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- SalineSolution of salt in water.
- SarcomaCancer that has developed from cells of the body's connective tissues. Muscle, bone, nerves, blood vessels, fat and fibrous tissues are all connective tissues.
- Scan (scans)Looking at the inside of the body from the outside to see if there is anything wrong (for example, a CT scan or ultrasound scan).
- SchwannomaA tumour of the nerve sheath (fatty covering of the nerves). Can occur in the major nerves of the head or the peripheral nerves (outside the brain and spinal cord). One of the most common sites is the main nerve for hearing (the acoustic nerve). Schwannomas are usually benign (non cancerous),(...)
- Screening (screening program, screening test, screening tests)Testing the general population to see if a particular disease can be picked up early - usually before that person has noticed any symptoms. This can only be done if there is a reliable and simple test for the disease, as with the cervical smear test or mammogram.
- ScrotumThe sack of skin that surrounds the testicles.
- Second cancerCancer caused by previous cancer treatment. Some treatments cause changes in the body that may lead to a different type of cancer developing some years afterwards. This is not the same as a secondary cancer, which is a cancer which has spread.
- Second line treatmentThis is the treatment you have if your first course of cancer treatment doesn't work or your cancer comes back after a period of time.
- Second look laparotomyAn operation that is done after chemotherapy (most often for ovarian cancer) to see if the cancer inside the abdomen has gone, or shrunk.
- Second opinionGetting another view on diagnosis or treatment from another doctor.
- Secondary brain tumour (metastatic brain tumour)Cancer which has spread to the brain from somewhere else in the body. The cells in the brain tumour look like the cells from the part of the body the cancer has come from, rather than like brain cells. For example, if the cancer has spread from the lung, the cancer cells in the brain will look(...)
- Secondary breast cancerCancer that has spread from the breast to another part of the body, for example, the liver or bone.
- Secondary cancer (secondaries)Cancer that has spread from where it started in the body to another part of the body.
- Secondary lung cancerLung cancer that has spread from the lungs to another part of the body, such as the liver.
- Secondary prostate cancerProstate cancer that has spread from the prostate to another part of the body, for example, the bones.
- SedationMaking someone calm and sleepy by giving them a drug called a sedative. You may have this for some medical procedures to make it less stressful. If you have sedation, you may not remember much about the procedure afterwards.
- SedativeA drug which reduces anxiety, calms you and makes you sleepy. Doctors may give you this sort of drug before certain medical procedures to make them less stressful. If you have a sedative you may be sleepy for a while afterwards and may not remember much about the procedure.
- SegmentectomyAn operation to remove a segment of a body organ, for example a segment of a lung.
- Selectron (curitron)A machine used in internal radiotherapy treatment.
- Self catheterisationUsing a catheter to drain your own urine, either from the bladder or from a 'continent urinary diversion' after having your bladder removed.
- SeminomaA type of testicular cancer. It is most common in men between the ages of 30 and 50.
- Sentinel lymph nodeThe 'sentinel' lymph node is the lymph node near a body organ, or part of an organ, which is the first that the tissue fluid draining from that organ reaches.
- SeromaA collection of fluid under a wound after an operation.
- SerotoninA hormone found in the brain, platelets, digestive system and the pineal gland (a small gland in the brain). It acts as a chemical messenger, sending messages between nerves (neurotransmitter). It also sends messages to make blood vessels narrower. Some carcinoid tumours make serotonin and(...)
- Sex hormonesHormones that 'make' us male or female. They control the production of eggs in women and sperm in men. The female sex hormones are oestrogen and progesterone. The male sex hormone is testosterone. Some cancers use sex hormones to help them grow and treatments for these cancers aim to stop the(...)
- ShellAnother word for a mask or mould used to keep the body still during radiotherapy treatment.
- Side effectsUnwanted effects of medical treatment.
- Sigmoid colonAn 'S' shape bend in the area of the bowel that joins the descending colon to the rectum.
- Sigmoidoscopy (sigmoidoscope)Examination of the inside of the rectum (back passage) and colon (large bowel) as far as the sigmoid colon. The sigmoid colon is the S shaped part of the large bowel on the lower left of the abdomen. The doctor puts a sigmoidoscope (a thin bendy tube) into the bowel through the anus. It can(...)
- SiliconeA substance used to make body implants (for example, artificial breasts). Also used to make some medical equipment (for example, urinary catheters). It is used because it is very unlikely to cause any reaction in the body.
- Silicone implantAn artificial body part put into the body to replace a part that has been removed - for example, a breast shape or false testicle.
- Simple mastectomyOperation to remove the breast only.
- SimulatorSpecialised X-ray and scanning machine used to plan radiotherapy treatment.
- Skin cancer clinicA clinic where people who are at higher than normal risk of developing skin cancer can have their moles checked by a doctor. People at higher risk of melanoma have a lot of moles, or have 'dysplastic naevus syndrome' – large numbers of abnormal moles. These clinics aim to find and treat early(...)
- Skin graftReplacing an area of skin with another piece taken from elsewhere in the body. For example, in skin cancer surgery, a wide area of skin is affected and has to be removed. This is then replaced with a piece of your own skin.
- Skin markings (skin marks)Lines drawn on the body with a felt tip pen during radiotherapy planning. These are used to line up the radiotherapy machine every day. Marks can also be made with tattoos.
- Skin nodule (skin nodules)A lump or raised area on the skin.
- Skin reactionReddening and sometimes peeling of the skin that can happen as a reaction to radiotherapy treatment. Similar to moderate sunburn. Severe skin reactions to radiotherapy are now quite rare since the use of newer 'skin sparing' radiotherapy techniques.
- Small bowel (duodenum, ileum)Also called the small intestine. It is the part of the digestive system between the stomach and the large bowel and includes the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. Most digestion takes place here.
- Small cell lung cancer (small cell)A type of lung cancer. It behaves differently from the other main types of lung cancer and so is treated differently. It tends to spread at an early stage, so is often treated with chemotherapy.
- Small cell lymphocyticA type of lymphoma. The cells appear small under the microscope. This is a low grade type of lymphoma.
- Small non-cleaved Burkitt'sA rare type of lymphoma. The cells have a particular appearance and are named after the person that first classified this type of lymphoma. The cells look small under the microscope and are not split. It is usually treated with combination chemotherapy.
- Small non-cleaved non-Burkitt'sA rare type of lymphoma. The cells look small under the microscope and are not split. This looks similar to the cells in Burkitt's Lymphoma, but are not the same, so this type of lymphoma is called non-Burkitt's. It is usually treated with combination chemotherapy.
- Social workerA person who gives people support, arranges care, and helps with claiming financial benefits. Some specialised social workers support people with cancer and their families.
- Soft dietSoft and mashed foods that are easy to swallow and don't need much chewing. These are often recommended when the mouth is sore from chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or when it is difficult to swallow.
- Solar keratosisChanges in the skin due to long term sun exposure. They may be the first warning sign of a skin cancer developing. Usually the area of skin is slightly raised, red or pink and may be scaly.
- Solid tumourA solid tumour is a tumour (benign or cancerous) that has developed in a body organ or tissue. It does not include cancers of the blood system or lymphatic system, such as leukaemia or lymphoma.
- SomatostatinA hormone which helps to control the production of insulin by the pancreas and gastrin by the stomach.
- SomatostatinomaA rare type of cancer of the pancreas which produces too much of a hormone called somatostatin, causing diarrhoea and stomach ulcers.
- Somnolence (somnolence syndrome)Feeling extremely tired, drowsy and irritable. This can be a side effect of a long course of radiotherapy to the brain. It may last for some weeks after treatment has finished.