An important tumor suppressor gene that normally causes damaged cells to die. When this gene is not working properly, the risk of developing many types of cancer is increased.
pain specialists
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Doctors, nurses, and/or pharmacists who are experts in pain control. In many places there’s a team of health professionals who are available to address pain issues.
palliative care or treatment [pal-ee-uh-tiv]
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Health care focused on improving quality of life by managing the symptoms of a serious illness and side effects of treatment. Can be given at any time during an illness when a person has symptoms that need to be controlled. Palliative care helps a patient feel more comfortable but does not cure the disease.
palliative care specialists or team [pal-ee-uh-tiv]
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Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care professionals who work together to manage symptoms, such as pain, nausea, or fatigue. A palliative care team approach can be used for any patient (of any age) who has a serious illness. Palliative care teams can and often work alongside cancer care teams to help manage side effects during and after cancer treatment. These teams are often used to help patients during any stage of cancer, from diagnosis, throughout treatment, and to the end of life.
palpation [pal-pay-shun]
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Using the hands to examine. A
palpable mass is one that can be felt.
pancolitis [pan-ko-LITE-us]
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Ulcerative colitis throughout the entire colon.
Pap test or Pap smear
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A test in which cells are collected from the cervix and looked at using a microscope to see if cancer or pre-cancer cells are present. Testing is often done for human papillomavirus (HPV) at the same time.
papillary tumor [PAP-uh-lair-ee]
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Cancer cells that are arranged in tiny, finger-like projections when looked at with a microscope. This is a common feature of some tumors of the ovaries, uterus, thyroid gland, and other organs.
papilloma [PAP-uh-lo-muh]
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A benign (not cancer) growth.
pathologic stage
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See
stage.
pathologist [path-all-uh-jist]
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A doctor who specializes in diagnosing and classifying diseases by lab tests and by looking at tissues and cells with a microscope. The pathologist determines whether a tumor is cancer, and, if it is cancer, the exact cell type (where it started) and grade (how fast it likely will grow).
patient or nurse navigator
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A person who guides patients and their families through complex medical systems and helps them work with the rest of the cancer care team to overcome barriers to care that may come up so they can successfully complete their treatment. Navigators can be lay people with special training and experience or health care professionals, like nurses or social workers.
pediatric oncologist [pee-dee-at-trick on-kahl-uh-jist]
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A doctor who specializes in caring for children and teens with cancer (sometimes up to age 21).
pediatrician [pee-dee-uh-TRISH-un]
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A doctor who specializes in caring for children and teens, including preventing illness, providing primary health care, and treating of diseases.
pelvic examination [pell-vick ex-am-in-A-shun]
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An exam of a woman’s uterus and other pelvic organs. It is used to help find cancers of the reproductive organs. The doctor will look at external structures and palpate (feel) the internal organs such as the ovaries and uterus.
percent-free PSA (fPSA)
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The portion of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood that is not attached to blood proteins. The percentage of free PSA (fPSA) is lower in men who have prostate cancer than in men who do not. A low fPSA may suggest the need for a biopsy.
perforation [per-fuh-RAY-shun]
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A hole in the wall of a hollow organ, like the bladder or lung.
perineum [pair-uh-NEE-um]
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The area between the anus and the scrotum (in males) or the anus and the vagina (in females). This is called the
perineal area.
perineural invasion [pair-uh-NOO-rul]
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Growth of cancer cells into areas around nerves.
peripheral neuropathy [peh-RIH-feh-rul noor-AH-puh-thee]
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Nerve damage which causes numbness, tingling, burning, pain, weakness, loss of ability to feel hot and cold, and cramps in different parts of the body. It usually starts in the hands or feet. It may be caused by injury, infection, disease (cancer, diabetes, kidney failure, or poor nutrition, for example), or by medicines such as chemotherapy. Also called
neuropathy.
peritoneum [pear-i-tuh-NEE-um]
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The membrane that lines the abdomen (belly) and covers most of its organs. Peritoneal cavity refers to the area enclosed by the peritoneum.
permanent brachytherapy
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See
low-dose rate brachytherapy.
permanent section
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Biopsy tissue that has been prepared to be looked at under a microscope. The tissue is soaked in formalin, processed in various chemicals, enclosed in wax, sliced very thin, attached to a microscope slide, and stained. This process takes several days. It allows a clear view of the cells in the sample so that the pathologist can see whether or not cancer is present.
PET scan or positron emission tomography [pahs-uh-trahn ee-mish-uhn tom-ahg-ruh-fee]
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An imaging test that uses radioactive sugar to look for cancer cells in the body. Since cancer cells are more likely to take up larger amounts of sugar than normal cells, the test may be able to identify cancer versus normal cells. PET scans may be used to find tumors or see how well a tumor is responding to treatment.
pharmacist (RPh or PharmD)
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A licensed health professional who has at least a bachelor's degree in pharmacy. Pharmacists help to make sure treatments and medicines prescribed to patients are safe and effective. See also
Pain specialists and
Palliative care specialists.
pheresis [fuh-ree-sis]
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See
apheresis.
photocoagulation or photoablation [foe-toe-ko-ag-yu-LAY-shun or foe-toe-uh-blay-shun]
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Surgery that uses a laser beam to destroy tissues or seal tissues or blood vessels. Most often used to relieve blockages rather than to cure cancers.
photodynamic therapy [foe-toe-die-NAM-ick]
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A treatment that uses special drugs, sometimes called
photosensitizing agents, along with light to kill cancer cells.
Also called PDT.
photon beam radiation therapy [foe-ton]
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Standard type of radiation used for external beam radiation treatments.
physical therapist
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A licensed health professional, who has at least a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy, who helps examine, test, and treat physical problems, and uses exercises, heat, cold, and other methods to restore or maintain the body’s strength, mobility, and function.
physician assistant (PA)
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A certified and licensed medical professional with a master’s or doctoral level degree. Physician assistants practice medicine on teams with doctors and other health care professionals, providing a wide range of services. They may specialize in certain diseases or fields of medicine depending on their training and experience.
physiologic [fiz-ee-o-LA-jick]
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pertaining to the processes of the body or its systems. May also be used to describe a particular body function or organ as normal.
phytonutrients [fie-toe-KEM-ih-kul]
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Plant compounds like carotenoids, lycopene, resveratrol, and phytosterols that are thought to have health-protecting qualities. Also called
phytochemicals.
placebo [pluh-see-bo]
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A fake pill or treatment that may be used in studies (clinical trials) to compare the effects of a given treatment with no treatment. Placeboes are not used in studies where a proven treatment is available; instead, the new treatment is tested against the proven one.
plastic or reconstructive surgeon [re-kon-STRUCK-tiv]
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A surgeon who specializes in changing the way a body part looks or in rebuilding or replacing removed or injured body parts. In reconstruction (rebuilding body parts), the surgeon may use tissue from the patient or some special material with the right consistency to hold a shape or form over time. Also called a
plastic and reconstructive surgeon.
platelet [plate-let]
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A type of blood cell that helps stop bleeding by plugging up holes in blood vessels after an injury. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can cause a drop in the platelet count, a condition called ,
thrombocytopenia that carries a risk of excessive bleeding.
pleurodesis [plu-rah-dis-sis or plur-o-DEE-sis]
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A procedure to remove fluid that has built up between the lungs and the pleura and keep it from coming back by putting a substance between the layers to fuse them together.
ploidy [ploy-dee]
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Number of sets of chromosomes contained in a cell. Cancers with 23 pairs of chromosomes (the same as normal cells) are called
diploid(
dip-loyd) and those with either more or less than that amount are
aneuploid (
an-you-ployd).
polycythemia vera [pah-lee-sy-THEME-e-uh vair-uh]
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A chronic blood disorder in which the bone marrow makes too many red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. This leads to a higher concentration of hemoglobin with larger amounts of red blood cells, which is the main feature of this disease. But with time, the high platelet count may become more of a problem and patients can suffer from problems with blood clots because of this and their “thickened” blood. Although it is not a true cancer, it often turns into acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) after many years.
polyp [pah-lip]
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An abnormal growth on the inner lining (mucous membrane) of organs such as the colon, rectum, the uterus, and the nose. Polyps may be non-cancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant).
polypectomy [pah-lup-ECK-tuh-me]
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Surgery or procedure to remove a polyp.
portography [por-tahg-ruh-fee]
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A procedure that uses computed tomography (CT) and a dye injected into the portal vein of the liver. It takes cross-sectional x-rays of the veins to find cancer that may have spread from the colon or rectum.
positive margin
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See
surgical margin.
posterior [post-eer-ee-uhr]
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The back or near the back of an organ or the body.
poultice [pole-tiss]
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Soft paste or thick liquid that is usually heated, applied to a cloth, and placed over an inflamed or painful area. Herbs, leaves, or foods are commonly used for this in folk medicine and home remedies.
pre-cancerous
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Changes in cells that may, but do not always, become cancer.
pre-malignant
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See
pre-cancerous.
predisposition [pre-dis-puh-ZISH-un]
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A higher likelihood of developing a certain disease. For example, people with certain mutations (changes) in their genes or a family history are more likely to get certain types of cancer.
prevalence [preh-vul-uns]
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The number of living people who have ever been diagnosed with cancer, including people diagnosed with cancer in the past and those who were recently diagnosed.
