What Did My Doctor Say?

MLA created this page to help you understand what a doctor or nurse tells you. You’ll find tips on how to understand many health words. The terms on this site were created with the help of the Working Group for Health Literacy, Massachusetts Health Sciences Library Network (MAHSLIN).

Word Endings

-ECTOMY

This end of a word means taking away by surgery. An “appendectomy” is surgery to take out your appendix.

-GENESIS

This is part of a word. When used at the end of a word, it means producing. Pathogenesis means disease-producing.

-ITIS

This is part of a word that means swelling. Swelling can be caused by an wound, break, or infection in your body. Tonsillitis means swelling of the tonsils. Signs of swelling are redness, pain, or heat.

-OMA

This is part of a word. It means a large bunch of cells. It is in lymphoma. This is cancer where white blood cells grow faster than they should and make a tumor.

-OSIS

When this comes at the end of a word, it means that something is not normal. Trichinosis means having a worm in your stomach, gut, or muscles.

Alphabetical Listing

a.c.

ante cibum, before meals

ãã

– ana, so much of each

ABSCESS

This word means pus formed in the body to fight germs that cause infection.

ACE INHIBITORS

This means “angiotension converting enzyme inhibitors”. These are drugs used to treat heart problems or high blood pressure. They help keep blood vessels open so the blood can flow more easily. Then the heart doesn’t have to work so hard.

ACUTE

This is a serious illness or injury. A doctor or nurse should take care of it right away.

ACUTE HIV INFECTION

This is the early stage of HIV infection. It is when a person is first infected with HIV. HIV means human immunodeficiency virus. HIV can cause AIDS.

ad effect

until effective

ad lib

– as much as desired

ADHERENCE

This word means to carefully follow instructions. An example is taking the right amount of medicine at the right time.

ADIPOCYTE

This is a kind of cell in the body. It stores energy as fat.

ADJUNCT

This is a drug or treatment that is used along with another drug or treatment to help it work better.

ADJUVANT

This means a material or treatment that helps another treatment work better.

AIDS

This means Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. It is a disease in which people have trouble fighting off infections. People with AIDS get sick very easily. AIDS is caused by HIV.

ALGIA

This is part of a word. It means pain or ache. Myalgia means muscle pain.

ALLERGY

This is when the body overreacts to something that is usually harmless. Things like dust, animal hairs, food or plants may do this. If you are allergic to something, you may have runny eyes, coughing, or itching.

AMINO ACID

This is a chemical mixture needed by the body to make protein.

ANTIBIOTICS

These are drugs that help treat you if you are sick and or have an infection. They will not help if you have a virus.

ANTIBODIES

These are proteins that the body makes to protect itself from bacteria and viruses.

ANTIGEN

This is something that triggers the body to fight infection. A vaccine is an example of an antigen.

ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY (ART) or HIGHLY ACTIVE ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY or TREATMENT (HAART)

This is the combination of three or more medicines given to HIV patients to slow down HIV infection. These medicines can be called a “cocktail.”

AP

ante partum, before childbirth

ap

ante prandium, before dinner

APHTHOUS ULCER

This is a painful sore in the mouth. It can be called a canker sore.

APOPTOSIS

This means the way your body gets rid of old and damaged cells.

aq

aqua, water

AREOLA

This is the dark tissue around the nipple.

ASPIRATION

This means using a syringe or needle to take out fluid from a lump or cyst.

ATROPHY

This means when a body part, cells, or tissue decrease in size or shrink.

ATYPICAL LOBULAR HYPERPLASIA (ALH)

ALH is a condition where cells that do not look normal grow in the breast glands that make milk; it is not cancer, but the chance of getting breast cancer later may be greater if you have ALH.

AVERAGE RISK (FOR BREAST CANCER)

This means the chance of getting breast cancer for people who do not have any risk factors for the disease.

B-CELLS

These are a type of white blood cell. They help to fight infections and viruses.

B.I.D.

This means “two times a day.” An example is if you take your medicine once in the morning and once at night.

BACTERIA

These are tiny organisms found in dirt, water and air. Some of them are helpful, but others may make you sick. Germs are bacteria.

BASAL METABOLIC RATE

This is a test that measures how much air you breathe and how much energy you spend. The test is done when you are resting quietly.

BENIGN

This means “not cancer” or ther is no cancer. A benign tumor is one that does not have cancer.

BENIGN BREAST CHANGES

This means changes in the breast that may cause pain or lumpiness, but they are not cancer. Some changes (such as fibrocystic disease and swollen breasts) may increase the chance of getting breast cancer.

BETA BLOCKERS

These are drugs often used to treat high blood pressure. They help the heart beat more slowly and gently.

bid

bis en die, twice each day

BIOPSY

This means taking out a small amount of body tissue to test or look at under a microscope to diagnose or find out what the problem is.

BLOOD CLOT

This is a clump of blood that sticks together in the blood vessels (tubes that carry blood). A blood clot can stop the blood from flowing.

BONE MARROW SUPPRESSION

This means your bone marrow can’t work as well to make blood cells so there are fewer of them. Some drugs make this happen.

BRACHI, BRACHIO

This is part of a word. It means something to do with the arm. For example, a brachial vein is a vein in your arm.

BRADY

This is part of a word. It means slow. Bradycardia” means slow heart beat.

BRCAl AND BRCA2 GENES

These are genes that control growth of cells in the breast; when they do not work right, they may increase the chance of getting breast cancer.

BREAST DENSITY

This term describes the type and amount of tissue in the breast. A dense breast (common in young women) has less fatty tissue. A mammogram of dense breasts may be harder to read or interpret, so a doctor may suggest using ultrasound, which uses sound waves.

BREAST IMPLANTS

These are sacs placed in the breast and filled with a substance such as saline or silicone. Implants are often used to reconstruct or replace the breast after a mastectomy.

BREAST SELF-EXAMINATION (BSE)

This is a check by a woman of her own breasts. Women should know how their breasts feel and report any change to a health care provider as soon as it is found. For more information, call 1.800.227.2345 or visit http://www.cancer.org/.

BRONCHI, BRONCHO

These are parts of a word. They mean some of the tubes in your throat and chest you use to breathe. The tubes go into your lungs. BRONCHI is in the word “bronchitis”. Bronchitis means these tubes are swollen inside.

BUFFALO HUMP

This is a term for extra fat on the upper back and neck. It is caused by taking HIV drugs.

CACHEXIA

This means high weight loss due to illness. This can happen to AIDS patients.

CALCIFICATIONS

Also called microcalcifications, these are small amounts of calcium that build up in the breast and can only be seen on a mammogram. They may be an early sign of breast cancer.

CANCER

Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells that are not normal in the body.

CARCIN-

This is part of a word. It means cancer. CARCIN is in the word “carcinogen”. It means “things that cause cancer.”

CARCINOMA

This is another name for cancer.

CARCINOMA IN SITU

This is cancer in one place in the body that has not spread into other tissues.

CARDIO

This is part of a word. It means heart. CARDIO is in “cardiovascular system”.These are all the body parts that help blood move around.

CD4 CELLS

These are white blood cells that help other cells fight infection. CD4 cells are the main target of HIV infection. A CD4 count below 200 means a person has AIDS.

CENTESIS

This means when a needle is put into the body to take out some fluid.

CHD

This means “Coronary Heart Disease”. This is a clog in the “pipes” where blood comes out of the heart. The “pipes” are called the coronary arteries.

CHEMOPREVENTION

This means using drugs or vitamins to (1) prevent cancer in someone who is at risk of getting cancer; or (2) prevent cancer from coming back in someone who has been treated for the cancer.

CHROMOSOME

This is a part of your genes. They look like tiny threads inside each cell. They are in all the cells of your body. Genes make you who you are. You get them from your birth parents.

CHRONIC

This is when a sickness has no cure. It lasts a long time. Your doctor might be able to help you keep it from getting worse. People who have asthma or diabetes have chronic disease.

CLINICAL BREAST EXAM

This is a physical exam of the breast, underarm, and collarbone area, done by a health care provider, to check for lumps.

COMPLETE (COMPLETER) BLOOD COUNT (CBC)

This is a count of your blood cells. It includes separate counts of red and different types of white blood cells.

COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (CT) SCANNING

This term means X-rays linked to a computer to view cross-sections (slice pictures) of the body

COMPUTER-AIDED DETECTION (CAD)

This means the use of a computer program to take a second look at a mammogram film to find abnormal areas after the radiologist has taken a first look.

CORE NEEDLE BIOPSY

This means the use of a needle to take out tissue to look at under a microscope.

CYCLIC BREAST CHANGES

This means normal tissue changes that happen in the breast during the menstrual cycle. You may sometimes feel tenderness, swelling, or pain.

CYST

This is a small sac or mass in your body that fills with fluid. May also be called cyst (in breast).

CYTOKINES

These are proteins made by CD4 cells. They pass messages from cell to cell. Some messages tell a cell to grow. Other messages tell them to stop growing.

CYTOTOXIC T LYMPHOCYTE (CTL)

This is a T-cell that can find and break apart the cells that have a virus inside them.

CZ

This is a sac or pouch that forms inside your body. The pouch fills up with fluid. The fluid gets stuck inside the pouch.

c_

cum, with

dbl

double

DECRUDESCENCE

This word means you start to feel a little better. You have fewer symptoms.

DERM, DERMA

This is part of a word. It means skin. A dermatologist is a skin doctor.

DIAGNOSIS

This is when a doctor decides what’s making you sick. A doctor looks at tests, symptoms. and your medical history. The doctor then makes a diagnosis.

DIAGNOSTIC MAMMOGRAM

This is the use of an X-ray to check for breast cancer after finding a lump or other sign of possible disease.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS

This is a list of diseases with symptoms that are alike. A fever and a runny nose are symptoms. The flu or the common cold are possible causes

DIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY

This means using a computer to record X-ray images of the breast.

DIS

This is part of a word. It can mean “not”. A dislocated bone is not in the right place.

DNA

This is short for “deoxyribonucleic acid”. DNA is in each cell in your body and tells the cells what proteins to make. The proteins control what the cell will do.

DNA (DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID)

This is the material in the body that holds information about you like hair color and eye color. It is found in each cell. Parents pass on their DNA to their children.

DORSOCERVICAL FAT PAD

This is the same as “Buffalo hump,” and is extra fat on the upper back and neck. It is caused by taking HIV drugs.

DRUG RESISTANCE

This is when certain bacteria, viruses, and parasites don’t die when treated with some drugs. Once they develop resistance, they can survive and grow, or other drugs have to be used to kill them.

DRUG-DRUG INTERACTION

This means there is a change in the way a drug works when it is taken at the same time as another drug.

DUCTAL CARCINOMA IN SITU (DCIS

These are cells in the breast duct that are not normal; they do not spread but may lead to breast cancer if not taken out.

DUCTS

These are tubes or channels that carry body fluids; for example, breast ducts (mammary glands) bring milk to the nipple.

DYS

This is part of a word. It can mean “hard.” A dyslexic person has trouble reading.

ECTO

This is part of a word. It means outside. Ectoderm is a layer of skin.

EDEMA

This is swelling caused by fluid build-up. This can be caused by allergy, disease, or injury. Edema most often occurs in feet, ankles, and legs.

EEG

This means electroencephalogram. This is a test that measures the electrical activity of your brain. This test does not hurt.

EKG or ECG

This means electrocardiogram. This test measures the electrical activity in your heart. This test does not hurt.

ELECTRO

This is part of a word. It means electricity.

ELECTROLYTES

These are important chemicals in the body that you need to stay healthy.

EMBOLISM

This is something that blocks a blood vessel. It can be a blood clot, a clump of cells, an air bubble, or a foreign object.

ENDO

This is part of a word. It means inner or inside. Endocarditis means a swelling inside the heart.

ENDOCRINE GLANDS

These are groups of cells that make chemicals inside the body that tell your body how to work and grow.

ENTRY INHIBITORS

These are drugs. They stop HIV from going into healthy T-cells in the body.

ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOABSORBANT ASSAY (ELISA)–

This is a test to see if the blood has HIV in it. Most often it is the first test done. If the test shows HIV in the blood, a second test is done to make sure.

EP, EPI

This is part of a word. It means over or above. See “epidermis”

EPIDERMIS

This means the top layer of skin.

EXCISIONAL BIOPSY

This means a biopsy that tries to take out a whole lump or odd tissue area to test or look at under a microscope.

EXOCRINE GLANDS

These are groups of cells that give off fluids such as sweat, tears, and saliva.

FALSE NEGATIVE (mammograms)

This means a wrong result of a breast X-ray that shows cancer is not there—when it really is there.

FALSE POSITIVE (mammograms)

This means a wrong result of a breast X-ray that shows cancer is there—when it really is not there.

