Go back to the index of this complete glossary to find the definition of all medical terms for cancers, treatments and health.
Cancer Glossary - B
- Barium solution : A liquid containing barium sulfate that is used
in x-rays to highlight parts of the digestive system.
- Benign : Not cancerous: does not invade nearby tissue or spread to
other parts of the body.
- Biological therapy : Treatment to stimulate or restore the
ability of the immune system to fight infection and disease. Also called immunotherapy.
- Biopsy : Removal of a sample of tissue, which is then examined
under a microscope to check for cancer cells. When the whole tumor is removed
it is excisional biopsy. Removing tissue or fluid with a needle is called needle
biopsy or needle aspiration.
- Bladder : The hollow organ that stores urine.
- Blood count : The amount of white cells, red cells and platelets in a sample
of blood drawn from a patient’s body. An elevation or decrease in the blood
count may indicate infection, anemia, or danger of excessive bleeding from cuts
and injuries.
- Bone marrow : The soft inner part of large bones that produces blood cells.
- Bone marrow transplantation : A procedure in which doctors replace marrow destroyed
by treatment with high doses of anticancer drugs or radiation. The replacement
marrow may be taken from the patient before treatment or may be donated by another
person. When the patient’s own marrow is used, the procedure is called autologous
bone marrow transplantation.
- Bone scan : Test to determine if there is any sign of cancer in the bones.
- Brachial plexus : Bundle of nerves in the armpit which
go on to supply the arm.
- Brachytherapy : Treatment with radioactive sources placed
into or very near the tumor; includes surface application, body cavity application
(intracavitary), and placement into the tissue (interstitial). Sometimes called
internal radiation therapy.
- Brain stem : The stemlike part of the brain that is connected to the spinal
cord.
- Brain stem gioma : A type of brain tumor.
- Bypass : An operation in which the doctor creates a new pathway for the flow of body fluids.