| Medical Dictionary |
A Medical Dictionary of Medical Terminology
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A biopsy is a procedure that removes cells or tissue from your body. A doctor called a pathologist looks at the cells or tissue under a microscope to check for damage or disease. The pathologist may also do other tests on it.
Biopsies can be done on all parts of the body. In most cases, a biopsy is the only test that can tell for sure if a suspicious area is cancer. But biopsies are performed for many other reasons too.
There are different types of biopsies. A needle biopsy removes tissue with a needle passed through your skin to the site of the problem. Other kinds of biopsies may require surgery.
The chest is the part of your body between your neck and your abdomen (belly). The medical term for your chest is thorax.
Your chest holds many important structures for breathing, digestion, blood circulation, and other important body functions. These structures include your:
Chest injuries and disorders are problems that affect any of the organs or structures located in your chest.
There are many types of chest injuries and disorders, for example:
Chest injuries may happen from the force of car accidents, falls, or sports injuries. Or the chest may be pierced by a bullet or sharp object. Because your chest holds so many important structures, certain chest injuries may be life-threatening.
How are chest injuries and disorders diagnosed?Diagnosis of chest injuries or disorders depends on the type of symptoms you're having and whether you've had a chest injury. Injuries are usually obvious, but in most cases, you'll need tests to know how serious an injury is.
There are many types of tests for diagnosing different types of chest injuries and disorders, for example:
Treatments will depend on the type of chest injury or disorder you have.
Hodgkin lymphoma, also called Hodgkin disease, is a type of cancer that develops in the lymph system. Your lymph system is part of your immune system. It helps protect your body from infection and disease.
The lymph system is made up of tissues and organs that produce, store, and carry white blood cells. It includes your:
Hodgkin lymphoma is one of the main types of lymphoma. The other is non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Each type starts in different types of white blood cells.
What causes Hodgkin lymphoma?The cause of Hodgkin lymphoma is unknown. But there are certain people who are at higher risk of developing it.
Who is more likely to develop Hodgkin lymphoma?Certain factors can make you more likely to develop Hodgkin lymphoma:
The signs and symptoms of Hodgkin lymphoma may include:
To find out if you have Hodgkin lymphoma, your provider:
Treatments for Hodgkin lymphoma include:
Hodgkin lymphoma can usually be cured if it is found and treated early.
NIH: National Cancer Institute
Lung cancer is cancer that forms in tissues of the lung, usually in the cells that line the air passages. It is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women.
There are two main types: small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. These two types grow differently and are treated differently. Non-small cell lung cancer is the more common type.
Who is at risk for lung cancer?Lung cancer can affect anyone, but there are certain factors that raise your risk of getting it:
Sometimes lung cancer does not cause any signs or symptoms. It may be found during a chest x-ray done for another condition.
If you do have symptoms, they may include:
Your health care provider may use many tools to make a diagnosis:
If you do have lung cancer, your provider will do other tests to find out how far it has spread through the lungs, lymph nodes, and the rest of the body. This is called staging. Knowing the type and stage of lung cancer you have helps your provider decide what kind of treatment you need.
What are the treatments for lung cancer?For most patients with lung cancer, current treatments do not cure the cancer.
Your treatment will depend on which type of lung cancer you have, how far it has spread, your overall health, and other factors. You may get more than one type of treatment.
The treatments for small cell lung cancer include:
The treatments for non-small cell lung cancer include:
Avoiding the risk factors may help to prevent lung cancer:
NIH: National Cancer Institute
Lymphoma is a cancer of a part of the immune system called the lymph system. There are many types of lymphoma. One type is Hodgkin disease. The rest are called non-Hodgkin lymphomas.
Non-Hodgkin lymphomas begin when a type of white blood cell, called a T cell or B cell, becomes abnormal. The cell divides again and again, making more and more abnormal cells. These abnormal cells can spread to almost any other part of the body. Most of the time, doctors don't know why a person gets non-Hodgkin lymphoma. You are at increased risk if you have a weakened immune system or have certain types of infections.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can cause many symptoms, such as :
Your doctor will diagnose lymphoma with a physical exam, blood tests, a chest x-ray, and a biopsy. Treatments include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, biological therapy, or therapy to remove proteins from the blood. Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells with less harm to normal cells. Biologic therapy boosts your body's own ability to fight cancer. If you don't have symptoms, you may not need treatment right away. This is called watchful waiting.