FASCIA

This is a layer of tissue below the skin that covers your muscles, soft organs, and other tissues.

FAT METABOLISM

This is the way the body changes fatty foods into energy.

FAT NECROSIS

This is lumpy fat tissue that may form in the breast after surgery, radiation, or a bruise or punch in the chest area.

FIBROADENOMA

This is a growth in the breast that is firm and moveable but is not cancer.

FIBROADENOMA

This is a firm lump in the breast that moves around when touched but is not painful and is not cancer.

FIBROCYSTIC DISEASE

These are lumps or cysts in one or both breasts. They may be painful or uncomfortable, but they are not cancer.

FIXED-DOSE COMBINATION

This is when there are two or more drugs in one pill. People can take fewer pills because one pill takes the place of two pills.

FONTANEL

These are the two “soft spots” found on the top of a baby’s head. Fontanels usually disappear by the time the baby is 18-24 months old.

FUSION INHIBITORS

This is a newer kind of drug for HIV. It slows the HIV virus from holding onto the cell. This may stop the cell from getting infected.

GASTRI, GASTRO

This is part of a word. It means stomach. “Gastritis” means the stomach is red and irritated inside.

GENE

This is the smallest part in a body that stores information about how a body will look and work. It is made from DNA. Genes tell each cell how to make proteins. The proteins make your body work right. A parent passes their genes on to their children.

GENERALIZED BREAST LUMPINESS

This is another term for fibrocystic disease.

GENES

This is part of your DNA. Genes control such things as eye color and body size.

GENETIC MATERIAL

This is all the material in the body that stores information about how a body will look and work.

GENOTYPIC ASSAY

This may also be called Genotypic Antiretroviral Resistance Test, or “GART.” This is a blood test to find out if certain drugs can fight the HIV virus in your body or not.

GI SERIES

This a group of X-rays of the gut or digestive system. It can help your doctor make a diagnosis.

GLAND

This is a group of cells in the body that makes and gives off things that the body needs, such as tears, sweat, and hormones.

h.s.

hora somni, at bedtime

HALF-LIFE

This means the time it takes for only half the original amount of a drug to still be in your body.

HEM, HEMA, HEMO

This is part of a word. It means blood. Hematoma means a swelling with blood inside.

HEPATIC STEATOSIS

This means there is too much fat inside your liver. Also known as “fatty liver.”

HIV

This means Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This virus causes AIDS

HIV VIRAL SET POINT

This is when the virus level stays the same after it first goes into the body.

HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY (HRT)

These are drugs made up of hormones used to offset or stop the effects of menopause.

HORMONES

These are chemicals made in the body by endocrine glands. Hormones go into the blood to control cells and organs in other parts of the body.

HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS TYPE 1 (HIV-l)

This is the virus that causes AIDS most of the time. It weakens the immune system. Your body cannot fight off diseases. A person can get this virus from bodily fluids of other people.

HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS TYPE 2 (HIV-2)

This is like HIV-l but not as strong. It develops more slowly. Some of the drugs that work to fight HIV-l do not work for people infected with HIV-2.

HYPER

This is part of a word. It means more or over. For example, a hyperactive thyroid puts too many thyroid hormones in the blood.

HYPERPLASIA

This means an abnormal increase in the number and growth of normal cells.

HYPO

This is part of a word. It means less. For example, a hypoactive thyroid is not making enough thyroid hormones in your body.

i.d.

idem, the same

IM

intramuscular

IMMUNE DEFICIENCY (or IMMUNODEFICIENCY)

This is when the body can’t fight germs or viruses. You may be born like this (primary immunodeficiency). Or, a disease can make it happen (secondary immunodeficiency).

IMMUNE RESPONSE

This is when your body fights against things that do not belong in it by trying to destroy them. This can happen even with harmless things. See “allergy”

IN VITRO

This means outside a living body. An example is in a test tube.

IN VIVO

This means that something takes place inside a living body.

INCISIONAL BIOPSY

This is a biopsy that takes out only part of a lump or suspicious tissue area to test or look at under a microscope.

INCUBATION PERIOD

This is the time between when a person first gets a disease and when they start to get sick.

INDOLENT

This means something not active or growing slowly, with little pain.

INFECTION

This means that outside germs or bacteria have come into your body and are making it sick.

