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Glossary

Showing 511-520 out of 1184 Terms

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  • Goiter

    (GOY-ter)

    An enlarged thyroid. It may be caused by too little iodine in the diet or by other conditions. Most goiters are not cancer.

  • Gonadotropin-releasing hormone

    (goh-NA-doh-TROH-pin-reh-LEE-sing HOR-mone)

    A hormone made by a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone causes the pituitary gland in the brain to make and secrete the hormones luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). In men, these hormones cause the testicles to make testosterone. In women, they cause the ovaries to make estrogen and progesterone. Also called GnRH, LH-RH, LHRH, and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone.

  • Gorlin syndrome

    (GOR-lin SIN-drome)

    A rare, inherited disorder that affects many organs and tissues in the body. People with this disorder have a very high risk of developing basal cell skin cancer during adolescence or early adulthood. They are also at risk of developing medulloblastoma (a type of brain cancer) and other types of cancer. Gorlin syndrome may also cause benign (not cancer) tumors in the jaw, heart, or ovaries. Other signs and symptoms include a large head and unusual facial features; small pits in the skin on the hands and feet; abnormalities of the spine, ribs, or skull; eye problems; and developmental problems. Gorlin syndrome is caused by a mutation (change) in the PTCH1 gene. Also called basal cell nevus syndrome, BCNS, NBCCS, and nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome.

  • Gout

    (gowt)

    A condition marked by increased levels of uric acid in the blood, joints, and tissue. The buildup of uric acid in the joints and tissues causes arthritis and inflammation.

  • Grade

    grayd

    In cancer, a description of a tumor based on how abnormal the cancer cells and tissue look under a microscope and how quickly the cancer cells are likely to grow and spread. Low-grade cancer cells look more like normal cells and tend to grow and spread more slowly than high-grade cancer cells. Grading systems are different for each type of cancer. They are used to help plan treatment and determine prognosis. Also called histologic grade and tumor grade.

  • Grading

    (GRAY-ding)

    A system for classifying cancer cells in terms of how abnormal they appear when examined under a microscope. The objective of a grading system is to provide information about the probable growth rate of the tumor and its tendency to spread. The systems used to grade tumors vary with each type of cancer. Grading plays a role in treatment decisions.

  • Graft

    (graft)

    Healthy skin, bone, or other tissue taken from one part of the body and used to replace diseased or injured tissue removed from another part of the body.

  • Graft versus host disease

    The condition that results when the immune cells of a transplant (usually of bone marrow) from a donor attack the tissues of the person receiving the transplant. A reaction of engrafted tissue against your own tissue.

  • Graft-versus-tumor

    (graft-VER-sus-TOO-mer)

    An immune response to a person's tumor cells by immune cells present in a donor's transplanted tissue, such as bone marrow or peripheral blood.

  • Granual Cell Tumors

    (GRAN-yoo-lur sel TOO-mer)

    A rare type of soft tissue tumor that usually begins in Schwann cells (cells that hold nerve cells in place). It can occur anywhere in the body, but it usually occurs in or under the skin of the head and neck (especially the mouth or tongue). It may also occur in the chest, breast, esophagus, stomach, or other internal organ. Most granular cell tumors are benign (not cancer), but some may be malignant (cancer) and spread quickly to nearby tissue. They usually occur in middle-aged adults. Also called Abrikossoff tumor.