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Glossary

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  • Shunts

    (shunts)

    In medicine, passages made to allow blood or other fluid to move from one part of the body to another. For example, a surgeon may implant a tube to drain cerebrospinal fluid from the brain to the abdomen. A surgeon may also change normal blood flow by making a passage that leads from one blood vessel to another.

  • Sibling

    A person’s brother or sister who has the same parents.

  • Sickle cell disease

    An inherited disease in which the red blood cells have an abnormal crescent shape, block small blood vessels, and do not last as long as normal red blood cells. Sickle cell disease is caused by a mutation (change) in one of the genes for hemoglobin (the substance inside red blood cells that binds to oxygen and carries it from the lungs to the tissues). It is most common in people of West and Central African descent. Also called sickle cell anemia.

  • Side effect

    (side eh-FEKT)

    An effect of a drug or other type of treatment that is in addition to or beyond its desired effect. Side effects can be harmful or beneficial, and most go away on their own over time. Others may last past treatment or appear long after treatment has ended. Some common side effects of cancer treatment are nausea, vomiting, fatigue, pain, decreased blood cell counts, hair loss, and mouth sores.

  • Side effects

    Problems that occurs when treatment affects healthy tissues or organs. Some common side effects of cancer treatment are nausea, vomiting, fatigue, pain, decreased blood cell counts, hair loss, and mouth sores.

  • Signaling pathway

    (SIG-nuh-ling …)

    Describes a group of molecules in a cell that work together to control one or more cell functions, such as cell division or cell death. After the first molecule in a pathway receives a signal, it activates another molecule. This process is repeated until the last molecule is activated and the cell function is carried out. Abnormal activation of signaling pathways can lead to cancer, and drugs are being developed to block these pathways. These drugs may help block cancer cell growth and kill cancer cells.

  • Simulation

    (SIM-yoo-LAY-shun)

    In cancer treatment, a process used to plan radiation therapy so that the target area is precisely located and marked.

  • Sinuses

    Hollow spaces in the bones of your head.

  • Skin graft

    (skin graft)

    Skin that is moved from one part of the body to another.

  • Sleep Apnea

    (… AP-nee-uh)

    A sleep disorder that is marked by pauses in breathing of 10 seconds or more during sleep, and causes unrestful sleep. Symptoms include loud or abnormal snoring, daytime sleepiness, irritability, and depression.