INFILTRATING CANCER

This means cancer that has spread beyond where it first started. It can also be called invasive cancer.

INFLAMMATION

This word means your body is reacting to something that is wrong, like a wound or burn. If part of your body is inflamed, it may be red, painful, and feel very warm.

INTEGRASE

This is part of the HIV virus that puts its own information into cells.

INTRA

This is part of a word. When used at the beginning of a word, it means inside. Intracranial means inside the head or skull.

INTRADUCTAL PAPILLOMA

This is a benign (not cancer) tumor that looks like a wart and starts in the duct of a breast; if there is more than one, there may be a chance of getting breast cancer.

INVASIVE CANCER

This is also called infiltrating cancer. This means cancer that has spread beyond where it first started.

ISCHEMIA

This is damage to body parts that is caused by a lack of blood and oxygen.

JUXTA

This is part of a word. It means near. Juxtaspinal means near the spine.

k

constant

KAPOSI’S SARCOMA (KS)

This is a cancer that happens sometimes when people get AIDS. It causes blood vessels to enlarge. The skin can have pink or purple spots or small bumps. This cancer can also be inside the body in the intestines, lymph nodes, or lungs. It is life threatening. People with KS also have AIDS.

KELOID

This is a scar that is hard and raised. It can keep growing after a wound has healed.

KETONE BODIES

These are substances your body makes as fats break down. High levels of ketone bodies in blood or urine can be a sign of diabetes.

LACTASE

This is a substance in your intestine that helps you digest (break down) milk sugars (lactose). People with lactose intolerance cannot digest milk products.

LALTO, LALO

This is part of a word. It means speech. The word “lalopathy” means speech defect.

LEUKOCYTES

These are white blood cells.

LEUKOPENIA

This means a lower than normal count of white blood cells.

LIGAMENT

This is a band of tissue that joins bones to other bones to make joints.

LIPO

This is part of a word. It means body fat. Liposuction is surgery to take out body fat.

LOBES (also called lobules or bulbs)

This is the part of the breast that makes milk.

LOCAL RECURRENCE

This means cancer has come back in the same place where it first started.

LOCALIZATION BIOPSY

This means using a mammogram to find cancer tissue so it can then be taken out to test or look at under a microscope.

LUMPECTOMY

This means surgery to take out only the breast lump that has cancer.

LYMPH

This is a fluid made in the lymph glands that contains white blood cells. White blood cells help your body fight infection.

LYMPH NODES

These are small glands in many places in the body that remove cell waste and fight infections. Some breast cancers may spread to the lymph nodes under a woman’s arm.

LYMPHOCYTE

This is one kind of white blood cell. They fight viruses. The two main types are B-cells and T-cells.

MACROPHAGE

This is a white blood cell that eats germs and bad cells.

MALIGNANT

This means a harmful condition. A malignant tumor is one that continues to grow.

MALIGNANT

This means a harmful condition; a malignant tumor is one that continues to grow.

MAMMARY DUCT ECTASIA

This means when ducts under the nipple fill with fluid. This may be painful, but it is not cancer.

MAMMOGRAM

This is an X-ray exam of the breast.

MASTECTOMY

This is surgery to remove all or part of the breast, usually because there is cancer.

MASTITIS

This is a bacterial infection in the breast that mainly affects mothers who are nursing babies.

mb

misce bene, mix well

MDR

minimum daily requirement

MED

minimum effective dose

MEMBRANE

This means a kind of thin skin. It covers some body parts. Your nasal membrane covers the inside of your nose.

MENOPAUSE

This is the time in a woman’s life when her menstrual period stops, usually between the ages of 45 and 55.

METASTASIS

This is a word that means when cancer cells spread in your body.

MI

This means Myocardial Infarction. An MI is a heart attack where blood can’t get to the heart so the heart stops beating.

MINOR SURGERY

This is when a small operation is done. The person is not always put to sleep. Sometimes a body part is given drugs to numb it. Only a short time is spent in the hospital. It also can be done in a doctor’s office.

MONO

This is part of a word. It means one or single. MONO is used in many medical words. Mononucleosis is a sickness of one part of the blood. Only the white blood cells have it. Monochromatic means having one color.

MY, MYO

These are parts of a word. They mean muscle. Myalgia means muscle pain.

MYELIN

This is a cover around each nerve. It protects them.

