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Adjuvant therapy - Treatment provided in addition to the primary treatment
Anemia - A condition that occurs when there is not enough hemoglobin in a
person’s blood. Hemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that enables
the blood to transport oxygen through the body.
Areola - The area of dark-colored skin that surrounds the nipple.
Aspiration - Removal of fluid from a lump, often a cyst, with a needle.
Atypical hyperplasia - A benign (non-cancerous) condition in which breast
tissue has certain abnormal features. This condition increases the risk of
breast cancer.
Axilla - The underarm.
Benign tumor - A non-cancerous growth that does not spread to nearby tissues
or other parts of the body.
Biological therapy - Treatment to stimulate or restore the ability of the
immune system to fight infection and disease. Also called immunotherapy.
Biopsy - The removal and examination of a sample of tissue with a microscope
to see whether cancer cells are present.
Bone marrow - The soft, sponge-like material inside bone. Blood cells are
produced in the bone marrow.
Bone marrow transplantation - A procedure in which doctors replace marrow
destroyed by high doses of anticancer drugs or radiation. The replacement marrow
may be taken from the patient before treatment or may be donated by another
person. The new bone marrow is given to restore normal blood cell function.
Breast surgeons - Physicians who specialize in the surgical removal of breast
tumors while conserving as much of the breast as possible.
Cancer - A general term for more than 100 diseases in which there is an
uncontrolled, abnormal growth of cells. Cancer cells can spread through the
bloodstream and lymphatic system to other parts of the body.
Carcinoma - Cancer that begins in the lining or covering of an organ.
Carcinoma in situ - Cancer that involves only the tissue in which it began;
it has not spread to other tissues.
Chemotherapy - Treatment with anticancer drugs. Chemotherapy may be given
after breast surgery to patients with early stages of breast cancer to kill any
microscopic cancer cells, decreasing the risk of recurrence. Occasionally, the
surgeon and medical oncologist may recommend chemotherapy prior to breast
surgery to decrease the size of the tumor so that less tissue will need to be
removed.
Clear margins - An area of normal tissue that surrounds cancerous tissue, as
seen during a microscopic examination.
Clinical trial - A research program conducted with patients to evaluate a new
medical treatment, drug or device. The purpose of clinical trials is to find new
and improved methods of treating different diseases and special conditions.
Colony stimulating factors - Laboratory-made substances similar to substances
in the body that stimulate the production of blood cells. Treatment with
colony-stimulating factors can help cells in the bone marrow recover from the
effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Computed axial tomography (CAT scan) - An image of a cross-section of the
body created with x-rays and computers.
Cyst - A closed sac or capsule filled with fluid.
Diaphanography (also called transillumination) - An exam that involves
shining a bright light through the breast to reveal features of the tissue
inside. This technique is being studied, and its value in detecting breast cancer
has not been proven.
Duct - A tube in the breast through which milk passes from the lobules to the
nipple.
Ductal carcinoma in situ (or intraductal carcinoma) - Cancer that remains
localized in the ducts of the breast and has not spread to other tissues.
Erythrocytes - Red blood cells that carry oxygen from the lungs to cells in
all parts of the body. Erythrocytes also carry carbon dioxide from the cells
back to the lungs.
Estrogen - A female sex hormone that stimulate and maintain female sex
characteristics. They are either natural or synthetic. Estrogens are used to
treat menstrual and menopausal disorders and are also used as oral
contraceptives.
Estrogen receptor test - Lab test used to determine if breast cancer relies
on estrogen for growth.
Gene - The basic unit of heredity found in all cells.
Gynecologist - A doctor who specializes in the care and health of the female
reproductive organs.
Hormonal therapy - The use of hormones to treat cancer patients by removing,
blocking, or adding to the effects of a hormone on an organ or part of the body.
Hormones - Chemicals produced by glands in the body. Hormones control the
actions of certain cells or organs.
Hormone receptor test - A test used to measure the amount of certain
proteins, called hormone receptors, in breast cancer tissue. Hormones can attach
to these proteins. A high level of hormone receptors means hormones probably
help the cancer grow.
Hormone therapy - Treatment of cancer by removing, blocking, or adding
hormones.
Immune system - The body’s natural defense system against infection or
disease.
Implant - A silicone gel-filled or saline-filled sac inserted under the chest
muscles to restore breast shape.
Intraductal carcinoma - See ductal carcinoma in situ
Leukocytes - White blood cells that protect the body against infections and
other diseases.
Leukopenia - A decreased white blood cell count.
Lobe - A part of the breast; each breast contains 15 to 20 lobes.
Lobule - Smaller lobes located inside the main lobes. At the end of each
lobule are tiny “bulbs” that produce milk.
Lobular carcinoma in situ - Serves as a marker for the increased risk of
developing breast cancer, possibly in both breasts.
