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This dictionary explains terms a person with a brain
tumor is likely to hear or read.
Webmasters: If you would like to link to these definitions
as glossary for your text, please contact us at info@abta.org.
A B C D E F G H I L M N O P Q R S T U V W
A
accessible
: (ak ses´ sah bul) Refers to tumors that can be approached
by a surgical procedure tumors that are not deep
in the brain or beneath vital structures. Inaccessible
tumors cannot be approached by standard surgical techniques.
acuity:
(ah ku´ ih tee) Refers to clarity or distinctness
of hearing or sight.
adjuvant
: (ad´ ju vant) A therapy used in addition to or accompanying
another treatment.
agnosia:
(ag no´ zee ah) Loss of ability to recognize objects,
people, sounds, shapes, or smells. Usually classified
according to the sense or senses affected (hearing,
sight, smell, taste, touch). Symptom common to tumors
of the parietal lobe of the cerebral hemispheres.
agraphia:
(ah graf´ e ah) Loss of ability to write (a form of
aphasia). Symptom common to tumors of the parietal
lobe of the dominant cerebral hemisphere.
alopecia
: (al o pee´ she ah) Loss of hair baldness in areas
where hair is usually present. A common side effect
of radiation therapy to the brain and some chemical
therapies.
analgesic:
(an al gee´ zik) A medicine used to reduce pain.
anaplasia:
(an ah play´ zee ah) Characteristics of a cell (structure
and orientation) that make it identifiable as a cancer
cell. Malignant.
angiogenesis:
(an gee o jen´ ih sis) The growth of new blood vessels
from surrounding tissue into growing tissue.
angiogram:
(an´ gee o gram) A diagnostic procedure done in the
x-ray department to visualize blood vessels following
introduction of a contrast material into an artery.
anorexia
: (an o rek´ see ah) Loss of appetite.
anosmia:
(an oz´ me ah) Absence of the sense of smell. Symptom
common to tumors of the frontal lobe of the cerebral
hemispheres.
aphasia:
(ah faz´ e ah) Loss of ability to speak or write
loss of ability to understand speech or written words.
articulation:
(ar tik u lay´ shun) Speech.
artifact:
(ar' tih fakt) Something artificial, a distortion
that does not reflect normal anatomy or pathology,
not usually found in the body. For example, in radiology,
the appearance on an x-ray of a surgical metal clip
that obscures the clear view of an anatomical structure.
ataxic
gait: (ah tak´ sik gate) Walking that is
clumsy, uncoordinated.
autologous:
(aw tol´ o gus) Coming from the same individual, as
opposed to being donated by another individual.
axial:
(ak' see al) Position as it relates to the CNS. Intra-axial
is within the CNS extra-axial is outside the CNS.
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B
benign:
(be nine´) Not malignant, not cancerous.
biological
response modifier: (bi o loj´ ih cul
ree sponse´ mod´ ih fi ur) A substance used in adjuvant
therapy that takes advantage of the body's own natural
defense mechanisms to inhibit the growth of a tumor.
biopsy:
(bi´ op see) Examination of a small amount of tissue
taken from the patient's body to make a diagnosis.
blood brain barrier: (blud brane
bar´ e ur) A protective barrier formed by the blood
vessels and glia of the brain. It prevents some substances
in the blood from entering brain tissue.
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C
cancer:
(kan´ sur) Malignant tissue that is invasive, destroys
healthy tissue, and tends to spread to distant locations.
carcinoma:
(car sih no' mah) A malignant tumor that arises from
epithelium, found in skin or, more commonly, the lining
of body organs - for example, breast, prostate, lung,
stomach or bowel. Carcinomas tend to infiltrate into
adjacent tissue and spread (metastasize) to distant
organs, for example, to bone, liver, lung or the brain.
catheter:
(kath´ ih tur) A flexible, tubular surgical instrument.
