| vaccine: a modified version of a germ or other substance related to a disease, usually given by injection. It is used to stimulate the immune system to resist that disease for a period of time, or even permanently. Development of cancer vaccines is the subject of intense research. |
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| vagina:
(vuh-jie-nuh):
the passage leading from the vulva (the female genital organs that are on the outside of the body) to the uterus. |
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| virtual colonoscopy: examination of the colon for polyps or masses using special computerized tomography (CT) scans. The images are combined by a computer to make a 3-dimensional (3-D) model of the colon, which doctors can ?travel through? on a computer screen. It is not yet clear if this new technique is as effective as other screening methods for colon cancer. See computerized tomography and colonoscopy. |
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| virus: very small organisms (micro-organisms) that cause infections. Viruses are too small to be seen with a regular microscope. They reproduce only in living cells. |
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