ALPHABET SOUP
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
Commonly called an MRI. This procedure uses radio waves, strong magnets, and a computer to make detailed images of soft tissues that are difficult to see using other procedures. A contrast agent may be used to help tissues and organs show up clearly.
MAINTENANCE THERAPY
Treatment that is given after initial therapy has been successful. It may include drugs, vaccines, or antibodies designed to kill cancer cells and help a patient stay in remission.MARGIN
In cancer surgery, the edge or border of the tissue that was removed. When no cancer cells are found at the margin, it suggests that all of the cancer has been removed, and the margin is called negative or clean. If cancer cells are found, it suggests that all of the cancer has not been removed, and the margin is described as positive or involved.
MEDIAL
A term used in anatomy that means toward the center of the body.
MELANOMA
A type of cancer that starts in the melanocytes, which are cells that produce melanin, the pigment that creates color in the skin, eyes, and intestines.
MOHS SURGERY
A procedure often used to treat skin cancers. Mohs surgery removes the visible tumor and a thin layer of tissue around it while taking as little normal tissue as possible. The margins of the tumor are then checked under a microscope. If cancer cells are seen, the procedure is repeated until no cancer cells are found.
MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY
A laboratory-created protein that binds to certain antigens, which are substances that cause a response from the immune system and some of which are found on the surface of cancer cells. Each monoclonal antibody is created to bind to one specific antigen and can carry drugs, toxins, or radioactive substances directly to cancer cells.
MYELOID
May refer to some types of blood-forming cells found in the bone marrow. Acute myeloid leukemia is an aggressive cancer of the blood and bone marrow.
MRSA
This term stands for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, an infection caused by a form of staph bacteria that resists treatment by common antibiotics such as methicillin, oxacillin, and penicillin. Hospital-associated MRSA can develop in people in hospitals or other healthcare settings and is often linked to surgery, artificial joint placement, or medical tubing.
