Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «C»:
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Cancer of the pancreas
Cancer of the pancreas: See: Pancreatic cancer....
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Cancer of the rectum
Cancer of the rectum: See: Rectal cancer....
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Cancer of the tongue
Cancer of the tongue: See: Tongue cancer....
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Cancer of the vulva
Cancer of the vulva: An uncommon cancer of women in which the malignancy is in the vulva, the outer part of the vagina, that includes the labia. Cancer of the vulva occurs mainly in women over 50 although it is becoming more common in younger women. Clues may include constant itching, severe burning...
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Cancer registry
Cancer registry: A register designed to collect information about the occurrence (incidence) of cancer, the types of cancers that occur and their locations within the body, the extent of cancer at the time of diagnosis (disease stage), and the kinds of treatment that patients receive. In the US, the...
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Cancer survivor
Cancer survivor: Someone who has received the diagnosis of a potentially fatal
form of cancer and is therefore forced to face his or her own mortality. The phrase was coined on July 25, 1985 in an essay in the New England Journal of Medicine by Dr. Fitzhugh Mullan. Mullan's essay was entitled "The ...
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Cancer symptoms
Cancer symptoms: Abnormal sensations or conditions that
persons can notice that are a result of a cancer. It is important to see your doctor for
regular checkups and not wait for problems to occur. But you should also know that the
following symptoms may be associated with cancer: changes in bowel o...
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Cancer, adult primary liver
Cancer, adult primary liver: A tumor in which the cancer starts during adulthood in cells in the liver. Also called hepatocellular carcinoma.
Primary liver cancer is different from cancer that has metastasized (spread) from another place in the body to the liver.
The signs and symptoms may incl...
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Cancer, basal cell
Cancer, basal cell: The most common type of skin cancer, a disease in which the cancer cells resemble the basal cells of the epidermis, the outer layer of the skin.
Basal cell carcinomas usually appear as the classic "sore that
doesn't heal." A bleeding or scabbing sore that seems to get
somewhat...
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Cancer, bile duct
Cancer, bile duct: An uncommon type of cancer that arises from the bile duct, the tube that connects the liver and the gallbladder to the small intestine.
The part of the bile duct that is outside the liver is called the extrahepatic bile duct. Bile, a fluid made by the liver that breaks down fats...
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Cancer, bladder
Cancer, bladder: Cancer of the organ responsible for
temporarily holding urine after it leaves the kidneys. The most common warning sign of
cancer in the bladder (the hollow organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine) is blood
in the urine. The diagnosis of bladder cancer is supported by findings ...
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Cancer, bone
Cancer, bone: A malignancy in bone. Primary bone cancer, one that begins in bone, is uncommon but it is not unusual for a malignancy to spread to bone from other parts of the body such as from breast, lung, and prostate.
The most common type of primary bone cancer is osteosarcoma, which develops in...
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Cancer, brain
Cancer, brain: Cancer of the central information
processing center of the body. Tumors in the brain can be malignant
or benign, and can occur at any age. Only malignant tumors are
cancerous. Primary brain tumors cancer initially forms in the brain
tissue. Secondary brain tumors cancers are cance...
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Cancer, breast
Cancer, breast: Cancer of the tissue containing or
involving the milk glands (mammary tissue). Breast cancer is
diagnosed with self- and
physician- examination of the breasts, mammography, ultrasound
testing, and biopsy. There
are many types of breast cancer that differ in their capability of
spr...
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Cancer, breast, familial
Cancer, breast, familial: A number of factors have been identified
that increase the risk of breast cancer. One of the strongest of these risk factors is the
history of breast cancer in a relative. About 15-20% of women with breast cancer have such
a family history of the disease, clearly reflecting...