A glossary of terms covering all aspects of breast and ovarian cancer.
All
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Aromatase inhibitor |
A type of hormonal therapy used in the treatment of breast cancer, eg anastrozole (Arimidex®), letrozole (Femara®), exemestane (Aromasin®) |
| Arthralgia |
Pain in the joints |
| Ascites |
The abnormal accumulation of fluid in the abdominal or peritoneal cavity |
| Axilla |
The armpit |
| Axillary dissection/axillary clearance |
Removal of some or all of the lymph nodes from the armpit |
| Benign |
Not cancerous, does not invade nearby tissue or spread to other parts of the body. |
| Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy |
Surgery to remove both ovaries and fallopian tubes. It may be done as part of treatment or to reduce risk of ovarian cancer |
| Biological therapies |
Biological therapies are drugs used to treat certain types of cancer cells. Biological therapies are sometimes called targeted therapies. |
| Biopsy |
Removal of cells or tissue from the body for examination under a microscope |
| Bone marrow |
The substance within the bones that makes different types of blood cells |
| BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene |
These are genes that normally prevent a woman developing breast or ovarian cancer. If a woman has a fault in one of these genes, she has a high chance of developing breast or ovarian cancer; although it does not mean that she is certain to develop cancer |
| Breast care nurse |
A nurse who specialises in the care of women with breast cancer |
| Breast conserving surgery |
Removal of the breast cancer and a small area of healthy tissue around it; also called a lumpectomy, complete local excision, partial mastectomy or wide local excision |
| Breast form |
See 'External breast prosthesis' |
| Breast surgeon |
A surgeon who specialises in surgery to the breast |
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Patron: Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia