Go back to the index of this complete glossary to find the definition of all medical terms for cancers, treatments and health.
Cancer Glossary - R
- Rad Radiation-Absorbed Dose : Same as centigray. One chest x-ray equals 1/10
of a rad.
- Radiation : Energy carried by waves or a stream of particles.
- Radical nephrectomy : Surgical removal of the kidney, large portions of the
surrounding tissue and neighboring lymph nodes.
- Radio-isotope bone scan : Diagnostic procedure in which a harmless amount of
radioactive chemical is injected into the bloodstream and concentrates in cancer
cells. A scanning device is passed over the body and senses any radioactivity
and makes a picture of its location in the body.
- Radiologist : A physician with special training in reading diagnostic x-rays
and performing specialized x-ray procedures.
- Randomized : Chosen at random. In a research study it means choosing subjects
to be given a particular treatment by means of a computer programmed to choose
names at random.
- Rectum : The last 5 top 6 inches of the colon leading to the outside of the
body.
- Red cells : Produced by bone marrow, they circulate in the blood and carry
oxygen to all parts of the body.
- Recurrence : Return of cancer after its apparent complete disappearance.
- Remission : Disappearance of detectable disease. Remission is the state of absence of disease activity in patients with known chronic illness. It is commonly used to refer to absence of active cancer or inflammatory bowel disease.