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Glossary

Showing 291-300 out of 1184 Terms

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  • Craniotomy

    (KRAY-nee-AH-toh-mee)

    An operation in which a piece of the skull is removed. A craniotomy may be done so doctors can remove a brain tumor or abnormal brain tissue. It may also be done to remove blood or blood clots from the brain, relieve pressure in the brain after an injury or stroke, repair a brain aneurysm (a bulge in a blood vessel wall) or skull fractures, or treat other brain conditions. The piece of skull that is removed is usually put back in place after the brain problem has been treated.

  • Creatinine

    (kree-A-tih-neen)

    A compound that is excreted from the body in urine. Creatinine levels are measured to monitor kidney function.

  • Crizotinib

    (krih-ZOH-tih-nib)

    A drug used to treat non-small cell lung cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. It is used in patients whose cancer is anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) positive or ROS1 positive. It is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. Crizotinib blocks the proteins made by the ALK and ROS1 genes. Blocking these proteins may stop the growth and spread of cancer cells. Crizotinib may also prevent the growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow. It is a type of tyrosine kinase inhibitor and a type of antiangiogenesis agent. Also called Xalkori.

  • Crohn Disease

    (krone dih-ZEEZ)

    A condition in which the gastrointestinal tract is inflamed over a long period of time. Crohn disease usually affects the small intestine and colon. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting, and weight loss. Crohn disease increases the risk of colorectal cancer and small intestine cancer. It is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Also called regional enteritis.

  • Culture

    (KUL-cher)

    A procedure using a sample of blood, urine, throat secretions or other biological material that determines the specific organism responsible for an infection. Cultures also help determine which antibiotics might be most effective.

  • Cumulative dose

    (KYOO-myuh-luh-tiv dose)

    In medicine, the total amount of a drug or radiation given to a patient over time; for example, the total dose of radiation given in a series of radiation treatments.

  • Cumulative exposure

    (KYOO-myuh-luh-tiv ek-SPOH-zher)

    The total amount of a substance or radiation that a person is exposed to over time. Cumulative exposure to a harmful substance or radiation may increase the risk of certain diseases or conditions.

  • Cumulative risk

    (KYOO-myuh-luh-tiv risk)

    A measure of the total risk that a certain event will happen during a given period of time. In cancer research, it is the likelihood that a person who is free of a certain type of cancer will develop that cancer by a specific age. For example, a woman with no known risk factors for breast cancer has a cumulative risk of getting breast cancer over a lifetime of 90 years of about 12-13%. This means one out of every eight women will get breast cancer by age 90 years.

  • Curative surgery

    (KYOOR-uh-tiv SER-juh-ree)

    Surgery to remove all malignant (cancerous) tissue, which is meant to cure the disease. This includes removing part or all of the cancerous organ or tissue and a small amount of healthy tissue around it. Nearby lymph nodes may also be removed. Curative surgery works best for localized cancer. Chemotherapy or radiation therapy may be given before surgery to shrink the tumor or after surgery to kill any cancer cells that remain.

  • Cure

    (kyoor)

    To heal or restore health; a treatment to restore health.