MYOPIA

This is an eye problem. Things far off seem blurry. This is also called near-sightedness.

NASO

This is part of a word. It means nose. Nasogastric tube means a tube that goes down your nose. The tube goes into your stomach.

NEEDLE BIOPSY

This is a biopsy that uses a needle to take out tissue or fluid from the breast to test or look at under a microscope. With this operation there is less scarring and less cost than other kinds of surgery.

NEONATE

This word means a baby less than 1 month old.

NEPHR, NEPHRO

This is part of a word. It means kidney. Nephrectomy Is a word that means having a kidney taken out.

NEURO

This is part of a word. It means nerve. Nerves send messages about pain, heat, cold, and other feelings. Neurology is the study of the body’s nervous system, including the brain. Neurologists are doctors that treat problems with the nervous system.

NEUTROPENIA

This is when you have a low number of one kind of white blood cell. This can happen with HIV infection.

NIPPLE DISCHARGE

This means that fluid that is not milk comes out of the nipple.

NON-NUCLEOSIDE REVERSE TRANSCRIPTASE INHIBITORS (NNRTI, or non Nukes)

This is a kind of drug that does not let the virus make more viruses.

NONPALPABLE CANCER

This term means cancer in the breast that can only be seen on a mammogram but not felt by physical exam.

NOSO

This is part of a word. It means being sick. Nosocomial means getting sick in a hospital.

npo

nil peros, nothing by mouth

NUCLEOSIDE

This is what helps make nucleic acids. Nucleic acids help make up your genetic material.

NUCLEOSIDE ANALOGS

This is a kind of drug that fights HIV. These drugs don’t let the virus make copies of itself.

NUCLEOSIDE/NUCLEOTIDE REVERSE TRANSCRIPTASE INHIBITORS (NRTI, or Nukes)

This is a drug that has fake copies of nucleosides. The fake is copied into the virus. Then healthy cells can’t get the virus.

_

nono, without

O.D.

oculus dexter, right eye

O.S.

oculus sinister, left eye

ONCO

This is part of a word. It means cancer. An oncologist is a doctor who helps people take care of cancer.

ONCOLOGIST

This is a doctor who takes care of patients with cancer.

ONE-STEP PROCEDURE

This is an operation where both a biopsy and surgery are done at the same time.

OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTION

This is when someone’s body can’t fight germs or viruses because they are sick already.

ORGANISM

This means any life form, such as an animal, bacteria, cell, germ, plant, or virus.

OSTEO

This is part of a word. It means bone. Osteoporosis means bones that are weak.

OSTEOPOROSIS

This is when the inside part of your bones get thinner. It can happen when someone gets old. HIV drugs can make it happen too.

OTITIS

This means the ear is swollen because of germs. Otitis media is a problem in the middle of the ear.

PALPATION

This means pressing the fingers on the skin to feel tissue and organs under the skin.

PALPITATION

This is when your heart beats really fast.

PARENTERAL

This is when sugar water or drugs are given with a needle. The needle goes into a vein. This is done for people who can’t eat or swallow pills.

PATHOGEN

This is any kind of organism that can make you sick. Bacteria and viruses can be pathogens.

PATHOLOGIST

This is a doctor who identifies disease by looking at cells or tissue under a microscope.

per os

by mouth

PERI

This is part of a word that means around, about or near. A pericardial sac is a sack around the heart.

PERINATAL TRANSMISSION

This is when a mother who has HIV gives it to her baby. It happens when the baby is born. It can happen when she breastfeeds the baby. Sometimes it is called mother-to-child transmission.

PERTUSSIS

This is lung sickness that happens mostly in children. It is caused by a germ.

PHENOTYPE ASSAY

This is a laboratory test to show what drugs work best against HIV.

PHLEBO

PLEGIA

This is part of a word. It is when some muscles can’t move. A paraplegic person can’t move parts of his or her body.

POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY (PET SCAN)

This is an X-ray test used to find cancer using radioactive glucose (sugar). The sugar gets picked up by cancer cells as it goes through the body.

POST

This means after. Post-surgical means after surgery.

PROPHYLACTIC MASTECTOMY

This is also called preventive mastectomy. This is surgery to remove a breast that is not known to have cancer, to reduce the risk of getting the disease later.

PROPHYLAXIS

This is when someone takes medicine to keep from getting sick.

