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Glossary

Showing 1041-1050 out of 1184 Terms

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  • Sodium

    (SOH-dee-um)

    A mineral needed by the body to keep body fluids in balance. Sodium is found in table salt and in many processed foods. Too much sodium can cause the body to retain water.

  • Soft tissue sarcoma

    (...TIH-shoo sar-KOH-muh)

    A cancer that begins in the muscle, fat, fibrous tissue, blood vessels, or other supporting tissue of the body.

  • Solid tumor

    SAH-lid TOO-mer

    An abnormal mass of tissue that usually does not contain cysts or liquid areas. Solid tumors may be benign (not cancer), or malignant (cancer). Different types of solid tumors are named for the type of cells that form them. Examples of solid tumors are sarcomas, carcinomas, and lymphomas. Leukemias (cancers of the blood) generally do not form solid tumors.

  • Somatic

    (soh-MA-tik)

    Having to do with the body.

  • Sperm

    (spurm)

    The male reproductive cell, formed in the testicle. A sperm unites with an egg to form an embryo.

  • Spinal cord

    (SPY-nul kord)

    A column of nerve tissue that runs from the base of the skull down the center of the back. It is covered by three thin layers of protective tissue called membranes. The spinal cord and membranes are surrounded by the vertebrae (back bones). The spinal cord and the brain make up the central nervous system (CNS). Spinal cord nerves carry messages between the brain and the rest of the body.

  • Spine

    spine

    The bones, muscles, tendons, and other tissues that reach from the base of the skull to the tailbone. The spine encloses the spinal cord and the fluid surrounding the spinal cord. Also called backbone, spinal column, and vertebral column.

  • Spirituality

    (SPEER-ih-choo-A-lih-tee)

    Having to do with deep, often religious, feelings and beliefs, including a person’s sense of peace, purpose, connection to others, and beliefs about the meaning of life.

  • Spleen

    (spleen)

    An organ that is part of the lymphatic system. The spleen makes lymphocytes, filters the blood, stores blood cells, and destroys old blood cells. It is located on the left side of the abdomen near the stomach.

  • Stage

    stayj

    The extent of a cancer in the body. Staging is usually based on the size of the tumor, whether lymph nodes contain cancer, and whether the cancer has spread from the original site to other parts of the body.