Glossary Section H through L

Letter H Section

Hair follicle

A sac in the skin from which hair grows.

Hormones

Chemicals produced by glands in the body and circulated in the bloodstream. Hormones control the actions of certain tissues or organs.

Hormone replacement therapy

Hormone-containing medications taken to offset the symptoms and other effects of the hormone loss that accompanies menopause or chemopause.

Implant

A silicone gel–filled or saline-filled sac inserted under the chest muscle to restore breast shape.

Infertility

The inability to have children.

Infiltrating or invasive breast cancer

Cancer that has spread beyond the layer of tissue in which it developed to nearby tissue, lymph nodes under the arm or other parts of the body.

Inflammatory breast cancer

Letter K Section

Letter L Section

LCIS (lobular carcinoma in situ)

Abnormal cells in the lobules of the breast; a sign that a woman is at increased risk of developing breast cancer.

Lobe, lobule

Located at the end of a breast duct, the part of the breast where milk is made. Each breast contains 15 to 20 lobes, each with many smaller lobules.

Local therapy

Treatment that affects cells in the tumor and the area close to it.

Lumpectomy

Surgery to remove only the cancerous breast lump and some normal tissue around it; usually followed by radiation therapy.

Lymph

The almost colorless fluid that travels through the lymphatic system and carries cells that help fight infection and disease.

Lymph nodes

Small, bean-shaped organs located along the channels of the lymphatic system. Bacteria or cancer cells that enter the lymphatic system may be found in the nodes. Also called lymph glands.

Lymphatic system

The tissues and organs that produce, store, and transport cells that fight infection and disease.

Lymphedema