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Glossary

Showing 151-160 out of 1184 Terms

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  • Brain scan

    An imaging method used to find anything not normal in the brain, including brain cancer and cancer that has spread to the brain from other places in the body. A radioactive substance is injected into a vein and pictures are taken to show where the radioactivity collects, indicating an abnormality.

  • Brain stem

    (brayn stem)

    The part of the brain that is connected to the spinal cord.

  • Brainstem

    (brayn stem)

    The part of the brain that is connected to the spinal cord.

  • Breast

    (brest)

    Glandular organ located on the chest. The breast is made up of connective tissue, fat, and breast tissue that contains the glands that can make milk. Also called mammary gland.

  • Brentuximab Vedotin

    (bren-TUK-sih-mab veh-DOH-tin)

    A drug used with other anticancer drugs to treat systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma or other peripheral T-cell lymphomas, including angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, that are CD30 positive and have not been treated with other therapy. It is also used with other anticancer drugs to treat stage III or stage IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma that has not been treated with other therapy. Brentuximab vedotin is also used to treat certain types of Hodgkin lymphoma, anaplastic large cell lymphoma, and mycosis fungoides that were treated with other therapy. It is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. Brentuximab vedotin contains a monoclonal antibody that binds to a protein called CD30, which is found on some lymphoma cells. It also contains an anticancer drug, which may help kill cancer cells. Brentuximab vedotin is a type of antibody-drug conjugate. Also called Adcetris and SGN-35.

  • Bronchitis

    (bron-KY-tis)

    Inflammation (swelling and reddening) of the bronchi.

  • Bronchoscopy

    (bron-KOS-koh-pee)

    A procedure that uses a bronchoscope to examine the inside of the trachea, bronchi (air passages that lead to the lungs), and lungs. A bronchoscope is a thin, tube-like instrument with a light and a lens for viewing. It may also have a tool to remove tissue to be checked under a microscope for signs of disease. The bronchoscope is inserted through the nose or mouth. Bronchoscopy may be used to detect cancer or to perform some treatment procedures.

  • Bulimia

    Bulimia is an eating disorder in which a person has regular episodes of eating a very large amount of food (bingeing) during which the person feels a loss of control over eating. The person then uses different ways, such as vomiting or laxatives (purging), to prevent weight gain.

  • B–cell ALL

    (... sel ...)

    B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. An aggressive (fast-growing) type of leukemia (blood cancer) in which too many B-cell lymphoblasts (immature white blood cells) are found in the bone marrow and blood. It is the most common type of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Also called B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia and precursor B-lymphoblastic leukemia.

  • CAR T-cell

    (kar T-sel)

    A type of treatment in which a patient's T cells (a type of immune system cell) are changed in the laboratory so they will attack cancer cells. T cells are taken from a patient’s blood. Then the gene for a special receptor that binds to a certain protein on the patient’s cancer cells is added in the laboratory. The special receptor is called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). Large numbers of the CAR T cells are grown in the laboratory and given to the patient by infusion. CAR T-cell therapy is being studied in the treatment of some types of cancer. Also called chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy.