- Industry: Government
- Number of terms: 33950
- Number of blossaries: 0
- Company Profile:
United States Department of Health and Human Services, Radiation Emergency Medical Management
A procedure that produces pictures (scans) of structures inside the body, including areas where there are cancer cells. Radionuclide scanning is used to diagnose, stage, and monitor disease. A small amount of a radioactive chemical (radionuclide) is injected into a vein or swallowed. Different radionuclides travel through the blood to different organs. A machine with a special camera moves over the person lying on a table and detects the type of radiation given off by the radionuclides. A computer forms an image of the areas where the radionuclide builds up. These areas may contain cancer cells. Also called scintigraphy.
Industry:Health care
A thick, scaly patch of skin that may become cancer. It usually forms on areas exposed to the sun, such as the face, scalp, back of the hands, or chest. It is most common in people with fair skin. Also called actinic keratosis and solar keratosis.
Industry:Health care
A condition in which a tumor presses against the superior vena cava (the large vein that carries blood from the head, neck, arms, and chest to the heart). This pressure blocks blood flow to the heart and may cause coughing, difficulty in breathing, and swelling of the face, neck, and upper arms.
Industry:Health care
Support given to patients when they move from one phase of disease or treatment to another, such as from hospital care to home care. It involves helping patients and families with medical, practical, and emotional needs as they adjust to different levels and goals of care.
Industry:Health care
Dry mouth. It occurs when the body is not able to make enough saliva.
Industry:Health care
Surgery to remove all metastases (tumors formed from cells that have spread from the primary tumor).
Industry:Health care
A drug used to treat irregular heartbeat and some types of heart failure. It is also being studied in the treatment of some types of cancer. Digoxin helps the heart work normally by controlling the amount of calcium that goes into the heart muscle. It also may kill cancer cells and make them more sensitive to anticancer drugs. It is a type of cardiac glycoside. Also called Lanoxin.
Industry:Health care
The distance red blood cells travel in one hour in a sample of blood as they settle to the bottom of a test tube. The sedimentation rate is increased in inflammation, infection, cancer, rheumatic diseases, and diseases of the blood and bone marrow. Also called ESR and sedimentation rate.
Industry:Health care
A tumor that causes overproduction of gastric acid. It usually begins in the duodenum (first part of the small intestine that connects to the stomach) or the islet cells of the pancreas. Rarely, it may also begin in other organs, including the stomach, liver, jejunum (the middle part of the small intestine), biliary tract (organs and ducts that make and store bile), mesentery, or heart. It is a type of neuroendocrine tumor, and it may metastasize (spread) to the liver and the lymph nodes.
Industry:Health care
