| p53: an important tumor suppressor gene that is not working properly in many cancers. The protein that this gene makes (also called p53) normally causes damaged cells to die. Mutations, or changes, in this gene can be inherited or they can happen during a person's life. When they do happen, they can increase risk of many types of cancer. See also mutation. |
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| Paget disease of the nipple:
(paa-jet):
a rare form of breast cancer that begins in the milk passages (ducts) and spreads to the skin of the nipple and areola. This affected skin may look crusted, scaly, red, or oozing. The prognosis is generally better if these nipple changes are the only sign of breast disease and no lump can be felt. Named for the doctor, Paget, who first identified it; also known as Paget?s disease. |
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| pain specialist: oncologists, neurologists, anesthesiologists, neurosurgeons, and other doctors, nurses, or pharmacists who are experts in pain control. |
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| palliative treatment:
(pal-ee-uh-tiv):
treatment that relieves symptoms, such as pain, but is not expected to cure the disease. Its main purpose is to improve the patient's quality of life. Sometimes chemotherapy and radiation are used in this way. |
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| palpation:
(pal-pay-shun):
using the hands to examine. A palpable mass is one that can be felt. |
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| pancreatectomy:
(pan-cree-uh-TEK-tuh-me):
surgery to remove the pancreas. |
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| Pap test: this test involves scraping cells from a woman's cervix and looking at them under a microscope to see if abnormal cells are present. Also called a Pap smear. |
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| papillary:
(pap-uh-lair-ee):
having cancer cells arranged in tiny, finger-like projections. Used to describe the appearance of some tumors of the ovaries, uterus, thyroid gland, and other organs. |
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| pathologist:
(path-all-uh-jist):
a doctor who specializes in diagnosis and classification of diseases by lab tests such as looking at cells under a microscope. The pathologist determines whether a tumor is benign or cancerous, and if cancerous, the exact cell type and grade. |
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| pediatric oncologist: a doctor who specializes in cancers of children. |
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| pediatrician: a doctor who specializes in the care of children. |
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| pelvic examination: an examination of a woman's uterus and other pelvic organs. It is used to help find cancers of the reproductive organs. The doctor will visually examine external structures and palpate (feel) the internal organs such as the ovaries and cervix. |
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| pelvic exenteration:
(ex-en-ter-A-shun):
surgery to remove the organs that are in the pelvis. |
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| pelvis:
(pell-vis):
the part of the skeleton that forms a ring or basin of bones below the belly (abdomen). Pelvis may also refer to the general area of the body between the hip bones, below the abdomen. The pelvis contains the bladder, reproductive organs, and the rectum. In women, it also contains the uterus and fallopian tubes; in men, the prostate. |
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| peritoneum:
(pear-i-tuh-NEE-um):
membrane that lines the abdomen and covers most of its organs. Peritoneal cavity refers to the area enclosed by the peritoneum. |
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| permanent section: a method of preparing tissue to be looked at under a microscope. The tissue is soaked in formaldehyde, processed in various chemicals, surrounded by a block of wax, sliced very thin, attached to a microscope slide, and stained. This process usually takes 1 to 2 days. It allows a clear view of the sample so that the presence or absence of cancer can be determined. |
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| PET scan: see positron emission tomography. |
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| pheresis:
(fuh-ree-sis):
see apheresis. |
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| photodynamic therapy (PDT):
(foe-toe-die-NAM-ick):
a treatment sometimes used for cancers of the skin, esophagus, lung, or bladder. PDT begins with the injection of a non-toxic chemical into the blood. This chemical is allowed to collect in the tumor for a few days. A special type of laser light is then focused on the cancer. This light causes the chemical to change so that it can kill cancer cells. The advantage of PDT is that it can kill cancer cells with very little harm to normal cells. |
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| phyllodes tumor:
(fie-loads):
rare breast tumor, usually benign, which grows quickly and can become quite large. Also called phylloides tumor or cystosarcoma phyllodes. |
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| physical therapist: a health professional who uses exercises and other methods to restore or maintain the body's strength, mobility, and function. |
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| physiologic:
(fiz-ee-o-LA-jick):
pertaining to the processes of the body or its systems. May be used to describe a particular body function or organ as normal. |
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| phytochemical:
(fie-toe-KEM-ih-kul):
substance produced by plants that may produce health benefits when eaten or ingested; for example, antioxidants. See antioxidants. |
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| placebo:
(pluh-see-bo):
an inert, inactive substance that may be used in studies (clinical trials) to compare the effects of a given treatment with no treatment. Commonly called, a "sugar pill." |
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| plastic or reconstructive surgeon: a surgeon specializing in restoring appearance or in rebuilding or replacing removed or injured body parts. |
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| platelet:
(plate-let):
a part of the blood that plugs up holes in blood vessels after an injury. Chemotherapy can cause a drop in the platelet count, a condition called thrombocytopenia that carries a risk of excessive bleeding. |
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| pleura:
(plur-uh):
the membranes around the lungs and lining the chest cavity. |
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| pleurodesis:
(plu-rod-is-sis):
injection of a agent between the layers of the pleura that causes them to fuse to seal off leaks. This procedure helps prevent fluid or air from building up in the pleural cavity, the area between the pleura. See pleura. |
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| ploidy:
(ploy-dee):
a measure of the amount of DNA contained in a cell. Ploidy is a marker that helps predict how quickly a cancer is likely to spread. Cancers with the same amount of DNA as normal cells are called diploid (dip-loid) and those with either more or less than that amount are aneuploid (an-you-ploid). About two-thirds of breast cancers are aneuploid. |
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| pnuemonectomy:
(new-muh-NECK-tuh-me):
surgery to remove a lung. |
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| polycythemia vera:
(pah-lee-sy-THEME-e-uh vair-uh):
