Glossary Section M through P

Letter M Section

Malignant

Cancerous; can invade and destroy nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body.

Mammogram

An X-ray of the breast.

Mammography

The use of X-rays to create a picture of the breast.

Mastectomy

Surgery to remove the breast (or as much of the breast as possible). Menopause

The time of a woman's life when menstrual periods permanently stop; also called change of life.

Menstrual cycle

The hormone changes that lead up to a woman's period. For most women, one cycle takes 28 days.

Metastasis

The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another. Cells that have metastasized are similar to those in the original (primary) tumor.

Microcalcifications

Tiny deposits of calcium in the breast that cannot be felt but can be detected by a mammogram. A cluster of these very small specks of calcium may indicate that cancer is present.

Letter O Section

Oncologist

A doctor who specializes in treating cancer.

Ovaries

Palpation

A simple technique in which a doctor presses on the surface of the body to feel the organs or tissues underneath.

Pathologist

A doctor who identifies diseases by studying cells and tissues under a microscope.

PDQ

The National Cancer Institute's computer database that contains up-to-date cancer information for scientists, health professionals, parents and the public.

Peripheral blood stem cell transplantation

A method for replacing bone marrow destroyed by cancer treatment. Certain cells (stem cells) in the blood that are similar to those in bone marrow are removed from the patient's blood before treatment. The cells are given back to the patient after treatment to help the bone marrow recover and continue producing healthy blood cells.

Phytochemicals

Naturally occurring chemicals found in plants that may be important nutrients for reducing a person’s cancer risk.

Platelets

The part of a blood cell that helps prevent bleeding by causing blood clots to form at the site of an injury.

Progesterone

A female hormone that is one of the hormones that can help some breast cancers grow.

Prognosis

The probable outcome or course of a disease; the chance of recovery.

Prosthesis