Glossary

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If you or a loved one has been afflicted with mesothelioma, you will do well to familiarize yourself with a number of medical words and terminology related to the condition that will come up again and again in the course of treatment. Given below is a list that contains most of these words to help you understand different aspects of the disease from symptoms to medicines to body parts and many others covering nearly the entire spectrum. Mesothelioma is a deadly condition arising out of exposure to asbestos. A naturally mined product, it was widely used for its heat resistant qualities in the 1900s and thousands of people are being diagnosed with this terminal illness. Being well-informed will go a long way in deciding the best way to deal with the condition.

Abdomen: Commonly called the stomach or the belly, the abdomen refers to the area between the chest and the pelvis and includes the digestive organs. A powerful muscle called the diaphragm separates the abdomen from the chest cavity above it that houses the lungs.

Abdominal: Anything relating to the abdomen is termed as abdominal. For example, the cavity that houses the stomach is called the abdominal cavity.

Abdominal cavity: The cavity or space within which the abdomen lies is the abdominal cavity; this covers the space from the spine at the rear end to the abdominal wall in front.

Abnormal: That which is not aligned with the usual or what is not considered normal is abnormal; any formation, site, state, or activity that moves away from the norm or the generally accepted. With regard to a growth, abnormal may refer to the tendency to proliferate rapidly or being cancerous or premalignant (in the early stage prior to becoming cancer).

Anesthetic: A chemical that produces a feeling of numbness or loss of sensation or feeling in the body. When such a substance is given in the breath, it causes the person to slip into a state of sleep; when administered on a specific body part, no sensation can be felt in that area.

Angiostatin: This is a component of plasminogen, a protein that aids in blood clotting. Angiostatin is normally produced by tumors and seems to inhibit the development of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) which feed tumors into becoming bigger entities. In treating cancers, Angiostatin is expected to act as a model for a new class of agents that will provide positive, curative results in the treatment of cancer.

Asbestos: This is the name for a natural material composed of tiny fibers which can cause cancer or scarring of the lungs when inhaled. Scarring of the lungs is known as asbestosis. In the form of lung cancer, it is called mesothelioma, a cancer that infects the lining of the lungs or any other internal organ. Workplaces have asbestos materials and buildings being demolished or renovated give off dust of asbestos leading to exposure to asbestos among the workers. After a long gestation period of 20 to 50 years, it may be found that they have contracted mesothelioma.

Biopsy: The procedure of removing a piece of tissue from the suspected cancerous area for observation under a microscope for diagnostic purposes is called biopsy.

Blood: The red fluid that flows in the body is the blood. It is made up of elements like white and red blood cells, platelets, proteins, and others. Blood containing oxygen and nutrients is carried to the body parts in arteries and veins transport impure blood to the lungs and kidneys for cleansing.

Cancer: Cells that grow in an uncontrolled manner and spread to various organs are considered cancer cells.

Cavities: Empty spaces in the outer layer of the tooth are called a cavity or caries. Such holes leave the inner portion of the tooth that houses blood vessels and nerves, open to infection by residual food getting stuck in the whole and rotting.

Cell: All living things are made up of the cell which is formed by a membrane with chemicals and water inside it. As such, the cell can be understood to be the basic structural and functional unit in living beings.

Chemotherapy: Paul Ehrlich gave this terminology to refer to a chemical that binds to and specifically kills microbes or tumor cells. As an intrinsic part of therapy for cancer, it refers to drug therapy in oncology.

Chest: The part of the body that forms the area from the neck down to the abdomen is the chest. This contains the lungs, the heart, and part of the aorta within a cage-like formation created by the dorsal vertebrae, the ribs, and the sternum.

Cholesterol: This is a common type of steroid in the body and may be considered an important molecule.

Cisplatin: A very widely used drug for treatment of cancer including advanced malignancy of the ovary, testis, and bladder. A member of the platinum compounds, Cisplatin is administered intravenously.

Clinical: The word refers to examination and treatment of patients. Also, a laboratory test that may be of use to patients.

CT scan: Computerized Tomography scan is known as CT scan in common parlance. Pictures of structures within the body are taken in X-ray images and created into pictures on a computer screen.

Cut: An incision or broken skin is a cut. To promote healing, it must be washed and kept clean with application of alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or iodine. Bigger cuts need to be stitched for the healing to happen. Infection in the cut is diagnosed by redness, swelling, pus, and pain.

