A

Complete destruction or removal. For leukaemia or lymphoma for example, chemotherapy or radiotherapy is used to completely destroy the bone marrow (bone marrow ablation) prior to bone marrow transplant.

Treatment for cancer that has the aim of cure or control of the cancer.

An additional treatment that is used to increase a patient's response to treatment. An example is the use of adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery to improve the chance of controlling the cancer.

Parts of the body used for eating and breathing, for example the mouth and pharynx.

A toxic mould that grows on nuts and grain and contaminates food. Aflaxtoxin can cause cancer of the liver. It is thought to be responsible for a high incidence of liver cancer among people in tropical regions in Africa who eat foods contaminated with mould.

Hair loss.

The small air sacs in the lung.

Treatment given in an outpatient setting. Treatment continues while the patient is able to resume many of their normal activities.

Low haemoglobin levels in the blood. If the haemoglobin is low, you may begin to feel very tired and may look pale. The red blood cells contain haemoglobin (Hb), which is a protein that carries oxygen around the body.

A treatment (usually a drug) to reduce pain.

Sudden allergic reaction that causes shortness of breath, skin rash, wheezing and faintness. Can be life threatening if not treated.

Formation of blood vessels. Cancer tissues are able to encourage blood vessel formation. Experimental treatments (anti-angiogenesis) have been developed that try to reverse the blood vessel formation to cancer tissues.

Loss of appetite for food.

Antigens are generally foreign substances such as toxins or bacteria that cause the body to react with an immune system response. Antibodies are formed in response to antigens and will make the immune system try to remove the foreign substance. Antigens and antibodies act as pairs with specific antigens causing a reaction and response in specific antibodies.

An experimental treatment for cancer that uses a DNA molecule that is a mirror image of one of the genes involved in the development of a cancer (current trial is targeting lymphomas) to switch off this gene and kill the cancer cells.

Collection of fluid in the abdominal cavity. Can cause abdominal swelling, feeling of fullness or nausea.

A disease process that does not have symptoms. This can make it more difficult to detect problems, as there may be no indication of a problem and a routine examination may not reveal any change.