P

Paget's disease:  A type of breast cancer that begins in the milk ducts and involves the skin of the nipple and areola.  The tumor lies beneath the nipple and cannot always be felt.  This type of cancer is often not invasive and is often characterized by itching, scaliness or redness of the nipple and areola.

Palliative:  Relieving/alleviating a symptom (i.e., pain) without curing the cause.

Palpable:  Perceptible, especially by touch. 

Palpate:  To examine by touch; to feel.

Palpation:  The process of examining by application of the hands or fingers to the outside surface of the body to detect evidence of disease or abnormalities.

Partial or segmental mastectomy:  Breast surgery that removes only a portion of the breast, including the cancer/tumor and a surrounding margin of healthy breast tissue.

Pathologist:  A physician who specializes in diagnosing the abnormal changes in tissues and cells and the diagnosis of disease through the study of tissues and cells.

Pathology:  The study of the nature and cause of disease, which encompasses changes in structure and function.

Patient-controlled anesthesia (PCA):  A method of administering medication that enables a patient to control the rate of drug delivery to control pain.  When the patient needs pain relief, she/he can push a button on the PCA machine that will deliver a pre-determined dose of pain medication.  The system is designed so that the patient will be unable to administer an overdose of the medication.

Pectoralis muscles (Pectoralis Major Muscle, Pectoralis Minor Muscle):  One of four muscles of the anterior (in front of) upper portion of the chest wall and extending to the upper arms.

Pedicle:  A connection of nourishing blood vessels from the body to a flap of tissue; the stem that attaches a new growth.

Pedicle Flap:  In plastic surgery, a type of flap that is attached by a pedicle to its source of blood supply.  The other end may be attached to a site from which a new blood supply will develop. 

Permanent section:  A sample of tissue removed in a biopsy that is then embedded in wax or paraffin before it is thin-sliced and stained for microscopic examination to provide definitive analysis of the specimen so that the presence or absence of a malignancy/cancer can be determined.

Pigment:  Any organic coloring matter in the body.  When a nipple and areola are removed during breast surgery, a plastic surgeon can reconstruct the nipple and areola and add pigment to the reconstructed areas to achieve a more natural appearance. 

Pituitary gland:  The small, oval organ located at the base of the brain that produces/secretes many important hormones (i.e., FSH and LH).  Referred to as the "master gland". 

Placebo:  An inactive substance used in controlled studies of drugs.  The placebo is given to one group of patients and the drug being tested is given to a similar group of patients.  The results obtained from these two groups are then evaluated and compared. 

Plasma:  The liquid part of the lymph and of the blood.

Platelets:  Granule-containing cellular fragments critical for blood clotting and sealing off wounds.  Platelets contribute to the immune response.

Ploidy:  A measurement of the amount of DNA in a tumor cell that can be used to help predict tumor behavior. 

Positive nodes: Lymph nodes that have been invaded by cancer cells. 

Posterior:  Toward the back; situated behind.

Predisposition:  The potential susceptibility to develop a particular disease or condition in the presence of specific conditions. 

Primary cancer:  The area where cancer begins.  Primary cancer is usually named after the organ in which it starts.

Primary care:  Basic or general health care provided during a patient's first contact with the health care system, usually for common illnesses.  The primary health care provider undertakes ongoing responsibility and management for health care maintenance and treatment for illness, including referrals/consultation with specialists. 

Progesterone: A class of female sex hormones primarily responsible for changes in the endometrium in the second half of the menstrual cycle and involved in the development of mammary glands.

Prognosis:  The forecast of the expected or probable outcome of a disease and the prediction/estimate of the chance for recovery.

Prolactin:  A hormone produced by the pituitary gland, which, in combination with estrogen and progesterone, stimulates breast development and the formation of milk during pregnancy.

Prophylactic subcutaneous mastectomy:  The removal of most (80 - 90%) of the breast tissue (usually in high-risk patients) underneath the skin and nipple to reduce future breast cancer risk. This procedure is often followed by/combined with breast reconstruction.

Prosthesis(es):  An artificial organ or body part.  Following a mastectomy, a patient can be fitted with an external breast form/prosthesis that can be worn inside a bra.  When used in breast reconstruction, a prosthesis is placed under the skin to help create a breast mound. (Prostheses is the plural form of the word.)

Protocol:  Term used to describe a formalized treatment plan.

Psychologist: A specialist who can talk with you and your family about emotional and personal matters, and can help you make decisions.

Ptosis:  Sagging/drooping or dropping of an organ or body part.

Q

Quadrantectomy:  Removal of a (one) quarter (quadrant) of the breast.

R

Rad:  Radiation-absorbed dose.

Radiation oncologist: A doctor who uses radiation therapy to treat cancer.

Radiation therapist: A health professional who gives radiation treatment.

Radiation therapy (radiotherapy, radiation oncology):  The branch of medicine that uses ionizing radiation in the treatment of cancer.

Radical (Halsted) mastectomy:  Removal of the breast, skin, underlying muscles (pectoralis major and minor), underarm (axillary) lymph nodes and fat.

Radioactive isotopes (radioisotope): An isotope in which the nuclear composition is unstable, used to record radioisotope emissions from tissues that have been injected with radioactive substances.

Radiologist:  A physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating disease by the use and analysis of x-ray films and other images.

Randomized:  Chosen at random.  In research, randomization is used to assign subjects to experimental groups. In randomized clinical trials, the subjects are assigned on a random basis to either an experimental or a control group for the purpose of testing and evaluating the effects of a particular variable such as a drug or a particular type of treatment.  The experimental group receives the drug or treatment but the control group does not. 