The reduction of cancer risk by eliminating or reducing contact with things known to cause cancer, by changing conditions that contribute to cancer (such as obesity or lack of exercise), or by using medicines that interfere with cancer development. Lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, for example, reduces the number of people who will get lung and other cancers.
A person who has a higher risk of getting cancer, but hasn’t yet been diagnosed with cancer. Previvors are people who have an inherited gene (genetic) mutation, have a family history of cancer, or have other known risk factors..
primary care physician or provider
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The doctor a person would normally see first when a medical symptom or problem comes up. A primary care doctor could be a general practitioner, a family practice doctor, a gynecologist, a pediatrician, or an internal medicine doctor (an internist).
primary HPV test
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See
HPV test or human papillomavirus test.
primary site
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The place where a cancer begins. Cancer is usually named after the organ in which it first starts. For example, cancer that starts in the breast is always breast cancer, even if it spreads (
metastasizes) to other organs such as bones or lungs.
primary treatment or primary therapy
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The first treatment given for a cancer.
progesterone [pro-jes-ter-own]
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A female sex hormone released by the ovaries during every menstrual cycle to prepare the uterus (womb) for pregnancy and the breasts for milk production (lactation).
progesterone receptor assay
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A test done on breast cancer cells to see whether the cancer is affected by progesterone and might be sensitive to treatment with hormone therapy.
prognosis [prog-no-sis]
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The likely course of a disease, including the chance for recovery or of the cancer coming back.
Spreading or growing disease, with or without treatment.
A hormone released from the pituitary gland that prompts the breasts to produce milk.
proliferative [pro-lih-fer-uh-tiv]
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Rapid growth or increasing numbers of new cells.
prospective cohort study
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A long, on-going research study that captures and compares years of data from a cohort (a group of people with similar traits) to learn how specific characteristics or risk factors affect the rate of developing diseases such as cancer. Prospective means data is collected before anyone has developed cancer.
prosthesis [pros-thee-sis]
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A man-made substitute for a missing body part. Also called a
prosthetic.
protein [pro-teen]
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A large molecule made up of a chain of smaller units called
amino acids. Proteins serve many vital functions inside and outside of the body’s cells.
protocol [pro-tuh-call]
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A formal outline or plan, such as a description of what treatments a patient will get and exactly when each should be given.
proton beam therapy
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Radiation therapy that uses protons (positively charged particles) to kill tumor cells. A benefit of this type of treatment is that it lessens radiation damage to healthy tissue near a tumor. It is used for cancers of the brain, eye, lung, head and neck, spine, and prostate.
A descriptive term for a body part that is nearer to the center of the body than another part.
PSA density (PSAD)
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Determined by dividing the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level by the prostate size. A higher PSAD indicates a greater likelihood of cancer.
PSA doubling time (PSADT)
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The length of time it takes for the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level in the blood to double. This is sometimes useful in determining if prostate cancer is present or has come back (recurred).
PSA or prostate-specific antigen
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A protein made by the prostate gland that is found mostly in semen and a small amount in the blood. Blood tests for PSA levels may be used for prostate cancer screening, watching for changes in prostate cancer as part of observation or treatment, and checking to see if prostate cancer has come back after treatment is completed.
PSA velocity (PSAV)
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A measurement of how fast the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level rises over time.
psychiatrist [sy-ky-uh-trist]
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A medical doctor specializing in the causes, treatment, and prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Psychiatrists provide counseling and can also prescribe medicines or other treatments.
psychologist [sy-koll-uh-jist]
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A health professional who has a graduate degree in psychology and training in clinical psychology. This specialist assesses a person’s mental and emotional status and provides testing and counseling services to those who may have an emotional or mental health problem.
psychosocial [sy-ko-SO-shul]
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The psychological and/or social aspects of health, disease, treatment, and/or rehabilitation.
A gene that normally helps control cell growth. Inherited changes in this gene cause
Cowden syndrome, a rare disorder in which people are at higher risk for both non-cancer and cancer breast tumors. It is also linked to growths in the digestive tract, thyroid, uterus, and ovaries.
public health intervention
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Measures or steps designed to improve the health of a population. For example, interventions may use tactics at the individual, community, and system level to improve the number of people who get screened for cancer and get HPV vaccinations.
pulmonologist [pull-muh-NAHL-uh-jist]
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A doctor who has specialized experience and knowledge in the diagnosing and treating lung (pulmonary) conditions and diseases.