Local therapy - Treatment that affects cells in the tumor and the area close
to it.
Localized cancer - Cancer that hasn’t spread to other parts of the body.
Lumpectomy - Surgery to remove only the cancerous breast lump; usually
followed by radiation therapy.
Lymph - Clear fluid that travels through the lymphatic system and carries
cells that help fight infection and disease.
Lymphatic system - A circulatory system that includes an extensive network of
lymph vessels and lymph nodes. The lymphatic system helps coordinate the immune
system’s function to protect the body from foreign substances.
Lymphedema - An abnormal buildup of fluid that causes swelling, most often
in the arms or legs. Lymphedema develops when lymph vessels are missing,
impaired, damaged, or removed.
Malignant - Cancerous; can spread to other parts of the body.
Mammogram - A series of X-rays of the breast used to detect abnormal growths
or changes in the breast tissue.
Mastectomy - Surgery to remove the breast.
Metastasize - To spread from one part of the body to another. When cancer
cells metastasize and cause secondary tumors, the cells in the secondary tumor
are like those in the original cancer.
Microcalcifications - Tiny deposits of calcium that cannot be felt but can
be detected on a mammogram. A cluster of these small specks of calcium may
indicate that cancer is present.
Oncologist, medical - A physician who specializes in the medical treatment of
cancer. Medical oncologists have a thorough knowledge of how cancers behave and
grow. This knowledge is used to calculate your risk of recurrence as well as the
possible need for and benefits of additional or adjuvant therapy (such as
chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, or bone marrow transplantation). Your medical
oncologist generally manages your overall medical care and monitors your general
health during your course of treatment. He or she checks your progress
frequently, reviews your lab and X-ray results, and coordinates your medical care
before and after your course of treatment.
Oncologist, radiation - Staff physician trained in cancer treatment using
radiation therapy.
Oncologist, surgical - A doctor who performs biopsies and other surgical
procedures such as removing a lump or a breast.
Palpation - A simple technique in which a doctor presses on the surface of
the body to feel the organs or tissues underneath.
Pathologist - An expert who specializes in analyzing breast tissue samples
(removed during a biopsy) under a microscope to detect the cellular makeup of
the tumor, whether the cancer is localized or has the potential to spread, and
how quickly it is growing. Pathologists can detect subtle differences in cancer
cells that help your surgeon and oncologist confirm the diagnosis.
Peripheral stem cell support - A method for replacing bone marrow destroyed
by cancer treatment. Certain cells (stem cells) in the blood that are similar to
those in bone marrow are removed from the patient’s blood before treatment.
The cells are given back to the patient after cancer treatment to help the bone
marrow recover and continue producing healthy blood cells.
Plastic surgeons - Surgeons who specialize in state-of-the-art breast
reconstructive techniques.
Platelets - Substance in the blood that helps prevent bleeding by causing blood
clots to form at the site of an injury.
Progesterone - Female sex hormone responsible for, among other functions, the
thickening of the uterine lining before conception.
Prognosis - The probable outcome or course of a disease; the chance of
recovery.
Prosthesis - An artificial replacement of a part of the body. A breast
prosthesis is a breast form worn under clothing.
Radiation therapy - A form of cancer treatment that uses high levels of
radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing and dividing, while
minimizing damage to healthy cells.
Radiation therapist - A professional who helps place you in the correct
treatment position and interprets X-ray studies.
Radiation technologist - A professional who checks the radiation dosage to make
it as safe as possible.
Remission - The disappearance of the signs and symptoms of cancer. A remission
can be temporary or permanent.
Risk factor - Something that increases a person’s chance of developing a
disease.
Sentinal lymph node - The first lymph node to which a tumor drains, making it
the first place where cancer is likely to spread. In breast cancer, the sentinal
node is usually located in the axillary nodes, located under the arm.
Silicone - A synthetic gel that is used as the outer coating on breast
implants. It also makes up the inside filling of some implants, although saline
is now a more common implant filler.
Stage - The extent of the cancer. The stage of breast cancer depends on the
size of the cancer and whether it has spread from its original site to other
parts of the body.
Systemic therapy - Treatment that reaches and affects cells all over the
body.
Thermography - A test to measure and display heat patterns of tissues near
the surface of the breast. Abnormal tissue generally is warmer than healthy
tissue. This technique is under study; its value in detecting breast cancer has
not been proven.
Tumor - An abnormal mass of tissue.
Ultrasonography - A test in which high-frequency sound waves, inaudible to
the human ear, are transmitted through body tissues. The echoes are recorded and
transformed into video or photographic images. Ultrasound is used to create
images of soft tissue structures and can also detect blockages in the blood
vessels. Ultrasound images help in the diagnosis of a wide range of diseases and
conditions.
X-ray - High-energy radiation used in low doses to diagnose diseases and used
in high doses to treat cancer.
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