| A | B |
|---|
| blast/o | early embryonic stage, as to a primitive or formative element, cell, or layer |
| carcin/o | cancerous |
| cervic/o | neck, cervix (neck of uterus) |
| -cide | causing death |
| -genesis | creating, reproduction |
| immun/o | protected |
| -lytic | to reduce, destroy |
| neo- | new, strange |
| -oma | tumor, neoplasm |
| onc/o | tumor |
| phag/o | a cell that eats |
| -plasm | formative material of cells |
| sarc/o | flesh, connective tissue |
| splen/o | spleen |
| -tic | pertaining to |
| immunologist | a specialist in the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disorders of the immune system |
| oncologist | a specialist in diagnosing and treating malignant disorders such as tumors and cancer |
| intercellular fluid | also known as interstitial fluid or tissue fluid, is plasma that flows out of the capillaries of the circulatory system into the spaces between the cells, carrying food, oxygen, and hormones to the cells |
| lymph fluid | usually referred to as lymph, returns intercellular fluid containing waste products from the cells to the venous circulatory system |
| lymph nodes | small bean-shaped structures located in lymph vessels that provide a site for lymphocyte production |
| lymphadenitis | also known as swollen glands, is an inflammation of the lymph nodes |
| lymphadenopathy | any disease process usually involving enlargement of the lymph nodes |
| persistent generalized lymphadenopathy | also known as PGL, is the continued presence of enlarged lymph nodes |
| lymphangiogram | a radiographic study of the lymphatic vessels and nodes with the use of a contrast medium to make these structures visible |
| lymphangioma | a benign abnormal collection of lymphatic vessels forming a mass |
| lymphedema | an abnormal accumulation of fluid primarily in the legs and ankles that occurs when veins or lymph vessels do not drain properly |
| splenomegaly | an enlargement of the spleen |
| antigen | also known as Ag, is any substance such as a virus, bacterium, or toxin that the body regards as foreign |
| antibody | also known as Ab,is a disease-fighting protein created by the immune system in response to the presence of that specific antigen |
| lymphocytes | WBC's that specialize so they can attack specific microorganisms |
| B cell | also known as a B lymphocyte, is designed to make only one specific antibody against a specific antigen |
| immunoglobulin | also known as Ig, is a synonym for the term antibody |
| T cells | also known as T lymphocytes, are small circulating lymphocytes that coordinate immune defenses and kill invading organisms on contact |
| interferon | produced by the T cells, cause noninfected cells to form an antiviral protein that slows or stops viral multiplication |
| macrophage | a type of phagocyte which protects the body by ingesting (eating) invading cells and by interacting with the other cells of the immune system |
| phagocyte | a WBC with the ability to ingest (eat) and destroy substances such as cell debris, dust, pollen, and pathogens |
| immunity | the state of being resistant or not susceptible to a specific disease |
| opportunistic infection | a pathogen that normally does not cause disease but is able to cause illness in a weakened host whose resistance has been decreased by a different disorder |
| allergy | also known as hypersensitivity, is an overreaction by the body to a particular antigen |
| allergen | an antigen that is capable of inducing an allergic response |
| systemic reaction | also described as anaphylaxis, is a severe response to a foreign substance such as a drug, food, insect venom, or chemical |
| scratch test | a diagnostic test to identify commonly troublesome allergens such as tree pollen and ragweed |
| antihistamines | medications administered to block and control allergic reactions |
| autoimmune disorder | condition in which the immune system misreads normal antigens and creates antibodies and directs T cells against the body's own tissues |
| human immunodeficiency virus | also known as HIV, is a bloodborne pathogen that invades and then progressively impairs or kills cells of the immune system |
| ELISA | the abbreviation for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, is a blood test used to screen for the presence of HIV antibodies |
| monoclonal antibodies | also known as MAbs, are antibodies produced in the laboratory |
| immunosuppressant | a drug that prevents or reduces the body's normal reactions to invasion by disease or by foreign tissues, used to prevent the rejection of donor tissue or to depress autoimmune disorders |
| corticosteroid drug | a hormone-like preparation used primarily as an anti-inflammatory and as an immunosuppressant |
| parasite | a plant or animal that lives on or within another living organism at the expense of that organism (e.g., malaria which is caused by a parasite that lives within certain mosquitoes that is transferred to humans by a mosquito bite) |
| viruses | very small infectious agents that invade cells where they reproduce and then break the cell walls so the newly formed virus can spread to other cells |
| antibiotic | a chemical substance that is capable of inhibiting growth or killing pathogenic microorganisms |
| oncology | the study of the prevention, causes, and treatment of tumors and cancer |
| tumor | also known as a neoplasm, is a new and abnormal tissue formation |
| benign | not recurring, nonmalignant, and with a favorable chance for recovery |
| malignant | harmful, tending to spread, becoming progressively worse, and life-threatening |
| metastasize | verb that describes the process by which cancer spreads from one place to another |
| carcinoma | also known as CA or Ca, is a malignant tumor that occurs in epithelial tissue |
| lymphoma | a general term applied to malignancies that develop in the lymphatic system |
| blastoma | a neoplasm composed chiefly or entirely of immature undifferentiated cells |
| biopsy | the removal of tissue to confirm a diagnosis |
| lumpectomy | in breast cancer, the surgical removal of only the cancerous tissue and a margin (rim) of normal tissue |
| chemotherapy | the use of chemical agents and drugs in combinations selected to effectively destroy malignant cells and tissues |
| radiation therapy | the treatment of cancers through the use of x-rays to destroy the cancer while sparing healthy tissues |
| modified radical mastectomy | in breast cancer, the surgical removal of the entire breast and lymph nodes under the arm |