NIH: National Cancer Institute
Sarcoidosis is a condition in which groups of cells in your immune system form small, red, and swollen (inflamed) lumps. These lumps are called granulomas. They can form in any organ in the body. But they most commonly affect the lungs and lymph nodes in the chest. Over time, sarcoidosis can cause permanent scarring of organs.
What causes sarcoidosis?Your immune system creates inflammation to help defend you against germs and sickness. But in sarcoidosis, inflammation goes off track. It causes the cells in your immune system to form granulomas. Studies suggest that this inflammation might be triggered by infections and certain substances in the environment such as insecticides and mold. And your genes may affect how your immune system reacts to a trigger.
Who is more likely to develop sarcoidosis?Anyone can develop sarcoidosis, but you are more likely to have it if you:
Many people who have sarcoidosis have no symptoms, or they may feel unwell but without any obvious symptoms. If you have symptoms, you may have some general symptoms. And you may have other symptoms, which will depend upon which part of the body is affected.
The general symptoms can include:
The symptoms of sarcoidosis in the lungs can include:
The symptoms of sarcoidosis in other parts of the body can include:
There is also a set of symptoms that are called Lofgren's syndrome. Some people have Lofgren's syndrome when they first develop sarcoidosis. It usually goes away completely within 2 years. The symptoms of Lofgren's syndrome may include:
If untreated, or if the treatment does not work, sarcoidosis can cause serious health problems called complications. Possible complications include:
There is no single test that can diagnose sarcoidosis, and its symptoms can be similar to the symptoms of many other conditions. That makes it hard to diagnose. To find out if you have sarcoidosis, your health care provider:
If you are diagnosed with sarcoidosis, your provider may order other tests to look at how sarcoidosis is affecting the body.
What are the treatments for sarcoidosis?There is no cure for sarcoidosis. The goal of treatment for sarcoidosis is remission, which means you still have the condition, but it does not cause you problems.
You may not need treatment, and sometimes the condition goes away on its own. If you do need treatment, which treatment(s) you get will depend on your symptoms, which organs are affected, and whether those organs are working well. You may be given medicines to:
If you have complications from sarcoidosis, you may need other treatments, such as other medicines, surgery, oxygen therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation, or an implanted cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator.
Whether or not you have symptoms from sarcoidosis, it's important to get regular follow-up care from your provider, make healthy lifestyle changes, and contact your provider if you have any new symptoms.
NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial disease that usually attacks the lungs. But it can also attack other parts of the body, including the kidneys, spine, and brain.
Not everyone infected with TB bacteria (germs) becomes sick. So, there are two types of TB conditions:
TB is found in the U.S., but it is more common in certain other countries.
What causes tuberculosis (TB)?TB is caused by bacteria (germs) called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The germs spread from person to person through the air. People who have TB disease in their throat or lungs spread the germs in the air when they cough, sneeze, talk, or sing. If you breathe in the air that has the germs, you can get TB. TB is not spread by touching, kissing, or sharing food or dishes.
You're more likely to catch TB from people you live or work with than from people you see for shorter amounts of time.
Who is more likely to get infected with tuberculosis (TB) germs?Anyone who is near a person with TB disease can get infected with the germs. You are more likely to be near someone with TB disease if you:
Certain people are more likely to get sick with TB disease after they get infected. They include people who:
Most people who have TB germs in their bodies don't get sick with TB disease. Instead, they have latent TB infection. With a latent TB infection, you:
If you have TB disease, the TB germs are active, meaning that they are growing (multiplying) inside your body and making you sick. If the TB is growing in your lungs or throat, you can spread the TB germs to other people. You can get sick with TB disease weeks to years after you're infected with TB germs.
With TB disease, your symptoms will depend on where the TB is growing in your body:
Your health care provider or your local health department can test you to find out if you have TB germs in your body. They will give you either a TB skin or blood test.
If your test shows that you have TB germs, you'll need to have other tests to see if the germs are actively growing:
You may need a TB test if you have symptoms of TB disease or if you are at high risk because you are more likely to be near someone with TB disease.
What is the treatment for tuberculosis (TB)?The treatment for both latent TB infection and TB disease is antibiotics. To make sure you get rid of all the TB germs in your body, it's very important to follow the directions for taking your medicine.
If you don't follow the directions, the TB germs in your body could change and become antibiotic resistant. That means the medicine may stop working and your TB may become hard to cure.
By following medical advice for TB testing and treatment, you can keep yourself healthy and help stop the spread of TB.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention