| Antibody: |
A protein produced by certain white blood cells in response to a foreign substance, or antigen. |
| Apoptosis: |
Programmed cell death or “cell suicide.” This process plays a crucial role in health by eliminating old cells, unnecessary cells, and unhealthy cells. The human body may replace up to 1 million cells a second. |
| Aspiration: |
Removal of fluid from a lump, often a cyst, with a needle and syringe. |
| Benign: |
Not cancerous. |
| Biopsy: |
The surgical removal of a tissue sample, which is then examined under a microscope to check for cancer cells. |
| Cancers: |
A group of almost 200 diseases with two things in common: 1) certain cells become abnormal as a result of a mutation in a gene and 2) the body keeps producing large numbers of these abnormal cells. |
| Carcinogen: |
Any substance known to cause cancer. |
| Carcinogenesis: |
The process by which normal cells become cancer cells. |
| Cell: |
The basic unit of a living organism. |
| Cell differentiation: |
The process during which young, immature cells take on certain characteristics and reach their mature form and function. |
| Chemotherapy: |
A form of cancer treatment that requires injecting the patient with a chemical that binds to and kills microbes or tumor cells; typically given in cycles intravenously or in muscles. Chemotherapy works by making cancer cells expend their own energy and die. |
| Chromosomes: |
Microscopic rod-like carriers of genetic material in the nucleus of human cells; composed of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and proteins. Humans have 46 chromosomes: 44 autosomes (nonsex chromosomes) plus two sex chromosomes (XX for females and XY for males). |
| Clinical trials: |
Closely monitored studies of new treatments given to cancer patients; designed to test three factors: safety of a new treatment, its effectiveness, and if it is an improvement over the current best medical practice. |
| DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid): |
Protein that carries genetic information; present in every cell in the body. |
| Dysplasia: |
Cells that are abnormal but not cancer cells. |
| Enzyme: |
A protein that speeds up a chemical reaction in a living organism. |
| Gene: |
A sequence, or string, of DNA; the basic unit of heredity found in all cells in the body. |
| Genetic testing: |
Analysis that looks for certain genes known to be associated with cancer. |
| Genome: |
All the genetic material in an organism. |
| Immune system: |
The group of organs and cells that defends the body against infection or disease. |
| Immunotherapy: |
A form of cancer treatment that modifies the body’s immune system to cause it to reject cancer. |
| In situ: |
Latin for “in position.” With regard to cancer, means the cancerous cells have not metastasized, or spread to other parts of the body. |
| Lipids: |
Substances such as a fat, oil, and cholesterol that provide a source of fuel to living cells; Along with carbohydrates and proteins, lipids are essential elements in plant and animal cells. |
| Malignant: |
Cancerous; can invade nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body. |
| Metastasis: |
The process by which cancer spreads. |
| Microbes: |
Tiny forms of life that include bacteria, fungi, and protozoan parasites, which are visible under a microscope. |
| Molecule: |
The smallest particle of a substance. |
| Mutation: |
A change or alteration in a person’s DNA; sometimes mutations are harmless and other times they may lead to diseases such as cancer. |
| Neoplasia: |
Abnormal new growth of cells. |
| Neuroblastomas: |
Solid tumors that arise in the adrenal glands (a small gland on top of each kidney) or in tissue in the nervous system. Typically affects newborns and children under 10 years of age. |
| Oncogene: |
A gene that has been altered by mutation and may contribute to the growth of a tumor. |
| p53: |
A gene that normally inhibits the growth of tumors; can prevent or slow the spread of cancer. |
| Pathologist: |
A specialist in diagnosing abnormal changes in tissues removed in surgical operations and biopsies. |
| Plasma cells: |
Special white blood cells that produce antibodies. |
| Platelet: |
The type of blood cell required for blood to clot. |
| Population scientists: |
Researchers who analyze patterns of cancer incidents in varying groups of people. |
| Protein: |
A complex substance required for the structure, function, and regulation of the body’s cells, tissues, and organs. Each protein has unique functions. |
| Prostate-specific antigen (PSA): |
A protein which is found at higher levels in the blood of some men who have prostate cancer. |
| Protozoa: |
A single-cell organism that can divide only within a host organism; examples of protozoan parasites include malaria and giardia. |
| Radiation therapy: |
A form of cancer treatment that uses high-energy rays to target and destroy cancer. |
| Red blood cells: |
Cells that carry oxygen to all parts of the body. |
| RNA (ribonucleic acid): |
One of the two nucleic acids (the other is DNA) found in all cells. RNA transfers genetic information from DNA to proteins produced by the cell. |
| Sarcomas: |
A group of rare and typically deadly tumors that usually arise in connective tissues that support and surround organs of the body. Many are named after the type of cell, tissue, or structure in which they occur. |
| Somatic cells: |
All cells in the body except for reproductive cells. |
| Stem cells: |
The cells from which all blood cells develop. |
| Tissue: |
A group or layer of cells that together perform specific functions. |
| Transcription factors: |
Proteins that cause genes to be expressed or “turned on” in cells. Each cell in the human body has about 100,000 genes; many transcription factors must work together to “turn on” a single gene. If a transcription factor sends or interprets the wrong signal at the wrong time, the cell’s behavior is disrupted and a tumor grows. |
| Tumor: |
An abnormal mass of tissue that is either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). |
| Tumor suppressor gene: |
Genes in the body that can block cancer development. |
| Viruses: |
Small living particles that can infect cells and change how they function. Virus infection causes symptoms in people, which vary depending on the type of virus and the type of cells that are infected. |
| White blood cells: |
Cells that help the body fight infection and disease; they develop in bone marrow and then travel to other parts of the body. |