Range of motion exercises:  Exercises to prevent loss of motion through movement of joints (i.e., wrist, elbow, shoulder) through their available range of motion.  Often recommended following breast surgery.

Receptor:  In pharmacology, a cell component that joins with a drug, hormone or chemical mediator to alter the function of the cell.

Reconstructive mammaplasty (breast reconstruction):  Plastic surgery methods to rebuild a breast(s).

Rectus abdominis muscles:  The two vertical muscles on either side of the midline of the abdomen, which can be used as donor tissue for breast reconstruction. 

Recurrence:  Return of symptoms/disease after a period of dormancy, as in the return of cancer following treatment.  Local recurrence refers to a tumor/cancer that has returned to the same location as the original cancer.

Reduction mammaplasty:  Plastic surgery to reduce the size of a breast(s) by removing fatty and glandular tissue.

Regional involvement:  The spread of cancer from its original location to nearby sites such as the lymph nodes.

Remission:  The lessening of severity or disappearance of symptoms &/or detectable disease.

Risk factor(s):  Factors/conditions such as those conditions in the environment, or genetic, physiological, psychological or chemical elements that are thought to predispose a person to the development of a disease.

S

Saline solution:  Saltwater.  Saline solution is often used in breast implants. 

Scan (scintiscan):  An examination using x-rays &/or radioactive isotopes to create images of internal organs.

Scavenger cells:  Any of a diverse group of cells with the capacity to swallow up and destroy foreign material, dead tissues or other cells.

Screening (baseline) mammogram:  Screening is the process of assessing healthy people with no symptoms present in order to detect early signs of a disease. The purpose of a screening or baseline mammogram is to establish a record of healthy breast tissue appearance against which later changes in breast tissue can be compared.

Sentinel lymph node: The first lymph node(s) to which cancer cells spread after leaving the area of the primary tumor. Presence of cancer cells in this node alerts the doctor that the tumor has spread to the lymphatic system.

Seroma:  Collection of tissue fluid.

Serum:  The clear liquid that separates from the blood when it is allowed to clot.  The serum retains any antibodies that were present in the whole blood. 

Side effects:  Unintentional or undesirable secondary effect of treatment.

Silicone:  Synthetic material used in breast implants because of its flexibility, resilience and durability.

Silicone gel:  See Silicone.

Simple or total mastectomy:  Surgery that removes as much of the breast tissue as possible, the nipple and some of the overlying tissue.

Social worker: A professional who can talk with you and your family about your emotional or physical needs and can help you find support services.

S-phase fraction:  The measure of the number of cells dividing at any time, indicating how fast a tumor is growing.

Spleen:  A lymphoid organ in the abdominal cavity that is an important center for immune system activities. 

Staging: Classification system, using TNM system (tumor, node, metastasis) to determine extent of cancer and treatment.

Stem cells:  Cells from which all blood cells derive.  The bone marrow is rich in stem cells.

Stereotactic needle biopsy:  Procedure that pinpoints area of concern with a double-view mammogram and, by computer, guides a fine or large-core needle for removal of tissue sample.

Subcutaneous mastectomy:  Removal  of most (80-90%) of the breast tissue, keeping the nipple and areola intact.

Surgeon or surgical oncologist: A doctor who performs biopsies and other surgical procedures such as removing a lump or a breast.

Surgery:  operation.

Survival rate:  A measure of the frequency of survival in a defined population.

Symmetry:  Equality or correspondence in form on opposite sides of any body.

Systemic:  Relating to a system; relating to the entire organism as distinguished from any of its individual parts.

Systemic therapy:  Treatment involving the whole body, usually using drugs.

T

T cells (T lymphocytes):  Small white blood cells produced in the thymus that initiate and/or directly participate in the immune defenses.

Tamoxifen:  Estrogen blocker used in treating breast cancer.

Testosterone:  The most potent naturally occurring androgen formed in greatest quantities by the interstitial cells of the testes and possibly secreted also by the ovary and adrenal cortex.

Therapy: Treatment.

Thoracic:  The upper part of the trunk between the neck and the abdomen.

Thymus:  A primary lymphoid organ located high in the chest where T cells reproduce and mature.

Tissue: A group or layer of cells that together perform a specific function.

Tissue expander:  A variation on a breast implant.   An empty sack is placed behind the muscle, everything is sewn closed and gradually, over three to six months, saline is injected through a tube. The temporary implant is then removed and replaced with a permanent saline or silicone implant.

Tissue flap reconstruction: A flap of tissues is surgically relocated from another area of the body to the chest, and formed into a new breast mound.

TRAM flap breast reconstruction:  A procedure that uses your own tissue, a flap of skin, muscle and fat from your own body.  This uses microsurgery to remove abdominal wall tissue.

Transfusion:  Transfer of blood or blood component of an individual (donor) to another individual.

Tru-cut biopsy:  Type of core needle biopsy where a small core of tissue is removed from a lump without surgery.

Tumor:  An abnormal growth of tissue.  Tumors may either be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer).

Tumor markers:  Proteins, antigens, genes and  ectopically produced hormones that are released from the tumor into the blood or produced by normal tissue in response to the tumor. 

Tumor, Node, Metastasis System (TNM):  Cancer classification system using the size of the tumor, number of lymph nodes involved as well as spread of cancer to other organs.

Two-step procedure:  Biopsy and additional surgery done in two stages, usually  a week or more apart.

Last Updated: 02/12/2003

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