Used in body cavities or vessels for the removal or
insertion of fluids.
cell:
(sel) The basic living unit of body tissue. It contains
a nucleus surrounded by cytoplasm and is enclosed
by a membrane.
cell
cycle: (sel si' kul) The reproductive stages
of a cell leading to cell division (mitosis).
central
nervous system (CNS): (sen´ tral nur´ vus
sis´ tem) Pertaining to the brain, cranial
nerves and spinal cord. It does not include muscles
or peripheral nerves.
cerebellopontine
angle: (ser eh bel' o pon' teen ang' gul)
The angle between the cerebellum and the pons, a common
site for the growth of acoustic neuromas.
cerebral:
(ser e' brul) Referring to the cerebrum.
cerebrospinal
fluid: (ser e bro spi´ nal flu´ id) The
clear fluid made in the ventricular cavities of the
brain that bathes the brain and spinal cord. It circulates
through the ventricles and the subarachnoid space.
cerebrum:
(ser e' brum) The largest area of the brain, the cerebrum
occupies the uppermost part of the skull. It consists
of two halves called hemispheres. Each half of the
cerebrum is further divided into four lobes: frontal,
temporal, parietal and occipital.
chemotherapy:
(ke mo ther´ ah pee) The use of chemical agents to
treat brain tumors.
circumscribed:
(sir' come skribd) Having a border, localized. Often
associated with a capsule and benign tumors of the
brain, for example, meningiomas, pituitary adenomas
and acoustic neuromas. See diffuse.
clinical:
(klin´ ih kul) That which can be observed in patients.
Research that uses patients to test new treatments,
as opposed to laboratory testing or research in animals.
clinical
cooperative group: (klin´ ih kul co op´ ur
ah tiv groop) A group of medical institutions
cooperating to perform clinical (brain tumor) research.
CNS:
see Central Nervous System.
congenital:
(kon jen´ ih tul) Existing before or at birth.
contralateral:
(kon trah lat' ur al) Affecting the opposite side.
See ipsilateral.
cranial
cavity: (kra´ nee ul kah´ vih tee) The
skull.
craniectomy:
(kra nee ek´ toe me) Surgery performed on the skull
where pieces of bone are removed to gain access to
the brain, and the bone pieces are not replaced.
craniotomy: (kra ne ot´ o me) Surgery performed
on the skull where a portion of bone is removed to
gain access to the brain, and the bone is put back
in its place.
CSF:
See cerebrospinal fluid.
CT
or CAT scan: Computerized Axial Tomography. An
x-ray device linked to a computer that produces an
image of a predetermined cross-section of the brain.
A special dye material may be injected into the patient's
vein prior to the scan to help make any abnormal tissue
more evident.
cyst:
(sist) A fluid-filled mass. Usually enclosed by a
membrane.
cytotoxic
: (sigh toe tok´ sic) Capable of killing cells.
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D
debulk:
(dee bulk´) A surgical procedure to decrease mass
effect by removing a portion of a tumor or dead tissue.
See mass effect.
DecadronŽ:
(dek´ ah dron) Dexamethasone. A glucocorticosteroid
medication used to reduce brain tissue swelling.
decompressive:
(dee kom pres´ sive) Refers to a surgical procedure
during which bone, tissue, or tumor is removed to
lessen intracranial pressure.
dedifferentiate:
(dee dif' fur en she ate) A mature cell returning
to a less mature state. See differentiate, undifferentiated.
delivery:
(dee liv´ ur ee) See drug delivery.
density:
(den' sih tee) The amount of darkness or light in
an area of a scan reflects the compactness and density
of tissue. Differences in tissue density are the basis
for CT and MR scans.
diabetes
insipidus: (di ah be´ tez in sip´ id us)
A problem with water balance in the body causing excess
urine production and great thirst, due to pituitary-hypothalamic
damage. Diabetes mellitus, which has the same symptoms,
is due to insufficient insulin production by the pancreas.
differentiate:
(dif fur en' she ate) The process cells undergo as
they mature into normal cells. Differentiated cells
have distinctive characteristics, perform specific
functions, and are less likely to divide. See dedifferentiate,
undifferentiated.
diffuse:
(dif fuse') Lacking a distinct border, not localized,
spread out. See circumscribed.
diploid:
(dip' loyd) A cell having two full sets of chromosomes,
the normal number for human cells. Eggs and sperm
contain a single set of chromosomes (haploid).
diplopia:
(dih plo´ pee ah) Double vision.
distal:
(dis' tull) Located far from the reference point.
See proximal.
drug
delivery: (drug de liv´ ur ee) The method
and route used to provide medication.
dura
mater: (du´ rah ma´ tur) The outermost, toughest,
and most fibrous of the three membranes (meninges)
that cover the brain and spinal cord.
dysarthria:
(dis ar´ three ah) Impairment of speech (articulation),
caused by damage or disorder of the tongue or speech
muscles. Symptom may indicate pressure on the brain
stem (medulla oblongata) or elsewhere in the posterior
fossa.
dysfunctional:
(dis funk' shun al) Working improperly or abnormally.
dysphagia:
(dis fay´ gee ah) Difficulty in swallowing or inability
to swallow. Symptom usually indicates tumors involving
the lower brain stem.
dysphasia:
(dis fay´ zee ah) Language disorder. Inability to
speak words which one has in mind or to think of correct
words or inability to understand spoken or written
words. Symptom common to tumors of the dominant cerebral
hemisphere, particularly the frontal, temporal, and
parietal lobes.
