Half-Life: The period of time it takes for half of the total amount of a substance or drug to be eliminated from the body.
Hand-Foot Syndrome: This is a condition marked by pain, swelling, numbness, tingling or redness of the hands or feet. It can occur as a side effect of some of the anticancer drugs.
Helper T-cell: Type of white blood cell that helps stimulate immune system reactions. Helper T cells help activate cytotoxic T cells and macrophages by secreting cytokines. They also stimulate B cells to make antibodies.
Hematuria: Blood in the urine either visible with the naked eye or microscopic.
High Grade: Cancers that tend to spread quickly.
Hilar: This refers to the area where nerves and blood vessels attach to an organ.
Hotspot: This is an area of DNA that is likely to mutate (change).
Histopathology: The study of cells that are diseased, using a microscope.
Hospice: A programme that provides special care for people and their families who are near the end of their life. This can be done at home, in the hospital or in free standing facilities.
Hypercalcemia: Abnormal amount of calcium found in a blood test.
Hydronephroma: Older term for Renal Cell Carcinoma. It is the most common type of kidney cancer. It begins in the lining of the renal tubules in the kidney. The renal tubules filter the blood and produce urine.
Hyperplasia: An abnormal increase in the number of cells in an organ or tissue.
Hyperuricemia; A build up of uric acid in the blood (this is a byproduct of metabolism) It is also a side effect of some drugs to fight cancer.
Hypervascular: Having a large number of blood vessels (common in RCC). |
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