Glossary of Medical Terms

To get rid of waste material from the blood, tissues, or organs by a normal discharge (such as sweat, urine, or stool).

A drug used to treat postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer or early-stage breast cancer that is estrogen receptor positive (ER+). It is used in patients whose cancer has already been treated with tamoxifen. It is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. Exemestane lowers the amount of estrogen made by the body. This may stop the growth of cancer cells that need estrogen to grow. Exemestane is a type of aromatase inhibitor. Also called Aromasin.

Surgery to remove organs within a body cavity.

A type of psychotherapy that helps people think about the problems in their lives in the context of larger issues related to being human. Existential therapy focuses on helping people make healthy choices by taking responsibility for their own decisions, recognizing both their potential and their limitations, developing better ways of communicating, and searching for meaning and purpose in their lives. It may be used to help treat certain conditions, such as anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

A drug being studied in the treatment and prevention of cancer. It has been shown to cause apoptosis (cell death) in cells that are malignant (cancer) and in cells that may become cancer. It acts through a group of cellular enzymes called cGMP phosphodiesterases.

A drug used to treat too much iron in the blood caused by blood transfusions. It is being studied in the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes (a group of diseases in which the bone marrow does not make enough healthy blood cells) and other conditions. Exjade binds to extra iron in the blood. The drug and the iron are passed from the body in urine. It is a type of chelating agent. Also called deferasirox.

A disease in which malignant (cancer) cells are found in the tissues of the pancreas. Also called pancreatic cancer.

A gland that makes substances such as sweat, tears, saliva, milk, and digestive juices, and releases them through a duct or opening to a body surface. Examples of exocrine glands include sweat glands, lacrimal glands, salivary glands, mammary glands, and digestive glands in the stomach, pancreas, and intestines.

A pancreatic cell that produces enzymes that are secreted into the small intestine. These enzymes help digest food as it passes through the gastrointestinal tract.

A tiny sac-like structure that is formed inside a cell and contains some of the cell’s proteins, DNA, and RNA. Exosomes get released into the blood by many types of cells, including cancer cells, and travel through the blood to other parts of the body. They are able to transfer the proteins, DNA, and RNA they contain into other cells. Exosomes may play a role in the spread of cancer and may also keep immune cells from killing cancer cells. They are being studied in the laboratory to help develop new ways of diagnosing and treating cancer, including preventing the spread of cancer cells in the body.