A form of traditional Chinese mind/body exercise and meditation that uses slow sets of body movements and controlled breathing. Tai chi is done to improve balance, flexibility, muscle strength and overall health.

Also called psychotherapy. Treatment of mental, emotional, personality and behavioral disorders using methods such as discussion, listening and counseling.

A type of treatment that uses medicines or other substances, such as monoclonal antibodies, to identify and attack specific cancer cells. Targeted therapy may have fewer side effects than other types of cancer treatments.

Also called paclitaxel. A medicine used to treat breast cancer. It blocks cell growth by stopping cell division and may kill cancer cells. It is a type of antimitotic agent.

A substance used to find sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer. It is also being studied as a way to find cancer in the body. It contains a radioactive substance called technetium linked to a substance called sulfur colloid. Sulfer colloid is taken up by special cells in lymph tissue, and in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow after it is injected. A machine or probe that detects radioactivity is used to find where the Tc 99m sulfur colloid is in the body.

Disease that cannot be cured and will cause death.

Having to do with treating disease and helping healing take place. In vaccine therapy, a therapeutic vaccine is intended for individuals already affected with an illness, while prophylactic (preventative) vaccines are intended to prevent the illness. Some therapeutic vaccines are being studied in the treatment of breast cancer.

In medicine, a procedure in which a heat-sensing infrared camera is used to record the surface heat produced by different parts of the body. Abnormal tissue growth can cause temperature changes, which may show up on the thermogram. Thermography may be used to diagnose breast cancer and other tumors.

An anticancer medicine that belongs to the family of agents called alkylating agents.

Also called candidiasis, candidosis. A condition in which Candida albicans, a type of yeast, grows out of control in moist skin areas of the body. It is usually a result of a weakened immune system, but can be a side effect of chemotherapy or treatment with antibiotics or corticosteroid medicine. Thrush usually affects the mouth (oral thrush). Rarely, it spreads throughout the entire body.

A disorder in which a person hears noises such as buzzing, ringing, clicking, or the sound of a pulse, when no outside sound is causing them. Tinnitus may have many different causes, and may be a symptom of another disease or condition. It may be caused by certain tumors and anticancer medicines.

A group or layer of cells that work together to perform a specific function.

A series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body. The pictures are created by a computer linked to an X-ray machine.

Treatment with anticancer medicines in a lotion or cream applied to the skin.

A substance that blocks topoisomerases (enzymes that break and rejoin DNA strands and are needed for cells to divide and grow). Blocking these enzymes may kill cancer cells. Certain topoisomerase inhibitors are being studied in the treatment of cancer.

Removal of the breast. Also called simple mastectomy.

Also called hyperalimentation, parenteral nutrition, TPN. A form of nutrition that is delivered into a vein. Total parenteral nutrition does not use the digestive system. It may be given to people who are unable to absorb nutrients through the intestinal tract because of vomiting that won't stop, severe diarrhea or intestinal disease. It may also be given to those undergoing high-dose chemotherapy or radiation and bone marrow transplantation. It is possible to give all of the protein, calories, vitamins and minerals a person needs using total parenteral nutrition.

Having to do with poison or something harmful to the body. Toxic substances usually cause unwanted side effects.

Also called five element acupuncture. An ancient form of acupuncture based on the principle that there are five universal elements (wood, fire, earth, metal and water) that affect a person's emotions, personality, health and response to treatment. Each person is affected by one element more than the others.

Absorbed through the unbroken skin.

Support given to individuals when they move from one phase of disease or treatment to another, such as from hospital care to home care. It involves helping individuals and families with medical, practical, and emotional needs as they adjust to different levels and goals of care.

Also called Herceptin. A monoclonal antibody that binds to HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2), and can kill HER2-positive breast cancer cells. Monoclonal antibodies are made in the laboratory and can locate and bind to substances in the body, including cancer cells. Trastuzumab is used to treat breast cancer that is HER2-positive and has spread after treatment with other medicines. It is also used with other anticancer medicines to treat HER2-positive breast cancer after surgery. Trastuzumab is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer.

In radiation therapy, the place on the body where the radiation beam is aimed.

Use of acupuncture to treat pain by inserting needles into trigger points on the body. Trigger points are places on the body where injury has occurred, but the pain has been sent along nerves and is felt in another place in the body.

A type of surgery to remove the breast. The breast is injected with a liquid mixture of salts and small amounts of two medicines. These medicines are lidocaine, to numb the area, and epinephrine, to narrow blood vessels and reduce bleeding. Tumescent mastectomy is usually used to treat elderly women affected with breast cancer.

A treatment planning approach in which a number of doctors who are experts in different specialties (disciplines) review and discuss the medical condition and treatment options of an individual. In cancer treatment, a tumor board review may include that of a medical oncologist (who provides cancer treatment with medicines) a surgical oncologist (who provides cancer treatment with surgery), and a radiation oncologist (who provides cancer treatment with radiation). Also called multidisciplinary opinion.

Also called debulking. Surgical removal of as much of a tumor as possible. Tumor debulking may increase the chance that chemotherapy or radiation therapy will kill all the tumor cells. It may also be done to relieve symptoms or help the individual live longer.

A substance that may be found in tumor tissue or released from a tumor into the blood or other body fluids. A high level of a tumor marker may mean that a certain type of cancer is in the body. Examples of tumor markers include CA 15-3 (in breast cancer) and CEA (in ovarian, lung, breast, pancreas, and gastrointestinal tract cancers).

Also called neoplasm. An abnormal mass of tissue that results when cells divide more than they should or do not die when they should. Tumors may be benign (noncancerous), or malignant (cancerous).