A small medical appliance installed beneath the skin. A tube called a catheter connects the port to a vein so that fluids can be passed into the body. Also called an infusaport….

Positron emission tomography. A scan in which a person is injected with a small amount of radioactive glucose solution. Cancerous areas show up brighter in the scan because they take up more of the glucose….

The surgical removal of a growth using a small, spoon-shaped instrument with a sharp edge called a curette.

A surgical technique that involves several small cuts instead of one large cut on the abdomen. Also called keyhole or laparoscopic surgery….

Also called lymph glands. Small, beanshaped structures that form part of the lymphatic system. They collect and destroy bacteria and viruses.

A type of surgery for selected small rectal cancers. The surgeon operates through the anus to remove the cancer without cutting into the abdomen.

Surgery done through small cuts in the abdomen using a laparoscope (a thin telescopic instrument) for viewing. Also called keyhole surgery.

The small cartilage flap in your throat that prevents food or fluid from going down the wrong way.

A small passage that carries air into the outer parts of the lungs.

A technique to create images of bones on a computer screen. A small amount of radioactive dye is injected into a vein. It collects in the bones and is detected by a scanning machine.