PROTEASE INHIBITORS (PIs)

This is a group of drugs that stop the HIV virus from copying itself. PIs can limit HIV copying in cells that are already sick.

PROTEINS

These are made up of amino acids. They are necessary for the body to work correctly.

PRURITUS

This means an itch or a feeling that makes you want to scratch.

P_

post, after

Q.D., qd

This means quaque die, every day. You need to take your medicine at the same time once a day or every 24 hours.

Q.I.D.

This means “four times each day.” You need to take your medicine four times each day or every six hours.

qh

quaque hora, every hour

qid

quater in die, four times a day

QUARANTINE

This is when a person with germs is kept away from others. The germs can make other people sick. Quarantine keeps other people safe.

qv

quatum vis, as much as you wish

RACHI, RACHIO

This is part of a word. It means spine, the bones in the center of your back.

RADIATION ABSORBED DOSE (RAD)

This is a unit of measure for radiation.

RADIATION THERAPY

This means using high-energy rays (radiation) to damage, shrink, or kill cancer cells.

RADIOACTIVE GLUCOSE

This is radioactive sugar put into the blood. Cancer cells use more glucose than normal cells, so cancer shows up more in a PET scan.

RADIOLOGIST

This is a doctor with special training in using X-rays and imaging scans.

RAPID TEST

This is a laboratory test to see if you have HIV. This test takes less than 60 minutes. A positive Rapid Test result does not always mean you have HIV. A second test called a HIV Western Blot test will be done.

RECOMBINANT DNA TECHNOLOGY

This means how genetic materials go from one cell to another.

RENAL FAILURE

This is when a person’s kidneys stop working. Kidneys get rid of body waste. If they don’t work, the waste stays in a person’s blood and makes them sick.

RETICULUM

This can mean a system of connected parts, a network.

RETROVIRUS

This is a type of virus that has RNA material. It can make many copies of itself. HIV is a retrovirus.

REVERSE TRANSCRIPTASE

a chemical needed by the HIV virus to copy itself.

REVERSE TRANSCRIPTASE INHIBITORS (RTIs)

These are drugs that slow down reverse transcriptase.

RHINITIS

This is swelling and redness inside the head and nose. It is usually caused by allergies or a cold.

RISK FACTORS (FOR CANCER)

This means something that increases a person’s chance of getting cancer. Some risk factors are family history, smoking, or a previous breast biopsy that was not normal.

RNA (RIBONUCLEIC ACID)

This is like DNA. RNA changes the DNA plan for make proteins.

RSV

This means Respiratory Syncytial Virus. This virus causes breathing problems in children or adults. RSV can be spread by coughing or sneezing.

Rx

recipe, prescription

RYAN WHITE COMPREHENSIVE AIDS RESOURCES EMERGENCY ACT (CARE)

CARE helps people living with HIV/AIDS and their families find and pay for care.

SALVAGE OR RESCUE THERAPY

Sometimes certain drugs no longer help people with HIV This is another way to make them better.

SANGUI , SANGUIO

This is part of a word. It means blood. Exsanguinate means to bleed a lot.

SARCO

This is part of a word. It means flesh or soft tissue.Sarcoma means cancer of the soft tissue.

SCHIZO

This is part of a word. It means divide or split. For example, a schizoid person is split off from other people.

SCLER, SCLERO

This is part of a word. It means hard. Arteriosclerosis means hardening of the arteries. Arteries are the blood vesselsthat move blood away from the heart.

SCLEROSING ADENOSIS

This means a benign (not cancer) condition with increased, abnormal growth of scar-like tissues in the breast’s lobes.

SEPSIS

This is an infection. It can make you sick. It is sometimes called blood poisoning.

SEROCONVERSION

This is when the body makes higher amounts of antibodies. Antibodies can fight HIV.

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE (STD)

This is a disease you can get from having sex.

SOFT TISSUE

These are soft parts inside the body. Examples of soft tissues are muscle, fat, or nerves.

STANDARD TREATMENT

This is the way doctors treat a disease most of the time.

STAT

statim, immediately

STATIC

This means something does not change or stays the same.

STEREOTACTIC LOCALIZATION BIOPSY

This means using a 3D X-ray to find a suspicious area and then doing a needle biopsy.

SUB

This is part of a word. It means under. Sublingual means under the tongue.

