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Glossary

Showing 771-780 out of 1199 Terms

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  • Menstrual period

    (MEN-stroo-ul PEER-ee-ud)

    The normal monthly shedding of blood and tissue from the lining of the uterus (womb) when pregnancy does not occur.

  • Menstrual periods

    (MEN-stroo-ul PEER-ee-uds)

    The periodic discharge of blood and tissue from the uterus. From puberty until menopause, menstruation occurs about every 28 days, but does not occur during pregnancy.

  • Menstruation

    (MEN-stroo-WAY-shun)

    Periodic discharge of blood and tissue from the uterus. From puberty until menopause, menstruation occurs about every 28 days when a woman is not pregnant.

  • Mercaptopurine

    (mer-KAP-toh-PYOOR-een)

    A drug used with other drugs to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. Mercaptopurine stops cells from making DNA and may kill cancer cells. It is a type of antimetabolite. Also called Purinethol and Purixan.

  • Metabolic

    (MEH-tuh-BAH-lik)

    Having to do with metabolism (the total of all chemical changes that take place in a cell or an organism to produce energy and basic materials needed for important life processes).

  • Metabolic syndrome

    MEH-tuh-BAH-lik SIN-drome

    A condition marked by extra fat around the abdomen, high levels of blood glucose (sugar) when not eating, high levels of triglycerides (a type of fat) in the blood, low levels of high-density lipoproteins (a type of protein that carries fats) in the blood, and high blood pressure. People with metabolic syndrome are at increased risk of diabetes mellitus and diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Also called metabolic syndrome X.

  • Metabolism

    (meh-TA-buh-lih-zum)

    The chemical changes that take place in a cell or an organism. These changes make energy and the materials cells and organisms need to grow, reproduce, and stay healthy. Metabolism also helps get rid of toxic substances.

  • Metastasis

    The spread of cancer cells from the place where they first formed to another part of the body. In metastasis, cancer cells break away from the original (primary) tumor, travel through the blood or lymph system, and form a new tumor in other organs or tissues of the body. The new, metastatic tumor is the same type of cancer as the primary tumor. For example, if breast cancer spreads to the lung, the cancer cells in the lung are breast cancer cells, not lung cancer cells.

  • Metastasize

    (meh-TAS-tuh-size)

    To spread from one part of the body to another. When cancer cells metastasize and form secondary tumors, the cells in the metastatic tumor are like those in the original (primary) tumor.

  • Metastatic

    (meh-tuh-STA-tik)

    Having to do with metastasis, which is the spread of cancer from the primary site (place where it started) to other places in the body.