The Furry Monkey

TERMINOLOGY - G

 

Image Fusion
Method for displaying two images of the same patient from different scanners simultaneously, for example PET and CT images. This gives doctors more information allowing them to more accurately locate where disease may be.

Imaging
Tests that produce pictures of areas inside the body.

Immune System
One of the body's important defence mechanisms against infection. All lymphomas are diseases of the immune system. It recognizes and fights foreign cells and disease.

Immunocompromised
This arises when the immune system is weakened - it can be caused by disease or treatment.

Immunophenotyping
Determining what kind of surface molecules are present on cells. Used by pathologists to determine the exact type of lymphoma from a tissue sample.

Immunosuppressant
A drug (such as chemotherapy) or other factor that prevents the immune system from reacting to foreign substances and fighting disease.

Immunosuppression
Suppression of the immune response as a result of drugs (chemotherapy) or radiation.

Immunotherapy
Treatment of disease by inducing, enhancing, or suppressing an immune response.

Improvement
This term is used if a tumour shrinks following therapy but is still more than one half of it's original size.

Indolent Lymphoma
Lymphoma that grows slowly and has few symptoms. Slow growing. Indolent lymphomas are a class of low grade lymphomas which are separate from rapidly progressive forms of NHL. Treatment of indolent lymphomas are dependent on the specific type and stage although watch and wait is not uncommon when the disease is not problematic.

Induction Therapy
Chemotherapy or radiotherapy intended to induce a remission.

Infusion
Administration of fluids or medications into the blood through the veins.

Injection
Use of a syringe and needle to deliver medications to the body.

Intermediate-Grade Lymphomas
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma's are classified as intermediate-grade aggressive lymphomas because these tumours can generally grow rapidly and treatment is needed soon after diagnosis. Although people with more aggressive lymphomas often require more immediate intensive treatment, their cancers may be curable.

Interferons
Substances which disrupt the process of cancer cells division.

Interleukin
Produced by the body and stimulates the immune response.

Intrathecal
Into the spinal fluid.

Intravenous
Given into a vein by injection or infusion.

Ionising Radiation
Radiation (visible light and x-rays are a form of radiation) that alters and damages cells.

Isotope
One of two or more atoms having the same atomic number but differing in atomic weight and mass number. The concept of isotope was introduced to explain aspects of radioactivity. A radioactive isotope or radioisotope is a natural or artificially created isotope of a chemical element having an unstable nucleus that decays, emitting alpha, beta, or gamma rays until stability is reached.

Isotope Scan
A scan involving the injection of radioactive substance, which collects in the organ being investigated so that it can be viewed more easily with a special camera.