Diagnosis: Arriving at a conclusion about a medical condition after testing and/or examination is called diagnosis. It is also referred to as the process of knowing or finding out the nature of a disease or naming of an illness or problem.

Disease: When a person is not feeling good and considers himself unwell or ill, the set of symptoms exhibited is given a name. Different sets of symptoms have different names to distinguish one from the other. Each of these is essentially a disease.

Drain: A method of removing fluid that may have collected in a cavity or wound. A tube or wick may be used as the draining medium.

Drug resistance: A drug is supposed to kill bacteria and other microorganisms. When the same bacteria and other microorganisms become insensitive to the drug over time and with repetitive use, the phenomenon is called drug resistance.

Endostatin: All blood vessels contain a type of protein called collagen 18. Secreted by tumors, it seems to impede the development of new blood cells that is critical to proliferation of the cancer cells. It is being hoped, therefore, that Endostatin may represent a prototype for a new class of agents to aid in the cure of cancer.

Environment: The factors that facilitate the development, action, or survival of an organism or group of organisms are together called the environment. There may be various elements and conditions that form the surroundings.

Esophagus: This is a tube-shaped organ that connects the throat to the stomach and is used to carry food to the abdomen. The spine is behind the esophagus and the windpipe is located in front of it. The muscles in the walls of the esophagus contract and expand and the insides are lined with mucus to aid in swallowing food and liquid.

External radiation therapy: When high-energy rays from a machine outside the body are aimed at tumors in the body to shrink them, the therapy is called radiation.

Gene: This is the name for the basic biological unit of a person that derives from his lineage and forms the heredity. Also termed as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), it is the basis of all functions.

Genetic: This refers to genes and information about genes is genetic information.

Heart: The pumping of blood throughout the body in arteries and veins is done by this pump that is commonly called the heart. Placed in the chest cavity, this is a muscle with four chambers and is the size of a closed fist. The heart is one of the vital organs.

Hospital: The premises dedicated to the treatment of the sick and infirm is generally referred to by this name. Staffed by caregivers like doctors and nurses, the institution of a hospital began as a charitable body to look after the needy, aged, infirm, or the ailing young.

Immune: That which keeps infection at bay; derived from the Latin immunis meaning free, exempt.

Immunotherapy: Any treatment that aims at activating the natural defense system of the body so that it can fight infection and disease is called Immunotherapy. It also protects the body from side effects of a treatment.

Interferon: A naturally occurring substance that limits reproduction of viruses in the body and enhances the immune system.

Internal radiation therapy: A type of Radiation therapy that works from inside the body by positioning radioactive material in or near a tumor.

Lungs: The organs that work to take fresh air into the body and expel stale air are the lungs; there is a pair of these in the chest cavity.

Lymph: This is a colorless liquid that carries infection fighting cells through the body. The network that spreads this fluid across the human body is known as the lymphatic system.

Lymph node: These are round glands comprised of masses of lymphatic tissue surrounded by a capsule of connective tissue. These nodes perform the important function of filtering the lymphatic fluid as it flows through the body. They also house special cells that catch cancer cells or bacteria that float in the lymph fluid. As a result, lymph nodes are important for the body’s immune response. Lymph nodes are most in number in the neck, around the collarbone, the armpit (axilla ), and the groin and these areas swell up when infection invades.

Malignancy: A tumor with cells that replicate uncontrollably is called malignant or cancerous. These cells not only attack and destroy nearby tissue but also spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.

Malignant: The qualities of malignancy invest a body part with the adjective, malignant. In other words, if a body part has cells that proliferate and destroy healthy cells, it is said to be malignant.

Mesothelioma: Malignancy in the mesothelium or the thin lining that covers the surface of the cavities in the body is Mesothelioma. Starting as a nodule, mesothelioma cancer grows with time to form a tumor-infested body surrounding the organ involved such as lung, abdominal organs, or the heart.

Metastasis: When cancer spreads from the site of its origin to another part in the body, it is said to have metastasized.

Microscope: Objects that are too small to be seen by the human eye can be seen through this optical instrument that magnifies small objects.

Muscle: The movement of the human body is made possible by the tissues connecting various body parts which are called, Muscle. The skeletal muscles enable the hands and legs to move; cardiac muscles make it possible for the heart to function; and smooth muscles reside in the walls of arteries and bowels to allow appropriate activities.

Neck:The head is connected to the shoulders by the portion called the neck.

Node: A collection of tissue is called a node.

Operation: In medical terminology, operation is a surgical procedure that cuts out an infected portion from the rest of the body and is performed for curative or diagnostic purposes.