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E
edema:
(eh dee´ mah) Swelling due to an excess of water.
embryonic:
(em bree on´ ik) Undeveloped, related to the embryo.
emesis:
(em´ ih sis) Vomiting.
encapsulated:
(en kap´ sue la ted) Refers to a tumor that is wholly
confined to a specific area, surrounded by a capsule.
Localized.
epidemiology:
(ep ih dee me ol´ o gee) The study of the distribution
of disease and its impact upon a population, using
such measures as incidence, prevalence, or mortality.
etiology:
(e tee ol´ o gee) The study of the cause of a disease.
evoked
potentials: (e voked´ po ten´ shals) The
use of electrodes to measure the electrical activity
of nerves. May be used as a guide during surgical
removal of tumors growing around important nerves.
extracerebral:
(eks trah seh ree' bral) Located outside the cerebral
hemispheres.
extradural:
(eks trah du´ ral) External (outside) to the dura
mater.
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F
focal:
(foe´ kal) Limited to one specific area.
foci:
(fo' sigh) Plural of focus. The origin or center of
a disseminated disease.
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G
gait:
(gate) Pattern of walking.
ganglia:
(gang´ lee ah) A mass of nerve tissue (gray matter),
or a group of nerve cell bodies. Also refers to specific
groups within the brain or spinal cord (as basal ganglia).
Ganglion is the singular of ganglia.
generic:
(je ner´ ik) A drug not protected by a trademark.
Also, the scientific name as opposed to the proprietary,
brand name.
genesis:
(jen' ih sis) The beginning of a process.
GFAP:
Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein. This protein, found
in microfilaments of glial cells, helps distinguish
glial from non-glial tumors. A laboratory stain is
used to test for its presence.
gland:
(gland) An organ of the body that produces materials
(hormones) released into the bloodstream, such as
the pituitary or pineal gland. Hormones influence
metabolism and other body functions.
glia
(neuroglia): (glee´ ah) Supportive tissue of the
brain. There are three types of glial tissue: astrocytes,
oligodendrocytes and microglia. Glial cells do not
conduct electrical impulses, as opposed to neurons.
glioma:
(glee o´ mah) Any tumor arising from glial tissue.
glucocorticosteroids:
(glu ko kor tih ko stair´ oid) Medications used to
decrease swelling around tumors.
gray
matter: (gray mat' ur) Gray matter, the
"thinking brain", appears gray because it is composed
of numerous nerve cells and blood vessels. The outer
layer of the cerebrum - the cerebral cortex, and areas
deep within the brain - the basal ganglia, are made
up of gray matter. See white matter.
growth
factor: (growth fak´ tur) A naturally occurring
protein chemical that stimulates cell division and
proliferation. It is produced by normal cells during
embryonic development, tissue growth, and wound healing.
Tumors, however, produce large amounts of growth factors.
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H
hemianopsia:
(hem e an op´ see ah) Loss of one half of the field
of vision (the area that can be seen by each eye when
staring straight ahead).
hemiparesis:
(hem e par´e sis) Muscle weakness of one side of the
body.
hemiplegia:
(hem e plee´ je ah) Complete paralysis of one side
of the body.
hereditary:
(heh red´ih tair e) Transferred via genes from parent
to child. Also called genetic.
herniation:
(her nee a´ shun) Bulging of tissue through an opening
in a membrane, muscle or bone.
heterogeneous:
(het er o gee´ nee us) Composed of varied cell types.
homogeneous:
(ho mo gee´ nee us) Composed of identical cell types.
hydrocephalus:
(hi dro sef´ ah lus) Hydro = water, cephalo = head.
Excess water in the brain due to blockage of cerebrospinal
fluid flow, increased production, or decreased absorption.
hyperfractionation:
(hi per frak shun a´ shun) An increased number of
smaller dosage treatments of radiation therapy.
hyperthermia:
(hi per ther´ me ah) The use of heat to kill tumor
cells.
hypophysis:
(hi pof´ ih sis) Pituitary gland.
hypotonicity:
(hi po toe nis´ ih tee) Diminished muscle tone limp
muscles. The Dictionary continues with the I link at the top of the page
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