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Glossary

Ovarian cancer is a complex topic amidst an even more complex topic of cancer in general. Here you will find glossaries for general, womens health, cancer related, integrative and specific ovarian cancer related terms.

Carcinoma

Carcinoma is a terms which describes certain cancers. Discover the details.

Sarcoma

Sarcoma is a type of cancer. Discover the details of this rare cancer.

Lymphadenopathy

Lymph nodes can become enlarged in ovarian cancer. Discover what this means.

Laparoscopy

Laparoscopic or minimally invasive surgery has been called "bandaid surgery" in the past. Discover how it is used in ovarian cancer.

Lymphadenectomy

Lymphadenectomy refers to lymph node removal. Discover the details.

Lymph Node

Lymph nodes are part of your immune system. Discover what they are made of and what they do.

Malignant

Ovarian cancer is a type of malignancy. Discover the details.

MRI

MRI is a type of scan used for various things. Discover how MRI might be used in ovarian cancer.

Lymphatic System

The lymphatic system is part of the immune system. Discover what makes up the lymphatic system.

Lymphedema

Lymphedema is a term which means swelling. Discover how this is related to ovarian cancer and its treatment.

LASER

Laser surgery is sometimes used in ovarian cancer treatment. Learn how the laser might be useful for cancer therapy.

Leukocyte

Leukocytes are your white blood cells. Discover what types of leukocytes exist.

Oophorectomy

Ovarian cancer starts in the ovary. Find out what ovarian cancer surgery and oophorectomy variations are.

Centimeter

The medical field uses the metric system to report size of various things, including the size of ovarian masses. Learn what a centimeter is.

Cytoreduction

Ovarian cancer treatment depends upon surgery and chemotherapy. Learn about cytoreduction or cytoreductive surgery, the first step.

Functional Ovarian Cyst

Functional ovarian cysts are not tumors. What are they exactly? Learn the full definition of functional ovarian cyst.

NSAID

NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are used to relieve inflammation and pain in various conditions, including ovarian cancer.

Eicosanoids

A group of hormone-like substances produced by cells in your body and are formed from fatty acids such as arachidonic acid, many of which come from diet.

Prostaglandins

Cancer is an inflammatory condition, and prostaglandins are a part of the inflammatory process. What exactly are these substances? Learn the definition here.

Anastamosis

You may have heard the term anastomosis during ovarian cancer surgery. Learn about anastomosis here.

Amygdalin

Here, you'll learn about amygdalin, a substance found in pits of many fruits.

Anesthesia

Your doctor may have mentioned using anesthesia during your surgery. Here, learn about the different types of anesthesia.

Adjuvant Therapy

If you've been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, your doctor may not only explain your need for surgery but adjuvant therapy. Learn the definition of adjuvant therapy.

Adenopathy (Lymphadenopathy)

Adenopathy, or lymphadenopathy, is a description of enlarged lymph nodes found on physical examination or scans.

Abscess

Ovarian cancer surgery can lead to the formation of an abscess. What is an abscess? Should you be concerned about an abscess forming after your sugery? Learn more here.

Adnexal Mass

Your doctor diagnosed you with an adnexal mass. What is an adnexal mass? What does having one mean? Is an adnexal mass cancerous? Learn the definition of adnexal mass, where they are typically located, and if they are indeed always considered cancerous.

Advance Directive

Advance directive documents are patient legal documents. If an individual is very sick, for example, an advance directive may be suggested. Learn the full definition of an advance directive.

Allopathic

You may hear the terms allopathic or allopathy in relation to medicine. What does allopathic mean? Learn the definition of allopathic here.

Alpha Fetoprotein (AFP)

What is AFP, otherwise known as alpha fetoprotein? Is AFP is found in the blood, is it considered normal? Learn the definition of AFP.

Abdomen

The human abdomen is the central portion of the body which contains organs such as the intestines, liver and spleen, among others.

Adenocarcinoma

Adenocarcinoma of the ovary is the most common type of ovarian malignancy.

Antibody

A antibody is a tiny biochemical particle produced by specialized immune system cells called lymphocytes.

Antigen

A antigen is a chemical substance,found on the surface of a foreign microscopic object such as bacteria, virus or cancer cell.

Ascites

Ascites in ovarian cancer is an excess accumulation of fluid inside the abdomen, produced by cancer cells.

Biopsy

Definitive diagnosis of ovarian cancer requires removing at least a small sample of tissue from the cancerous area. The procedure is called a biopsy.

Intraperitoneal

Intraperitoneal means inside the peritoneum. The peritoneum is the internal skin-like lining inside the abdomen.

Malignant

Ovarian cancer is malignant by definition. The terms malignant or malignancy and cancer are interchangeable.

Metastasis

When ovarian cancer cells break off of the ovary and spread to other parts of your body, the ovarian cancer is said to have metastasized.

Omentum

The omentum is a large fatty structure which essentially hangs off the middle of your colon and drapes over the intestines inside the abdomen.

Palliation

When the ovarian cancer treatment goal is mainly to relieve symptoms caused by a cancer it is known as palliative care or palliation.

Tumor

Ovarian tumors are growths which can be benign or cancerous.

Ovarian Cancer: Comprehensive Cancer-Related Glossary

The National Cancer Institute maintains the most comprehensive glossary of cancer-related terms and phrases on the internet. Browse or search this NCI-sponsored public database of cancer-related terminology.

About Herbs: A Comprehensive Glossary of Botanicals & Cancer

Ovarian cancer treatment can sometimes be augmented with integrative therapies to help alleviate side effects. These should always be discussed with your oncologist before use and you will find additional articles and information on this site about the evidence behind their use. This glossary is particularly useful because it makes reference to specific cancer related herbal terms.

A-Z Herbs, Vitamins, and Nutritional Supplements

Browse or search our About.com glossary of Vitamins, Herbs & Natural Supplements for quick information about common herbs, vitamins, or nutritional supplements.

General Cancer Terms

General cancer terms.

Women's Health Terms

Comprehensive glossary of terms regarding women's health, primarily focusing on senior health issues.

ADAM Health Illustrated Encyclopedia of Health Terms

ADAM presents a comprehensive encyclopedia of general health and medical terms with illustrations.
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