a chronic blood disorder of unknown cause where the bone marrow makes too many red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. This leads to a higher concentration of hemoglobin with larger amounts of red blood cells, which is the main feature of this disease. But with time, the high platelet count may become more of a problem and patients can suffer from problems with blood clots because of this and their "thickened" blood. Often, the spleen is enlarged. Over time, the bone marrow is replaced by fibrous tissue (myelofibrosis). Although it is not a true cancer, it often turns into acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) after many years. |
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| polycythemia vera:
((poly-sigh-theme-e-uh vera)):
a chronic blood disorder of unknown cause that is characterized by the production by the bone marrow of too many red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.This leads to an increase in hemoglobin concentration and red blood cell mass and volume which is the main feature of this disease. But with time, the high platelet count may become more of a problem and patients can suffer from problems with blood clots because of this and their "thickened" blood. Often, the spleen is enlarged. Over time, myelofibrosis (replacement of the bone marrow by fibrous tissue) occurs. While it is not a true cancer, it often transforms into acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) after many years. |
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| polyp:
(pah-luhp):
a growth from a mucous membrane commonly found in organs such as the rectum, the uterus, and the nose. |
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| polypectomy:
(pah-lup-eck-tuh-me):
surgery to remove a polyp. |
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| positron emission tomography (PET):
(pahs-uh-trahn ee-mish-uhn tom-ahg-ruh-fee):
a PET scan creates an image of the body (or of biochemical events) after the injection of a very low dose of a radioactive form of a substance such as glucose (sugar). The scan computes the rate at which the tumor is using the sugar. In general, high-grade tumors use more sugar than normal and low-grade tumors use less. PET scans are especially useful in taking images of the brain, although they are becoming more widely used to find out if cancers of the breast, colon, rectum, ovary, or lung have spread. PET scans may also be used to see how well a tumor is responding to treatment. |
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| posterior:
(post-eer-ee-uhr):
the back or near the back of an organ or the body. |
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| poultice:
(pole-tiss):
soft paste or thick liquid that is usually heated, applied to a cloth, and placed over an inflamed or painful area. Herbs, leaves, or foods are commonly used for this in folk medicine and home remedies. |
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| pre-cancerous: changes in cells that may, but do not always, become cancer. Also called pre-malignant. |
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| pre-malignant: See precancerous. |
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| predisposition: susceptibility to a disease that can be triggered under certain conditions. For example, some women have a family history of breast cancer and are therefore more likely (but not necessarily destined) to develop breast cancer. |
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| prevalence:
(preh-vul-uns):
a measure of the proportion of persons in the population with a particular disease at a given time. Compare with incidence. |
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| prevention: the reduction of cancer risk by eliminating or reducing contact with things known to cause cancer, or by changing conditions that contribute to cancer (such as obesity or lack of exercise.) A change in lifestyle, such as quitting smoking, for example, reduces the risk of lung and other cancers. |
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| primary care physician: the doctor a person would normally see first when a problem arises. A primary care doctor could be a general practitioner, a family practice doctor, a gynecologist, a pediatrician, or an internal medicine doctor (an internist). |
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| primary site: the place where cancer begins. Primary cancer is usually named after the organ in which it starts. For example, cancer that starts in the breast is always breast cancer, even if it spreads (metastasizes) to other organs such as bones or lungs. |
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| primary treatment: the first, and usually the most important, treatment. |
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| progesterone:
(pro-jes-ter-own):
a female sex hormone released by the ovaries during every menstrual cycle to prepare the uterus for pregnancy and the breasts for milk production (lactation). |
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| progesterone receptor assay: a laboratory test done on a sample of the breast cancer that shows whether the cancer depends on progesterone for growth. Progesterone and estrogen receptor tests provide more complete information to help decide the best cancer treatment for the patient. |
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| prognosis:
(prog-no-sis):
a prediction of the course of disease; the outlook for the chances of survival. |
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| progression: spreading or growing disease, with or without treatment. |
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| prophylactic mastectomy:
(pro-fuh-LACK-tik):
see mastectomy. |
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| prostate:
(pros-tate; note that there is no "r" in the second syllable):
a gland found only in men. It is just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. The prostate makes a fluid that is part of semen. The tube that carries urine, the urethra, runs through the prostate. |
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| prostate-specific antigen (PSA): a protein made by the prostate gland. Levels of PSA in the blood often go up in men with prostate cancer as well as other conditions. The PSA test is used to help screen for prostate cancer. It is also used to check the results of treatment. |
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| prostatectomy: surgical removal of all or part of the prostate gland. |
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| prostatitis:
(pros-tuh-TIE-tus):
inflammation of the prostate. Prostatitis is not cancer. |
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| prosthesis:
(pros-thee-sis):
an artificial replacement part of the body, such as a breast prosthesis. |
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| protein: a large molecule made up of a chain of smaller units called amino acids. Proteins serve many vital functions within and outside of the cell. |
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| protocol:
(pro-tuh-call):
a formal outline or plan, such as a description of what treatments a patient will receive and exactly when each should be given. See also regimen. |
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| proton beam therapy: see conformal proton beam therapy. |
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| psychiatrist: a medical doctor specializing in mental health and behavioral disorders. Psychiatrists provide counseling and can also prescribe medicines. |
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| psychologist: a health professional who assesses a person's mental and emotional status and provides counseling. |
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| psychosocial:
(sy-ko-so-shul):
the psychological and/or social aspects of health, disease, treatment, and/or rehabilitation. |
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| pulmonologist: a doctor who has specialized experience and knowledge in the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary (lung) conditions and diseases. |
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