| laparoscope:
(LAP-uh-ruh-scope):
a long, flexible, slender tube inserted into the abdomen through a very small incision. See also laparoscopic surgery. |
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| laparoscopic surgery:
(lap-uh-ruh-SKAH-pick):
surgery done through a small incision through which a narrow tube-like instrument called a laparoscope (see above) is inserted. Other tubes are inserted in other nearby incisions to allow the surgeon to work inside the abdomen and remove part of the colon or other organ, which is shown on a television monitor. The small incisions led to the name "keyhole surgery." This surgery is more difficult than open surgeries, and requires a skilled surgeon who has done a lot of them. |
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| laryngectomy:
(lair-en-jek-tuh-me):
surgery to remove the voice box (larynx), usually because of cancer. |
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| leiomyoma:
(lie-o-my-o-muh):
a benign (non-cancerous) fibrous tumor of the uterus. About 40 % of women have leiomyomas by age 40. Usually there are no symptoms, but the tumors can cause abnormal uterine bleeding and other symptoms depending on their size and location in the uterus. It is also called uterine fibroid tumor or fibroma. |
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| lesion:
(lee-zhun):
a change in body tissue; sometimes used as another word for tumor. May also be used to describe a change in the appearance or texture of skin, such as an open sore, scab, or discolored area. |
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| leukemia:
(loo-key-me-uh):
cancer of the blood or blood-forming organs. There are two major classes of leukemia, myeloid and other, non-myeloid types. People with leukemia often have a very high number of white blood cells (leukocytes). See leukocytosis, myeloid leukemia, and non-myeloid cancers. |
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| leukocytosis:
(loo-ko-sy-TOE-sis):
having more than the usual number of white blood cells. |
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| leukopenia:
(loo-ko-PEE-nee-uh):
decrease in the white blood cell count, often a side effect of chemotherapy. |
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| leukoplakia:
(loo-ko-PLAY-key-uh):
white patches on the tongue or inside the cheeks. These are often pre-malignant. |
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| LHRH (luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone):
(loo-tee-uh-ny-zing):
a hormone produced by the hypothalamus, a tiny gland in the brain. |
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| LHRH analogs: man-made hormones, chemically similar to LHRH. They block the production of the male hormone testosterone and are sometimes used as a treatment for prostate cancer. |
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| limited breast surgery: also called lumpectomy, segmental excision, and tylectomy. This surgery removes the breast cancer and a small amount of tissue around the cancer, but preserves most of the breast. It is almost always combined with axillary lymph node removal and is usually followed by radiation therapy. |
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| linear accelerator: a machine used in radiation therapy to treat cancer. It gives off gamma rays and electron beams. This is called external-beam radiation therapy. |
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| living will: a legal document that allows a person to decide what should be done if he or she becomes unable to make health care decisions; a type of advance directive. See also advance directives. |
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| lobectomy:
(lob-bek-tuh-me):
surgery to remove a lobe of an organ -- usually the lung. |
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| lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS): a very early type of breast cancer that develops within the milk-producing glands (lobules) of the breast and has not grown through the wall of the lobules. Researchers think that most cases of lobular carcinoma in situ do not progress to invasive lobular cancer. Still, having this type of cancer places a woman at increased risk of developing an invasive breast cancer later in life. For this reason, it's important for women with lobular carcinoma in situ to have a physical examination 3 times a year and an annual mammogram. |
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| lobules: the glands in a woman's breasts that produce milk. |
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| local excision:
(lo-kul eck-si-zhun):
surgery to remove small superficial (surface) cancers or polyps. |
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| local or localized cancer: a cancer that is confined to the organ where it started; that is, it has not spread to distant parts of the body. |
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| lump: any kind of mass in the breast or elsewhere in the body. |
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| lumpectomy:
(lum-peck-tuh-me):
surgery to remove the breast tumor and a small amount of surrounding normal tissue. See also breast conservation therapy. |
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| lymph:
(limf):
clear fluid that flows through the lymphatic vessels and has cells known as lymphocytes. These cells are important in fighting infections and may also have a role in fighting cancer. See also lymphatic system, lymph nodes, lymphocytes, and lymphadenectomy. |
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| lymph node biopsy: a test in which all or part of a lymph node is removed and looked at under a microscope to find out if cancer has reached the lymph nodes. |
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| lymph node dissection: see lymphadenectomy. |
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| lymph nodes: small bean-shaped collections of immune system tissue, such as lymphocytes, found along lymphatic vessels. They remove cell waste, germs, and other harmful substances from lymph. They help fight infections and also have a role in fighting cancer, although cancers sometimes spread through them. Also called lymph glands. See also lymph, lymph system, and lymphadenectomy. |
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| lymphadenectomy:
(limf-ad-uh-NECK-tuh-me):
surgical removal of one or more lymph nodes. After removal, the lymph nodes are looked at under a microscope to see if cancer has spread. Also called lymph node dissection. See also lymphatic system, lymph, lymph nodes, and lymphocytes. |
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| lymphatic system: the tissues and organs (including lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, and bone marrow) that produce and store lymphocytes (cells that fight infection) and the channels that carry the lymph fluid. The entire lymphatic system is an important part of the body's immune system. Invasive cancers sometimes get into the lymphatic vessels (channels) and spread (metastasize) to lymph nodes. See also lymph, lymph nodes, lymphocytes, and lymphadenectomy. |
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| lymphedema:
(limf-uh-dee-muh):
a complication in which excess fluid collects in the arms or legs. This often happens after the lymph nodes and vessels are removed by surgery, or injured from radiation or from a tumor that changes the normal drainage of the fluid. This can happen even years after treatment and can be a life-long condition. See lymph, lymph nodes, and lymphatic system. |
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| lymphocytes: a type of white blood cell that helps the body fight infection. |
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| lymphocytosis:
(limf-o-sy-TOE-sis):
having an excess of lymphocytes. |
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| lymphokines:
(limf-o-kines):
see cytokine. |
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| lymphoma:
(lim-foam-uh):
a cancer of the lymphatic system, a network of thin vessels and nodes throughout the body that helps to fight infection. Lymphoma involves the type of white blood cells called lymphocytes. The 2 main types of lymphoma are Hodgkin disease and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The treatments for these 2 types of lymphomas are very different. |
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| Lynch syndrome: an old term used to describe hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC); an inherited tendency to develop certain cancers. See hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer. |
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