Glossary of Medical Terms

A disorder in which the person feels unreal or strangely altered, or that the mind is becoming separated from the body. The person may feel like an automaton or as if he or she is living in a dream or a movie.

A mental condition marked by ongoing feelings of sadness, despair, loss of energy, and difficulty dealing with normal daily life. Other symptoms of depression include feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness, loss of pleasure in activities, changes in eating or sleeping habits, and thoughts of death or suicide. Depression can affect anyone, and can be successfully treated. Depression affects 15-25% of cancer patients.

A mental state characterised by excessive sadness. Activity may be agitated and restless or slow and retarded. The person may experience feelings of worthlessness, despair and extreme pessimism. There are usually disruptions to sleep, appetite and concentration.

The essential feature of a major depressive episode is a period of at least two (2) weeks during which there is either depressed mood or the loss of interest or pleasure in nearly all activities. In children and adolescents, the mood may be irritable rather than sad.

A substance that is made naturally by some bacteria, fungi, and other organisms, and can also be made in the laboratory. Depsipeptides are being studied in the treatment of cancer.

In chemistry, a compound produced from or related to another.

A type of surgery used to make the skin smooth and to improve the way deep scars, pits, and wrinkles look. After numbing the skin, a doctor removes the top layer of skin using sandpaper or a brush or burr (small file) that spins at a high speed.

Inflammation of the skin.

A type of tumor that begins as a hard nodule and grows slowly. These tumors are usually found in the dermis (the inner layer of the two main layers of tissue that make up the skin) of the limbs or trunk of the body. They can grow into surrounding tissue but do not spread to other parts of the body. These tumors are related to giant cell fibroblastomas.

A doctor who has special training to diagnose and treat skin problems.