Go back to the index of this complete glossary to find the definition of all medical terms for cancers, treatments and health.
Cancer Glossary - W
- Whipple procedure : Surgery used to treat pancreatic cancer. The surgeon removes
the head of the pancreas, the duodenum, a portion of the stomach, and other
nearby tissues.
- White blood cells : Cells produced by the bone marrow and lymph nodes. They help the body fight infection.
- Wide local excision : Surgery to cut out the cancer
and some healthy tissue around it.
- Wilms' tumor : A disease in which malignant (cancer) cells are found in the kidney, and may spread to the lungs, liver or nearby lymph nodes. Wilms' tumor usually occurs in children younger than 5 years old.