Glossary of Medical Terms

A procedure that bathes the abdominal cavity in fluid that contains anticancer drugs. This fluid is warmer than body temperature. This procedure appears to kill cancer cells without harming normal cells. Also called continuous hyperthermic peritoneal perfusion.

A type of cell that makes neurohormones (chemicals that are made by nerve cells and used to send signals to other cells) and releases them into the blood. Chromaffin cells make epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline). They are found in the adrenal glands or in groups of nerve cells called ganglia.

A laboratory technique used to separate different substances in a mixture. A gas or a liquid is used to pass the mixture through a column, paper, or special plate that contains absorbing materials. The substances in the mixture are separated based on how far they move through the material. The different substances may be visible to the eye or detected by a special machine.

A protein found inside neuroendocrine cells, which release chromogranin A and certain hormones into the blood. Chromogranin A may be found in higher than normal amounts in patients with certain neuroendocrine tumors, small cell lung cancer, prostate cancer, and other conditions. Measuring the amount of chromogranin A in the blood may help to diagnose cancer or other conditions or find out how well treatment is working or if cancer has come back. Chromogranin A is a type of tumor marker. Also called CgA.

Part of a cell that contains genetic information. Except for sperm and eggs, all human cells contain 46 chromosomes.

One of a pair of chromosomes that is part of the 46 chromosomes found in the nucleus of most human cells. Specific changes in chromosome 17 may be found in patients with certain genetic conditions and some types of cancer, including bladder cancer, brain cancer, and leukemia. Checking for these changes may help diagnose cancer or find out if cancer has come back. Chromosome 17 is a type of tumor marker.

One of a pair of chromosomes that is part of the 46 chromosomes found in the nucleus of most human cells. Specific changes in chromosome 3 may be found in patients with certain genetic conditions or some types of cancer, including bladder cancer. Checking for these changes may help diagnose cancer or find out if cancer has come back. Chromosome 3 is a type of tumor marker.

One of a pair of chromosomes that is part of the 46 chromosomes found in the nucleus of most human cells. Specific changes in chromosome 7 may be found in patients with certain genetic conditions or some types of cancer, including bladder cancer, leukemia, and lymphoma. Checking for these changes may help diagnose cancer or find out if cancer has come back. Chromosome 7 is a type of tumor marker.

Inflammation of the prostate gland that is caused by a bacterial infection and that continues or gets worse over a long period of time. The infection may seem to go away but keeps coming back. Symptoms include body aches, pain in the lower back and genital area, a burning feeling during urination, and problems with emptying the bladder all the way.

A lung condition that develops over time in which the bronchi (large air passages that lead to the lungs) become inflamed and scarred. This causes the bronchi to make large amounts of mucus and can lead to a chronic cough and breathing problems. The most common cause of chronic bronchitis is cigarette smoking. It may also be caused by infection or by breathing in secondhand tobacco smoke, chemical fumes, or other forms of air pollution. Chronic bronchitis usually does not go away completely. It is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).