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Resistance
The inherent ability of an organism to resist harmful influences.
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Respiration
The process of breathing.
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Respiratory therapist
(RES-pih-ruh-TOR-ee THAYR-uh-pist)
A health professional trained to evaluate and treat people who have breathing problems or other lung disorders.
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Respiratory tract
(RES-pih-ruh-TOR-ee trakt)
The organs that are involved in breathing. These include the nose, throat, larynx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs. Also called respiratory system.
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Retina
(REH-tih-nuh)
The light-sensitive layers of nerve tissue at the back of the eye that receive images and sends them as electric signals through the optic nerve to the brain.
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Retinoblastoma
REH-tih-noh-blas-TOH-muh
Cancer that forms in the tissues of the retina (the light-sensitive layers of nerve tissue at the back of the eye). Retinoblastoma usually occurs in children younger than 5 years. It may be hereditary or nonhereditary (sporadic).
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Reye syndrome
(ray SIN-drome)
A rare disease that damages the brain and liver and causes death if not treated.
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Rhabdomyosarcoma
RAB-doh-MY-oh-sar-KOH-muh
Cancer that forms in the soft tissues in a type of muscle called striated muscle. Rhabdomyosarcoma can occur anywhere in the body.
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Risk group
(risk groop)
In medicine, risk groups are used to describe people who are alike in important ways. For example, patients with the same type of cancer may be divided into different risk groups that depend on certain aspects of their disease. These risk groups may be based on the patients’ chance of being cured (good versus poor) or the chance that their disease will come back (high versus low). Treatment may be based on which risk group a patient falls into. Risk groups can also be used to describe people who share traits and behaviors that affect their chance of developing a disease. For example, people who do not smoke are in a lower risk group for lung cancer than people who smoke.
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Rituximab
(rih-TUK-sih-mab)
A drug used alone or with other drugs to treat certain types of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma that are CD20 positive. It is used under the brand names Truxima and Rituxan to treat these cancers. Rituximab is also used under the brand name Rituxan to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia that is CD20 positive. It is also being studied in the treatment of other conditions and types of cancer. Rituximab binds to a protein called CD20, which is found on B cells and some types of cancer cells. This may help the immune system kill cancer cells. Rituximab is a type of monoclonal antibody.
