News Articles February 2022

A therapy used in addition to or accompanying another treatment.

Adjuvant (therapy). Treatment given after or in addition to the primary treatment to increase the chances of a cure. Adjuvant therapy may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, or biological therapy.

A pair of endocrine glands which produce small quantities of vital hormones.

The adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys and are controlled by the pituitary gland. They produce aldosterone which regulates salt and potassium balance, cortisol which is a stress hormone, and weak sex steroids.

A substance that is foreign to the body and, in some people, can cause an allergic reaction.

An allergen is a substance that can cause an allergic reaction. Allergens are substances that, in some people, the immune system recognizes as “foreign” or “dangerous” but cause no response for most people. Examples include pollen, molds, and certain foods.

A hypersensitivity of the body’s immune system in response to exposure to specific substances (antigens).

A hypersensitive immune reaction to a substance that normally is harmless or would not cause an immune response in most people. An allergic response may cause harmful symptoms such as itching or inflammation or tissue injury. Also called Hypersensitivity.

Loss of hair; baldness in areas where hair is usually present.

A common side effect of radiation therapy to the brain and some chemical therapies.

Able to walk around, not bed-ridden.

Able to walk about and not bedridden, as in an ambulatory patient or outpatient.

The failure of a woman to menstruate.

Amenorrhea is the absence of a menstrual period. Primary amenorrhea is when a young woman has not yet had a period by age 16. Secondary amenorrhea describes someone who used to have a regular period but then it stopped for at least three months due to pregnancy or other factors.

A medicine used to reduce pain.

Pain medications are also called analgesics. Analgesics include aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen. Every pain medicine has benefits and risks. Specific types of pain may respond better to one medication over another. Results also vary from patient to patient.

An acute systemic allergic reaction. In severe cases, this can include potentially deadly anaphylactic shock.

Also known as Anaphylactic reaction. Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening, whole-body allergic reaction. After being exposed to a substance like bee sting venom, the person’s immune system becomes sensitized to that allergen. On a later exposure, an allergic reaction may occur. This reaction is sudden, severe, and involves the entire body.
Tissues in different parts of the body release histamine and other substances, causing airways to tighten and may lead to other symptoms.
Anaphylactic-like reaction (anaphylactoid reaction) can be caused by drugs such as polymyxin, morphine, x-ray dye, and others. This is usually due to a toxic reaction, rather than an immune system response as in anaphylaxis.

Characteristics of a cell that make it identifiable as a cancer cell. Malignant

A change in the structure of cells and in their orientation to each other; characteristic of malignancy. Malignant cells that have returned to a more undifferentiated or primitive form.Mali