A subset of CD4 and CD8 cells that proliferate rapidly when exposed to new antigens. Naive cells are "uncommitted" and respond to general antigenic stimulation. |
A class of drugs (e.g., heroin, codeine, methadone) that are derived from the opium poppy plant, contain opium, or are produced synthetically and have opium-like effects. Opioid drugs relieve pain, dull the senses and induce sleep. |
Death of a tissue, cell or organ. |
A type of needle biopsy. Removal of fluid from a cyst or cells from a tumor. In this procedure, a needle is used to reach the cyst or tumor, and with suction, draw up (aspirate) samples for examination under a microscope. If the needle is thin, the procedure is called a fine needle aspiration or FNA. (See also biopsy.) |
Removal of fluid, cells, or tissue with a needle for examination under a microscope. There are two types: fine needle aspiration (FNA) and core biopsy. FNA uses a thin needle to draw up (aspirate) fluid or small tissue fragments from a cyst or tumor. A core needle biopsy uses a thicker needle to remove a cylindrical sample of tissue from a tumor. |
A procedure used to guide a surgical breast biopsy when the lump is hard to locate or when there are areas that look suspicious on the x-ray but there is not a distinct lump. A thin needle is placed into the breast. X-rays are taken and used to guide the needle to the suspicious area. The surgeon then uses the path of the needle as a guide to locate the abnormal area to be removed. |
Failure to exercise the care toward others which would reasonably be expected of a person in the circumstances, or taking action which a reasonable person would not. |
Newborn baby. |
An abnormal state, characterized by the growth and development of benign or malignant tumors. |
An abnormal growth (tumor) that starts from a single altered cell; a neoplasm may be benign or malignant. Cancer is a malignant neoplasm. |
A substance that sustains nerves and promotes the regeneration of damaged nerves. Recombinant human nerve growth factor (rhNGF) is used to treat peripheral neuropathy. |
A drug that acts on the nervous system and modifies psychotic behavior. |
Pertaining to the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) or the peripheral nervous system (the nerves in the rest of the body). |
A cell that conducts electric neural impulses from one part of the body to another. |
A problem in peripheral nerve function (any part of the nervous system except the brain and spinal cord) that causes pain, numbness, tingling, swelling, and muscle weakness in various parts of the body. Neuropathies may be caused by physical injury, infection, toxic substances, disease (e.g., cancer, diabetes, kidney failure, or malnutrition), or drugs such as anticancer drugs. Also called peripheral neuropathy. |
A chemical messenger (e.g., dopamine, serotonin) used to communicate among neurons and between neurons and other types of cells. |
A decreased number of neutrophils; a type of white blood cell. |
A type of white blood cell involved in defense against bacteria and fungi. |
A reactive oxygen intermediate (free radical) that has several biological functions. |
A small, solid lump that can be located by touch. |
Literally a knot, a node is a collection of tissue. For example a lymph node, is a collection of lymphoid tissue. A nodule is a small node, a little collection of tissue. |
A small, solid, slightly raised area. |
A cancer of the lymphatic system. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is related to Hodgkin's disease but is made up of different cell types. See Lymphoma. |
A drug (e.g., delavirdine, nevirapine) that inhibits the action of the retroviral reverse transcriptase enzyme, thus blocking viral replication, yet works in a different way than nucleoside analog drugs. |
A drug (e.g., aspirin, ibuprofen) that relieves pain and reduces inflammation and fever, but which is not a steroid or a narcotic. |
A method for localizing diseases of internal organs such as the brain, liver, or bone. Small amounts of a radioactive substance (isotope) are injected into the bloodstream. The isotope collects in certain organs. A scintillation camera is used to produce an image of the organ and detect areas of disease. |
A compound (e.g., AZT, ddI, ddC, d4T, 3TC) that mimics one of the building blocks of DNA. These compounds suppress retroviral replication by interfering with the reverse transcriptase enzyme; the synthetic nucleosides cause premature termination of the viral DNA chain. |
One of the building blocks that make up the genetic material (DNA and RNA). Nucleotides consist of a base (adenine, cytosine, guanine, thymine or uracil), a sugar and a phosphate group. |
A central mass in all living organisms that contains the genetic material for formation and growth. |
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A registered nurse (RN) who has completed additional courses and specialized training. Nurse practitioners can work with or without the supervision of a physician. They take on additional duties in diagnosis and treatment of patients, and in many states they may write prescriptions. (See also oncology nurse specialist.) |