The Furry Monkey

TERMINOLOGY - B

 

 

B Cells/B Lymphocytes
White blood cells that have not travelled to the thymus (see T cells). B cells are responsible for many immune functions, such as producing proteins called antibodies that tag invaders for destruction. B cells respond to the presence of antigens by dividing and maturing into plasma cells.

B-cell Lymphomas
Non-hodgkin's lymphomas that arise from cancers in the development of B-cells.

B Symptoms
Some symptoms of Lymphoma include: night sweats, loss of weight, fever, poor appetite, cough, tiredness, breathlessness, persistent itch all over, and/or pain when drinking even a tiny amount of alcohol. Please note that not everyone gets these symptoms (I didn't!) and if you do have these symptoms, it's not always a Lymphoma! Difficult I know, but only your Doctor and diagnostic testing can tell you for sure.

Basophil
A type of white blood cell.

Benign
Non-cancerous tumour which grow slowly in one place and once removed by surgery, tend not to recur. A noncancerous growth that does not spread to other parts of the body.

Biological therapy
Treatment with substances that can stimulate the body's immune system to fight disease more effectively. Also called immunotherapy.

Biopsy
The removal of a sample of tissue from an area of the body where cancer is suspected, followed by microscopic examination by a pathologist to see whether cancer cells are present.

Blast Cells
Immature blood forming cells found in bone marrow. They are not found in healthy blood streams.

Blood Cell
A general term describing the three cellular components of blood (white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets), all which are made in the bone marrow.

Blood Count
A sample of blood is taken and thenumbers of different cells present in the sample are checked using a microscope. They are then checked against 'a normal cell range'.

BNLI
British National Lymphoma Investigation - a research body overseeing and assessing clinical trials.

Bone Marrow
The spongy material which is found inside our bones. It contains immature cells called stem cells that develop into three types of cells; red blood cells that delivery oxygen and take away the waste product carbon monoxide; white blood cells that protect from infection; and platelets that help the blood to clot.

Bone Marrow Aspirate and Biopsy
The removal and analysis of a sample of bone marrow, usually through a needle inserted into the hip bone. A pathologist will examine the sample for normal and possibly abnormal cells.

Bone Marrow Suppression
A decrease in the number of blood cells produced; it may be a result of cancer treatment or tumor invasion of bone marrow.

Bone Marrow Transplant
Treatment in which healthy bone marrow replaces bone marrow that has been affected by a disease or by treatment for a disease. Usually the patient receives high dose chemotherapy and possibly radiation to kill cancer. In the process the patient's ability to fight infection is also damaged. The donated bone marrow is infused into the patient to restore the immune system. The marrow may come from the patient prior to the procedure (autologous BMT) or from a suitable donor (allogeneic BMT).

Bone Marrow Harvest
The removal and collection of bone marrow, usually done prior to a bone marrow transplant but sometimes done as a preventative measure in case of relapse.

Bone Scan
A procedure where an image of the bones is produced by injection of a radioisotope and subsequent scan for the isotope absorbed by the bones. It is usually used to determine if cancer has spread to the bones.

Blood Count
A routine test to determine the amount of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets in a sample of blood. Often used to determine if the body can withstand another round of chemotherapy ("Are my counts high enough?"). Also called the complete blood count (see CBC).

Bulky Disease*
A cancer-specific phrase found often in the literature on lymphomas. Bulky disease is any cancerous lymph node or extranodal tissue that measures greater than ten centimeters in any dimension.

Burkitt's Lymphoma
A type of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that most often occurs in young people between the ages of 12 and 30. The disease usually causes a rapidly growing tumor in the abdomen.