The Furry Monkey

TERMINOLOGY - T

 

T Cells
Lymphocytes that have travelled to and resided in the thymus or are descended from those that have done so. T-cell function is immensely complex and is best described in immunology textbooks.

Terminal
Describes an advanced disease with limited life expectancy.

Therapy
A word often used to mean treatment.

Thrombocyte (THROM-bow-site)
A blood cell commonly called a platelet.

Thrombocytopenia
A shortage of platelets in the blood. This reduces the ability of the blood to clot.

Thrombocytosis (throm-bow-sigh-TOE-sis)
The condition of having abnormally high numbers of platelets.

Thymus
An organ in which lymphocytes mature and multiply. It lies behind the breastbone.

Tissue
A group of similar cells that work together to perform a specific function.

Total Body Irradiation
Radiation aimed at the entire body to destroy cancer cells. Often used in Bone Marrow transplants possibly with chemotherapy to destroy cancer (which also destroys the immune system's ability to make blood cells hence the transplant of cells back into the patient).

Total response or total remission
Describes a tumor's response to treatment. The tumor has either completely disappeared, or is so small and stable it may just be scar tissue. See also Partial response, Complete response, and Remission.

Toxicity
The unwanted side effects of cancer therapies, such as a decrease in blood cells, nausea and vomiting, and hair loss.

Tumour
An abnormal mass or swelling of tissue. Tumours may occur anywhere in the body. A tumour may be benign (harmless) or malignant (cancerous). Also known as a neoplasm.

Tumour Lysis Syndrome
Arises from the death of certain large tumours and may arise shortly after chemotherapy is started. It is characterized by symptoms of kidney failure owing to excessive amounts of calcium, phosphate, and potassium being released by dying tumours.

Tumour Marker
Proteins and other substances found in the blood that signify the presence of cancer somewhere in the body.