Skip the main content if you do not want to read it as the next section.
Skip the location trail if you do not want to read it as the next section.
Location trail
Home > About childhood cancer > youth > Facts and feelings >Alopecia: Hair loss
Anaemic: Low number of red blood cells
Benign: Won't spread to other parts of the body
Biopsy: A sample of the body tissue is removed, and examined under a microscope
Blood Count: The number of cells of different types in the blood
Bone Marrow: Spongy material found in the centre of bones - produces blood cells
Cancer: Abnormal growth of cells
Carcinogen: A cancer causing agent
Cardio: To do with the heart
Catheter: A thin flexible tube used to pass fluid into the body, or drain fluid from the body (for example urinary catheter, central venous catheter (long line/hickman line/portacath)
Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF): The fluid produced within the brain which surrounds the brain and spinal cord
Chemotherapy: The use of drugs (medicines) to destroy cancer cells
Cytoxic Drugs: Anti-cancer drugs
Diagnosis: Identify actual type of disease from symptoms, tests and investigations
Haemoglobin (Hb): Part of the red blood cell, contains iron and helps to carry oxygen around the body
Intravenous (IV): To give drugs or fluids directly into a vein
Leukaemia: A cancer of the blood cells
Lymphoma: A cancer of the lymphatic system, which contains the lymph nodes/glands
Malignant: The abnormal/cancer cells are able to spread to other parts of the body if not treated
Metastases: The spread of cancer cells from the original site (primary) to other parts of the body (secondaries)
Nausea: Sickness (to feel as if you are going to get sick)
Neutrophil: A type of white blood cell which fight infection
Neutropenic: A low number of neutrophils/white blood cells
Oncology: The study and treatment of cancer
Petechia: Small pin prick bruises, from tiny blood vessels under the skin
Platelets: Tiny cells which help to clot the blood to prevent bruising and bleeding
Prognosis: The expected outcome of the disease and its treatment
Prothesis: An artificial replacement of, for example, a bone
Protocol: Plan of the treatment
Radiotherapy: The use of radiation treatment or high energy rays which destroy cancer cells whilst doing as little as possible to the normal cells
Red Blood Cells: They carry oxygen around the body, and also contain iron
Relapse: When the disease comes back after a period of time when symptoms have disappeared or decreased
Remission: A healthy state when all the abnormal cancer cells can no longer be detected
Stem Cell: An early (immature) cell
Subcutaneous: Under the skin
Surgery: To have an operation
Tranfusion: Fluids or blood products given as an infusion into the vein, using a drip
Thrombocytopenic: A low number of platelets in the blood
Tumour: A growth of abnormal tissue which grows at a faster rate than normal tissue and serves no useful function there (could be benign or malignant)
White Blood Cells: Main fighting cells of the blood which help to fight off infections