Ketoconazole
A drug that treats infection caused by a fungus. It is also used as a treatment for prostate cancer because it can block the production of male sex hormones.
Keratosis
A common, noncancerous growth on the skin A seborrheic keratosis is usually a tan, brown, or black growth that appears as people age. Actinic keratosis describes a scaly patch caused by years of overexposure to the sun.
Kaposi sarcoma
A cancer named after Moritz Kaposi, the Hungarian dermatologist who described it in 1872. It causes lesions (abnormal tissues) that develop most often on or under the skin. Caused by a viral infection, the disease became well known as an indicator of HIV infection and AIDS.
Karnofsky Performance Status
A standard scale used to measure the ability of patients to perform ordinary physical activities. Scores range from 0 to 100, where 100 indicates excellent health and ability and 0 represents death. In evaluating cancer patients, it may help to determine prognosis, measure changes in a patient’s ability to function, or decide if a patient could be included in a clinical trial.
Karyotyping
A test that looks at the number and structure of a patient's chromosomes to identify genetic problems. Normally, humans have 46 chromosomes arranged in 23 pairs. The test presents a karyotype, which is a picture of these chromosome pairs organized by size, shape, and number.
Keloid
A thick growth of scar tissue. Keloids usually develop where the skin has healed after an injury and are found most commonly on the ears, shoulders, upper back, and chest.
Ketogenic diet
A diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates and sugars. Without enough carbohydrates or sugar, the liver breaks down stored fat to create ketones, acids that supply energy. Ketones develop naturally during sleep and strenuous exercise, or when fasting or eating a low-carb diet. Having too many ketones can be toxic, causing ketoacidosis, which can be a serious complication in diabetes.
Kidney stone
A solid mass made of minerals and salts that forms in the kidneys. One or more stones can be in the kidney or ureter at the same time, and they are painful to pass.
Kegel exercises
Exercises to strengthen pelvic muscles and thus help improve muscle strength and bladder control.
Killer T cell
A type of white blood cell that can kill cancer cells. Killer T cells are separated from the blood, grown in a laboratory, and then infused back into the patient as a type of immunotherapy.