Sum

sumat, let it be taken

t

time

T or T°

temperature

T-CELL

This is a type of white blood cell, also called T lymphocyte. Your doctor may use this term to mean the same thing as CD4 cells. The count of your T-cells can sometimes tell your doctor when you should start some treatments for HIV.

TACHY

This is part of a word. It means fast. Tachycardia means fast heartbeat.

TAMOXIFEN

This is a common hormonal drug used to treat breast cancer or reduce the risk of a higher-risk patient getting cancer.

THERAPEUTIC DRUG MONITORING (TDM)

measures how much of a drug is in your blood. TDM helps make sure that the medicines are at the right level TO work best.

THERMO

This is part of a word. It means heat. Thermostable means stable when heated.

THROMBO

This is part of a word. It means blood clot. Thrombosis means a blood clot in an artery.

tid

ter in die, three times each day

TISSUE

This means cells that look alike and work together for a common task. Lung tissues work together to let you breathe.

TOPICAL

This means to be on the surface. A topical cream can be placed or rubbed on the skin.

TRANS

This is a part of a word. It means across, through, or over. Transorbital means through the eye socket.

TRICHI, TRICHO, TRICHIA, TRICHOSIS

This is part of a word. It means hair. Trichobezoar means hair ball.

TUMOR

This is any growth of tissue that is not normal; it can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer).

TUMOR MARKERS

These are things in the blood, urine, or tissues. When they are found at higher than normal levels, it may mean there is cancer.

ULCER

This is a sore on the skin or organ membrane. An ulcer can be caused by an infection or disease. A membrane is a tissue that covers an organ. A common type of ulcer is in the stomach.

UNDETECTABLE VIRAL LOAD (UD VL)

This is when you don’t have much virus in your body. A test does not find the small amount. You can still give the virus to someone else.

URO, URONO

This is part of a word. It means urine or urinary tract. Uroscopy means an exam of urine.

ut dict

ut dictum, as directed

UTER, UTERO

This is part of a word. It means uterus, also known as womb. Uterotonic means the tone or strength of the uterus muscles. VACCINE – These are drugs that are given to protect from disease. They can be given by mouth or in a shot. A flu shot is a vaccine.

VACCINE

This is a drug that keep you from getting a disease. Vaccines can be given by mouth or in a shot. For example, flu shots are a vaccine.

VALVE

In your body, this is a tissue that makes liquid flow in only one way. There are valves in the heart, veins, and other places that keep your blood moving in your body.

vid

see

VIRAL LOAD

This is the amount of the HIV virus in the blood.

VIRAL REBOUND

This is a large increase in the amount of HIV virus in your blood. It can happen even though you are taking your medications. It may mean that the medications are not working as well as before.

VIRUS

This is a germ that causes disease that cannot be cured by antibiotics. Measles and chicken pox are caused by viruses. Antibiotics will not help cure a virus.

VIRUS

This is a tiny germ that causes diseases. Viruses cannot be cured by drugs. Measles and chicken pox are caused by viruses. So is HIV.

w

weight

w/

with

WASTING SYNDROME

This is a big weight loss. You may have fever and diarrhea.

WESTERN BLOT

This is a type of blood test to see how hard the body is fighting a virus.

WHEEZE

This is a whistling sound made when you breathe, as in asthma or other lung disease. Wheezing can also be caused by an object stuck in your airway.

WHITE BLOOD CELLS

These are cells that fight germs in the body. AIDS makes people have fewer white blood cells and they can get sick easier.

WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS

These are body changes such as shaking or sweating that you feel when you suddenly stop taking or using some kinds of drugs or alcohol.

X

unknown factor

X CHROMOSOME

This is the part of a gene that makes a baby a girl. Girls have two X chromosomes and boys have one X and one Y chromosome.

X-RAY

This is a high-energy form of radiation used to take a very precise picture of a part of the body.

XENO

This is part of a word. It means strange or foreign. Xenophobia means fear of strangers.

XER, XERO

This is part of a word. It means dry. Xeroderma is dry skin.

Y CHROMOSOME

This is the part of a gene that makes a baby a boy. Only boys have a Y chromosome.

ZOO

This is part of a word. It means animals. Zoology means the study of animals.

ZYGOMATIC

This word means bones on the face below the eyes. Cheekbones are a type of these bones.

ZYGOTE

this is a single cell that forms when a sperm and egg join.