Dictionary

tumor debulking Surgically removing as much of a tumor as possible.

tumor marker A substance that can be detected in higher-than-normal amounts in the blood, urine, or body tissues of some patients with certain types of cancer. A tumor marker may be made by a tumor itself, or it may be made by the body as a response to the tumor. Tumor marker tests are not…

tumor marker, CEA See carcinoembryonic antigen.

tumor marker, NSE See neuron-specific enolase test.

tumor necrosis factor One of multiple proteins capable of inducing necrosis (death) of tumor cells that possess a wide range of proinflammatory actions. Abbreviated TNF. TNF is a multifunctional cytokine with effects on lipid metabolism, coagulation, insulin resistance, and the function of endothelial cells lining blood vessels. Drugs that block the action of TNF have…

tumor registry Recorded information about the status of patients with tumors. Although a registry was originally the place where information was collected (in registers), the word registry has also come to mean the collection itself. A tumor registry is organized so that the data can be analyzed. For example, analysis of data in a tumor…

tumor suppressor gene A protective gene that normally limits the growth of tumors. When a tumor suppressor gene is mutated (altered), it may fail to keep a cancer from growing. BRCA1, an example of a tumor suppressor gene, was the first breast cancer gene to be identified; mutated forms of this gene are responsible for…

tunica albuginea The whitish membrane within the penis that surrounds the spongy chambers (corpora cavernosa). The tunica albuginea helps to trap the blood in the corpora cavernosa, thereby sustaining erection of the penis.

tunnel Any passageway in the body that traverses solid tissue and is completely enclosed except for the ends, which are open and permit entrance to and exit from the tunnel. An example of a tunnel is the carpal tunnel.

TUR Transurethral resection.

turbinate A bone in the nose that is situated along the side wall of the nose and is covered by mucous membrane.

Turcot syndrome A genetic disease characterized by polyps in the colon (large intestine) in addition to tumors in the brain. The polyps in the colon tend to become malignant. The brain tumors are also malignant. Skin abnormalities can also occur. Turcot syndrome is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner and can result from mutations in…