Ovarian Cancer Glossary of Terms

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Abdomen: The belly, that part of the body that contains all of the structures between the...

Abdominal: Relating to the abdomen, the belly, that part of the body that contains all of ...

Abdominal muscles: A large group of muscles in the front of the abdomen that assists in th...

Abdominal pain: Pain in the belly. Abdominal pain can be acute or chronic. It may reflect ...

Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Asbestos: A natural material made up of tiny fibers that is used as thermal insulation. In...

Ascites: An abnormal accumulation of fluid within the abdomen. There are many causes of as...

Benign: Not malignant. A benign tumor is one that does not invade surrounding tissue or sp...

Bilateral: Affecting both sides. For example, bilateral arthritis affects joints on both t...

Biopsy: The removal of a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope to check for ...

Birth control: Birth control is the use of any practices, methods, or devices to prevent p...

Bladder: A hollow organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine. The kidneys filter waste f...

Bowel: The small and large intestine.

BRCA2: A gene that normally acts to restrain the growth of cells in the breast and ovary b...

Breast cancer: Breast cancer is diagnosed with self- and physician-examination of the brea...

Breastfeeding: Feeding a child human breast milk. According to the American Academy of Ped...

Breathing: The process of respiration, during which air is inhaled into the lungs through ...

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Cancer causes: In most individual cases of cancer, the exact cause of cancer is unknown. T...

Cancer symptoms: Abnormal sensations or conditions that persons can notice that are a resu...

Capsule: Capsule has many meanings in medicine including the following:

1. In medici...

Carcinoma: Cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover body organs. Ex...

Cell: The basic structural and functional unit of any living thing. Each cell is a small c...

Cervical: Having to do with any kind of neck, including the neck on which the head is perc...

Cervical cancer: Cancer of the entrance to the womb (uterus). The cervix is the lower, na...

Chemotherapy: 1. In the original sense, a chemical that binds to and specifically k...

Chest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t...

Colon: The long, coiled, tubelike organ that removes water from digested food. The remaini...

Colon cancer: A malignant tumor arising from the inner wall of the large intestine (the co...

Colorectal: Related to the colon and/or rectum.

Colorectal cancer: A malignant tumor arising from the inner wall of the large intestine (t...

Computed tomography: An x-ray procedure that uses the help of a computer to produce a deta...

Congestive heart failure: Inability of the heart to keep up with the demands on it, with f...

Constipation: Infrequent and frequently incomplete bowel movements. Constipation is the op...

CT scan: Computerized tomography scan. Pictures of structures within the body created by a...

Cysts: Cysts are abnormal, closed sac-like structures within a tissue that contain a liqui...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Diarrhea: A common condition that involves unusually frequent and liquid bowel movements. ...

Ectopic: In the wrong place, out of place. For example, an ectopic kidney is a kidney that...

Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medica...

Endometriosis: The presence of tissue that normally grows inside the uterus (womb) in an ...

Epithelial: Relating to the epithelium.

Epithelium: The outside layer of cells that covers all the free, open surfaces of the body...

Essential: In medicine, of unknown cause, as in essential hypertension (high blood pressur...

Estrogen: A female steroid hormone that is produced by the ovaries and, in lesser amounts,...

Fallopian tube: One of the two Fallopian tubes that transport the egg from the ovary to th...

Family history: The family structure and relationships within the family, including inform...

Fertility: The ability to conceive and bear children, the ability to become pregnant throu...

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Fibroids: Fibroids are common, benign tumors of smooth muscle in the uterus (womb). Uterin...

Gallbladder: A pear-shaped organ located below the liver that stores the bile secreted by ...

Gene: The basic biological unit of heredity. A segment of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) need...

Genes: The basic biological units of heredity. Segments of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) nee...

Genetic: Having to do with genes and genetic
information.

Genetic screening: Testing of a population to identify individuals who are at risk for a g...

Genetic testing: Tests done for clinical genetic purposes. Genetic tests may be done for ...

Genetics: The scientific study of heredity. Genetics pertains to humans and all other orga...

Germ: 1. A cell or group of cells (called a primordium) capable of developing into ...

Germ cell: Either the egg or the sperm cell; a reproductive cell. Each mature germ cell is...

Gestation: The period of time from conception to birth.

Gynecologic oncologist: A physician who specializes in treating cancers of the female repr...

Gynecologist: A physician who specializes in treating diseases of the female reproductive ...

Gynecology: The branch of medicine that is particularly concerned with the health of the f...

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Heart disease: Any disorder that affects the heart. Sometimes the term "heart disease" is ...

Heart failure: Inability of the heart to keep up with the demands on it and, specifically...

Hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer: (HNPCC) An hereditary cancer syndrome which carries ...

Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer: See: Hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer.

HNPCC: Hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer.

Hormone: A chemical substance produced in the body that controls and regulates the activit...

Hysterectomy: An operation to remove the uterus. Hysterectomies are most commonly performe...

Incidence: The frequency with which something, such as a disease or trait, appears in a pa...

Incision: A cut through skin or other tissue performed by a health care professional.

Indicate: In medicine, to make a treatment or procedure advisable because of a particular ...

Infertile: Not able to conceive after a year of regular intercourse without contraception.

Irradiation: The use of high-energy radiation from x-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, and other...

Lactose: The sugar found in milk. Lactose is a large sugar molecule that is made up of two...

Lactose intolerance: The inability to digest lactose, a component of milk and some other d...

