Mesothelioma - Glossary
Check out our Mesothelioma and Asbestos Glossary. From Antiangiogenesis to White Blood Cells, use this area to read definitions of terms you may run across while researching Mesothelioma.
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Click a letter below to reach the associated area of the Glossary.
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Acute pain
- Severe pain with a quick onset that lasts for a brief period.
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Adenocarcinoma
- A kind of cancer originating in the cells which line the lungs and other organs. Also known as "non-small cell lung cancer."
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Adjuvent therapy
- A treatment designed as a supplement to a major medical procedure, usually employed after surgery. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are forms of adjuvent therapy.
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Affidavit
- A written statement that may be used in place of an actual witness appearing in court. An affidavit must be sworn before a judicial officer or notary in order to be acceptable evidence in court.
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Ajcc staging system
- The American Joint Committee on Cancer's staging system. This system characterizes the extent to which cancer has spread in the body using Roman numerals from O to IV. Also known as the TMN system.
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Alimta
- A chemotherapy drug used to treat mesothelioma sufferers. Manufactured by Eli Lilly.
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Alopecia
- An autoimmune disorder in which a patient's immune system attacks and suppresses hair growth.
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Alveolar epithelial cells
- The cells that line the air sacs of the lung.
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Alveolar sacs
- Air chambers within the lung.
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Alveoli
- Air sacs within the lungs in which carbon dioxide and oxygen exchange occurs. Asbestos fibers that linger in the lungs can cause the walls of these tiny sacs to form scar tissue, which results in decreased oxygen intake and trouble breathing.
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Amphibole
- A chain-like crystal mineral. Asbestos amphiboles include amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, amosite, and actinolite.
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Anemia
- A condition characterized by low red blood cell count. Symptoms include fatigue, weakness and shortness of breath.
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Angiogenesis
- The process by which new blood vessels form; essential to the growth of tumors, which release special chemicals that stimulate blood vessel growth.
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Angiogenesis inhibitor
- A chemical that prevents the formation of new blood vessels by telling the body's angiogenesis processes to stop. Angiogenesis inhibitors are used in anticancer therapy to prevent blood vessels from helping tumors grow.
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Antiangiogenesis
- Prevention of new blood vessel formation.
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Anxiety
- A state of fear or apprehension that results when an individual anticipates a threat or adverse situation. Anxiety is common in mesothelioma victims and their families.
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Appeal
- A request for a reversal of a lower court's decision.
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Arrhythmia
- A deviation from the heart's normal rhythm.
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Asbestiform
- A mineral that appears asbestoslike.
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Asbestos
- A naturally-occurring fibrous silicate mineral used in commercial applications because of its durability and heat resistant properties. Asbestos was common in construction materials pre-1990 and has been linked with a number of diseases and conditions, including cancer (especially lung cancer), mesothelioma, and asbestosis.
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Asbestos pleural disease
- A medical condition characterized by scarring of chest cavity and lung membranes.
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Asbestosis
- An irreversible medical condition caused when asbestos fibers inhaled by the victim scar the lungs.
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Ascites
- Abdominal fluid build-up that leads to swelling; a common manifestation of recurrent or peritoneal mesothelioma, ascites often happens after surgical procedures. Tumor cells can be found in the fluid in some late-stage cancer patients.
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Aspiration
- A medical process in which a tissue sample is extracted using suction.
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Atelectasis
- Incomplete lung expansion; atelectasis can affect part of or the entire lung.
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Autopsy
- An after-death surgical procedure in which the body and its tissues are examined to determine cause of death.
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