Some medical terms explained

You may hear or read lots of medical words that you don't understand, or are unsure about. Some of the common ones are explained below. If you don't understand the words a doctor or nurse is using don't feel embarrassed to ask them to explain them.

Alopecia Hair loss

Anaesthetic Drugs to put a person to sleep (general anaesthetic) or to numb a part of the body (local anaesthetic)

Benign Not cancerous, although may be capable of causing problems

Biopsy A small sample of body tissue, taken to make a diagnosis

Blood count Blood test to check the number of cells of different types in the blood

Bone marrow The spongy material in the centre of the large bones of the body which makes blood cells

Carcinogen A cancer causing agent

Cardio To do with the heart

Catheter A thin flexible tube used to pass fluid into the body or to drain fluid from the body (for example, urinary catheter, central venous catheter [long line])

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) The fluid produced within the brain which surrounds the brain and spinal cord

Chemotherapy Drug treatment to kill cancer cells

Chromosome Structure in the nucleus of the cell which contains the genes

Chronic Long-standing or long-lasting

Congenital Any condition existing at birth

Cyto To do with cells

Dysfunction Not working properly

Electrolytes The minerals and salts in the body, e.g. sodium, potassium, calcium

Endocrine To do with hormones

Excision Cutting out

Genetic Condition caused by abnormal genes (may be inherited) Haematology The study of blood and blood diseases

Haemoglobin The substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen around the body

Histopathology The study of body tissues

Hormone A substance made and secreted by a gland and carried in the bloodstream to parts of the body where it has a specific effect on the way the body works

Immune system The body’s defence against infection, disease and foreign substances

Immunology The study of the body’s system for fighting infection

Immunosuppressive Lowering the body’s ability to fight infection

Intravenous (IV) Into a vein

Lymph Almost colourless liquid, part of the body’s defence against infection, carried in a network of lymphatic vessels

Lymphocyte A white blood cell produced by a lymph gland, which fights infection

Malignant Cancerous. If a tumour is malignant it grows uncontrollably and can travel to other parts of the body

Metastases Tumours that have spread from a first (primary) tumour in another part of the body; also known as secondary tumours

Microbiology The study of germs

Morbidity The state of being diseased; ill effects

Nausea Feeling sick

Neuro To do with the nerves or nervous system

Neutropenic Low levels of neutrophils

Neutrophils White blood cells which fight infection

Oncology The study and treatment of cancer

Ophthalmology The study of the eyes

Oral To do with the mouth

Osteo To do with the bones

Paediatric To do with children

Palliative Relief of a symptom (for example, pain) rather than cure of the disease

Platelet Blood cell which helps blood to clot

Prognosis The expected outcome of a disease and its treatment

Prosthesis An artificial replacement of, for example, a bone

Pulmonary To do with the lungs 

Radiotherapy The use of high energy x-rays to destroy cancer cells

Refractory Resistant to treatment

Relapse The return of a disease after previous treatment

Remission There is no evidence of the disease using the available tests

Renal To do with the kidneys

Sarcoma A tumour of connective tissue, for example bone, muscle, fat, nerve sheath or blood vessels

Stage of a cancer The extent of a cancer (it’s size and whether it has spread)

Stem cell Early (immature) blood cell

Subcutaneous Under the skin

Therapy Treatment

Thrombocytopenia A reduced number of platelets in the blood

Toxic Poisonous; causes unpleasant or dangerous effects, for example, cytotoxic drugs poison cells

Tumour An abnormal lump of tissue formed by a collection of cells. It may be benign or malignant