upper part of the throat behind the nose. An opening on each side of the nasopharynx leads into the ear.

neck dissection - surgery to remove lymph nodes and other tissues in the neck.

needle biopsy - the removal of tissue or fluid with a needle for examination under a microscope. Also called fine-needle aspiration.

non-small cell lung cancer - a group of lung cancers that includes squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and large cell carcinoma.

nonseminoma - a group of testicular cancers that begin in the germ cells (cells that give rise to sperm). Nonseminomas are identified by the type of cell in which they begin and include embryonal carcinoma, teratoma, choriocarcinoma, and yolk-sac carcinoma.

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oophorectomy - surgery to remove one or both ovaries.

oropharynx - the middle part of the throat that includes the soft palate, the base of the tongue, and the tonsils.

ovaries - the pair of female reproductive glands in which the ova, or eggs are formed. The ovaries are located in the pelvis, one on each side of the uterus.

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panendoscopy - includes laryngoscopy, esophagoscopy, and possible bronchoscopy.

PAP test - Also called a PAP smear. The collection of cells from the cervix for examination under a microscope. It is used to detect changes that may be cancer or may lead to cancer, and can show noncancerous conditions, such as infection or inflammation.

partial cystectomy - the removal of the cancer as well as some of the bladder tissue around the tumor. Also called segmental cystectomy.

pathologist - a doctor who specializes in examining tissue and diagnosing disease.

pelvic exam - An exam in which the doctor feels and presses against the uterus, vagina, ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder, and rectum for unusual changes in shape and size.

pelvic exenteration - a radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection is accompanied by a removal of the bladder, vagina, rectum, and part of the colon. This operation is used only in advanced stages when the cancer has spread to involve other pelvic organs and connective tissue.

peripheral stem cell transplantation - a method of replacing blood-forming cells destroyed by cancer treatment. Immature blood cells (stem cells) in the circulating blood that are similar to those in the bone marrow are harvested from the circulation and given back after treatment to help the bone marrow recover and continue producing healthy blood cells. Transplantation may be autologous (an individual's own blood cells saved earlier), allogeneic (blood cells donated by someone else), or syngeneic (blood cells donated by an identical twin). Also called peripheral stem cell support.

peripheral stem cells - immature cells found circulating in the bloodstream. New blood cells develop from peripheral stem cells.

peritoneal - having to do with the peritoneum (the tissue that lines the abdominal wall and covers most of the organs in the abdomen.)

PET scan - Positive Emission Tomography scan. A computerized image of the metabolic activity of body tissues used to determine the presence of disease, using a short-lined radioactive isotape.

photodynamic therapy - treatment with drugs that become active when exposed to light. These drugs will then kill cancer cells.

platelets - a type of blood cell that helps prevent bleeding by causing blood clots to form. Also called thrombocytes.

pneumonectomy - an operation to remove an entire lung.

polyp - a growth that protrudes from a mucous membrane.

polypectomy - surgery to remove a polyp.

PR+ - Progesterone receptor positive. Breast cancer cells that have a protein (receptor molecule) to which progesterone will attach. Breast cancer cells that are PR+ need the hormone progesterone to grow and will usually respond to hormonal therapy.

PR- - Progesterone receptor negative. Breast cancer cells that do not have a protein (receptor molecule) to which progesterone will attach. Breast cancer cells that are PR- do not need the hormone progesterone to grow and usually do not respond to hormonal therapy.

pre-cancerous lesion - an area of abnormal tissue change that may (or is likely to) become cancer.

progesterone - hormone produced by the ovary involved in the normal menstrual cycle.

prophylactic - used to prevent disease and preserve health.

prostascint - this scan may be used to determine if there are microscopic prostate cancer cells in the lymph node system.

prostate - a gland in the male reproductive system just below the bladder. It surrounds part of the urethra, the canal that empties the bladder, and produces a fluid that forms part of semen.

prostatic cancer - the term given to cancers that begin in the prostate.

PSA blood test - measures the levels of a certain protein (antigen) produced by prostate cells. An increase in PSA may indicate a cancer in the prostate although high test results can be a result of other conditions and can be found in non-cancerous older men.

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