Pain: Specific nerve fibers carry the sensation of something being not pleasant or a discomfort bordering on agony to the brain. Medicines may dull the sensation or nerve impulses may be blocked to modify the feeling of pain.

Paracentesis: Removing fluid from any part of the body using a hollow instrument like a needle, trocar, or cannula.

Pathologist: A doctor who specializes in the analysis of cells and tissues using a microscope for diagnostic purposes is called a pathologist.

Pathology: The study of what causes a disease and how it changes the components of blood and other discharges from the body is known as pathology.

Pericardium: The heart is housed in a conical sac of fibrous tissue called pericardium. The parietal pericardium is the outer coat of the pericardium and the visceral pericardium or epicardium is the inner coat. Between the two is pericardial fluid that acts as a lubricant to facilitate normal heart movement within the chest as it pumps.

Peritoneal: That which is related to the peritoneum.

Peritoneum: The abdominal organs are encased in a membrane of that name.

Photodynamic therapy: A photosensitizing agent given intravenously collects in tumor cells and a special red laser light is used to destroy the tumor. This type of treatment for cancer is called Photodynamic therapy.

Pill: Pharmaceutical compounds are ingested in the form of a small round or oval mass called pills for medical purposes.

Pleura: The lungs lie within a thin covering called pleural that protects and cushions them. A small amount of fluid separates the two layers of the pleural tissue to prevent friction.

Pleural: That which is related to the pleura.

Pneumonectomy: The surgical procedure to remove an entire lung or part of a lung.

Primary: That which comes first in time or development as in the first symptoms of a disease.

Primary tumor: The place of origin of a tumor before it spreads to other body parts.

Prognosis: The outcome of a disease or the medical future for the patient.

Radiation: Energy waves are used to treat disease such as Gamma rays and X-rays.

Radiation therapy: Using radiation as a means of stopping proliferation of cancer cells is called radiation therapy.

Remission: Signs and symptoms of cancer or another disease may disappear after any treatment and may be considered to be "in remission." A situation may be temporary or permanent.

Resectable: That which can be removed (resected) by surgery.

Resistance: Medically this refers to the ability of an infection or bacteria to resist the given drug treatment.

Scan: The images that a sensing device collects provide information of the portion scanned; the images are scans in this context.

Stage: Cancer goes through changes from the time of its inception; each change or spread is a separate stage in its growth.

Staging: The process of examining and fixing the precise stage that the cancer is in form the early or beginning phases to the later one when it spreads beyond its original location to cover tangential organs is termed as staging.

Surgery: The process of removing an infected body part to contain the spread of the infection by operating upon it is called surgery and the person who performs it is a surgeon.

Therapy: The treatment of disease aimed at curing or even simply palliative care is termed therapy.

Thoracentesis: Ridding the pleura of accumulated fluid using a needle is called thoracentesis.

Thoracic: The area of the chest is referred to as thoracic. For instance, the lungs may be said to be housed in the thoracic cavity.

Tissue: This is a broad term referring to any group of cells that perform specific functions. The bone marrow is a type of tissue. Connective tissue composes the framework supporting the body parts; and lymphoid tissue protects the body's immune system from bacteria and other foreign entities.

Toxicity: Humans and animals can be affected negatively by some substances. The degree to which the harmful effect occurs is that product’s toxicity. For instance, snake venom has a very high level of toxicity.

Tubes: The two Fallopian tubes, one on either side of the ovaries, which convey the egg from the ovary to the uterus, are generally referred to as the tubes.

Tumor: Any abnormal mass of tissue in the body is a tumor. These may be benign or malignant (cancerous) and the tissue in which they originate give the tumor the name. For instance, a tumor in the inner part of the brain may be called medulloblastoma; medulla refers to the brain and blastoma refers to the embryonic cells from which the tumor arises in this case. The type and location of the tumor are critical factors in diagnosis as well as prognosis of the disease. Imaging may be used to mark the tumor; some tumors can be seen as a growth protruding on the skin and other tumors may be felt on touching by hands.

Unresectable: Many tumors are located in places where it is dangerous to try to remove them by surgery. These are called unresectable tumors. For instance, tumor in the brain or heart may be very dangerous to operate upon.

Vein: A blood vessel that carries impure blood from the body back to the heart for purification is called the vein. The low level of oxygen in the blood that veins carry makes them appear blue.

X-ray: Rays are used to form images that serve diagnostic purposes. Given in high dosage, the rays become therapeutic and may be used to treat cancer.