Laparoscopic: 1. Pertaining to the procedure of laparoscopy.
2. Pert...

Laparoscopy: A type of surgery in which small incisions are made in the abdominal wall thr...

Laparotomy: An operation to open the abdomen. For example, laparotomy is used to remove ca...

Lifetime risk: The risk of developing a disease during ones lifetime or dying of the disea...

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

Liver disease: Liver disease refers to any disorder of the liver. The liver is a large org...

Lungs: The lungs are a pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon...

Lymph: The almost colorless fluid that travels through the lymphatic system, carrying cell...

Lynch syndrome: See: Hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer.

Malignant: 1. Tending to be severe and become progressively worse, as in malignant ...

Marker: A piece of DNA that lies on a chromosome so close to a gene that the marker and t...

Membrane: A very thin layer of tissue that covers a 'surface.

Menopause: The time in a woman's life when menstrual periods permanently stop; it is also...

Menstrual: Pertaining to menstruation (the menses), as in last menstrual period, menstrua...

Menstrual irregularity: The normal menstrual cycle is about four weeks long, and often fo...

Menstruation: The periodic blood that flows as a discharge from the uterus. Also called me...

Metastasis: 1. The process by which cancer spreads from the place at which it firs...

Microscope: An optical instrument that augments the power of the eye to see small objects....

Microscopic: So small it cannot be seen without the aid of microscope. As opposed to macro...

Mumps: An acute (sudden, shortlived) viral illness that usually presents with inflammation...

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

Mutation: A permanent change, a structural alteration, in the DNA or RNA. In humans and m...

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

Obstetrics: The art and science of managing pregnancy, labor, and the puerperium (the time...

Omentum: A sheet of fat that is covered by peritoneum. The greater omentum is attached to ...

Oncologist: A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. After a ...

Oncology: The field of medicine that is devoted to cancer. Clinical oncology consists of t...

Oophorectomy: The removal of one or both ovaries by surgery.

Operation: In medicine, a surgical procedure. Many operations are named after persons. The...

Ova: Plural of ovum.

Ovarian: Of or pertaining to the ovary.

Ovarian cancer: A malignant tumor of the ovary, the egg sac in a female. Women who have a ...

Ovary: The female gonad, one of a pair of reproductive glands in women. The ovaries are lo...

Ovulation: The release of the ripe egg (ovum) from the ovary. The egg is released when the...

Oxygen: The odorless gas that is present in the air and necessary to maintain life. Oxygen...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Pancreas: A spongy, tube-shaped organ that is about 6 inches long and is located in the ba...

Pap Smear: A screening test for cervical cancer based on the examination of cells under th...

Pathologist: A physician who identifies diseases and conditions by studying abnormal cells...

Pelvic: Having to do with the pelvis, the lower part of the abdomen, located between the h...

Pelvic exam: An examination of the organs of the female reproductive system.

Pelvic pain: : Pain perceived in the area of the pelvis, the lower part of the abdomen loc...

Pelvis: The lower part of the abdomen, located between the hip bones. Structures in the fe...

Peritoneal: Having to do with the peritoneum.

Peritoneum: The membrane that lines the abdominal cavity and covers most of the abdominal ...

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Pregnancy: The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body. Thi...

Pregnant: The state of carrying a developing fetus within the body.

Progesterone: A female hormone, the principal hormone that prepares the uterus to receive ...

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

Quality of life: The patient's ability to enjoy normal life activities. Quality of life is...

Recurrent: Appearing or occurring again. For example, a recurrent fever is a fever that ha...

Resection: Surgical removal of part of an organ.

Residual: Something left behind. With residual disease, the disease has not been eradicate...

Salpingo-oophorectomy: Removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries.

Scan: As a noun, the data or image obtained from the examination of organs or regions of...

Shortness of breath: Difficulty in breathing. Medically referred to as dyspnea. Shortness ...

Sperm: A sperm is the male "gamete" or sex cell. It combines with the female &qu...

Spleen: An organ that is located in the upper-left part of the abdomen, not far from the s...

Stage: As regards cancer, the extent of a cancer, especially whether the disease has spre...

Staging: stagingDoing exams and tests to learn the extent of a cancer, especially whether ...

Stomach: The digestive organ that is located in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. The upp...

Stromal: Pertaining to the stroma of an organ. See: Stroma.

Surgeon: A physician who treats disease, injury, or deformity via operative or manual meth...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. In contrast, a sign is objective. Blood comin...

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

Talc: A very soft, soapy-feeling mineral that is a silicate of magnesium, sometimes with s...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Tomography: The process for generating a tomogram, a two-dimensional image of a slice or s...

Tubes: The "tubes" are medically known as the Fallopian tubes. There are two Fallopian tub...

Tumor: An abnormal mass of tissue. Tumors are a classic sign of inflammation, and can be ...

Tumor marker: A substance that can be detected in higher-than-normal amounts in the blood,...

Ultrasound: High-frequency sound waves. Ultra-sound waves can be bounced off tissues by us...

Urinary: Having to do with the function or anatomy of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, or ur...

Uterus: A hollow, pear-shaped organ that is located in a woman's lower abdomen, between th...

Virus: A microorganism that is smaller than a bacterium that cannot grow or reproduce apar...

Viruses: Small living particles that can infect cells and change how the cells function. I...

Womb: The womb (uterus) is a hollow, pear-shaped organ located in a woman's lower abdomen ...

X-ray: High-energy radiation with waves shorter than those of visible light. X-ray is used...