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- PalpitationsBeing aware of your heart beating strongly. This can be a sign of anxiety or a symptom of illness.
- Pamidronate (Aredia)A bisphosphonate class of drug that maintains bone strength and can reduce bone pain. It also lowers blood calcium levels. It is used in the treatment bone metastases, multiple myeloma and to treat high calcium levels caused by cancer.
- Pancoast tumourA lung cancer at the very top of the lung. It can cause pain, numbness or pins and needles in the shoulder and arm because the tumour presses on the group of nerves at the top of the arm (called the brachial plexus).
- PancreatectomyAn operation to remove the pancreas.
- Pancreatic cancerCancer of the pancreas.
- Pancreatic ductThe duct which carries the pancreatic digestive juices from the pancreas to the small bowel.
- PancreatitisInflammation of the pancreas. Chronic (long term) pancreatitis can be a cause of cancer of the pancreas.
- Pancreatoduodenectomy (Whipple's operation)The most common operation for cancer of the pancreas. Half the pancreas is removed along with the duodenum, part of the stomach, the gall bladder and the bile duct.
- PanendoscopyExamination of the voice box (larynx), back of the throat (hypopharynx) and food pipe (oesophagus) with a long rigid tube (panendoscope). You have this done under anaesthetic. The panendoscope has a camera and light inside it, so your doctor can see the inside of your nose and throat very clearly.
- Pap smear (cervical screening, cervical smear, papo smear, pap test, smear test)A screening test to detect changes in the cells of the cervix that could develop into cancer. A scraping of cells is taken from the surface of the cervix and examined under the microscope. A positive smear does not mean you have cancer. It means you have cells that, if not treated, might go on(...)
- Papillary bladder cancerA type of bladder cancer. Papillary bladder cancers are growths on the surface of the bladder lining. They are usually easy to remove, but can sometimes grow back.
- Paracentesis (abdominal paracentesis)A medical procedure to remove a build up of fluid from the abdomen. The doctor or nurse puts a needle into the abdomen. The needle is attached to a tube and a collecting bag. Fluid that from the abdomen (ascites) can then drain away into the bag.
- ParacetamolA mild painkiller that can be bought over the counter from chemists. Paracetamol can also help bring down your temperature if you have a fever.
- Paraneoplastic syndromeA group of symptoms due to substances released by a tumour or due to substances the body makes as a reaction to a tumour.
- Parenteral nutrition (liquid nutrition)A liquid, complete food given through a drip into a vein. It can be used when someone is having very intensive treatment and losing a lot of weight. It can be helpful when you are having difficulty eating due to a very sore mouth, bad diarrhoea or sickness.
- Partial cystectomyAn operation to remove part of the bladder.
- Partial laryngectomySurgery to remove part of the voice box (larynx). One vocal cord will be left and you will still be able to speak.
- Partial responseTo a researcher, this means the cancer shrinking to at least half the original size for at least four weeks. There must not be any sign of growth of the cancer anywhere else in the body.
- Passive smokingBreathing in other people's cigarette, pipe or cigar smoke when you don't smoke yourself. Passive smoking can cause lung cancer and other illnesses in people who don't smoke.
- Pathological fractureA broken bone due to the bone being weakened by disease (for example, secondary cancer).
- PathologistAn expert who examines and identifies cells. The pathologist can tell where a cell comes from in the body and whether it is normal or a cancer cell. If it is a cancer cell, the pathologist can often tell what type of body cell the cancer developed from.
- Peau d'orangeA particular type of dimpling of the skin of the breast which can be a warning sign of breast cancer. This phrase is used because the dimples can make the skin look a bit like the skin of an orange.
- Peer reviewYour peers are people with a similar level of experience and knowledge as you. Peer review is a system for researchers and doctors to look at each other's work and make sure that research papers submitted for publication in medical and scientific journals are of adequate quality.
- Pegfilgastrim (Neulasta)A long acting recombinant G-CSF which increases the white blood cell count. It is used to prevent and treat low white blood cells caused by chemotherapy. It is also used in the treatment of bone marrow disorders.
- Pelvic examinationA pelvic examination in women may be called an internal examination. Your doctor puts one or two gloved fingers into your vagina, while pressing on your abdomen with the other hand. So they can feel for any changes in your vagina, cervix, ovaries, fallopian tubes, rectum and bladder. They may(...)
- Pelvic exenterationSurgery to remove the major organs of the pelvis, including the uterus, cervix, vagina, bladder, and rectum. Can be done for recurrent or widespread cancer in the pelvic area, such as cervical, womb, vulval or vaginal cancer.
- Pelvic radiotherapyRadiotherapy treatment given to the pelvis.
- PelvisLower cavity of the body, contained inside the hip bones. The pelvis contains the pelvic organs - the bladder and lower bowel and the reproductive organs.
- Pemetrexed (Alimta)A chemotherapy drug used in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and mesothelioma.
- Peptic ulcerDamage to the lining of the gullet (oesophagus), stomach or duodenum caused by exposure to the enzymes in gastric juice. Having a peptic ulcer may increase the risk of stomach cancer.
- Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiographyA procedure to put in a stent (small tube) to open a blocked bile duct and relieve jaundice.
- Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography and biliary stentingPutting a tube (stent) in through the skin to unblock the bile duct and relieve jaundice.
- Performance statusA way of describing how well you are and which activities you are able to do. The most common scale used is the World Health Organisation scale. It rates fully active as 0 and bedridden as 4.
- PerineumIn women, this is the area of the body between the anus and the vulva. In men it is the area between the anus and the scrotum.
- Peripheral neuropathyDamage to the nerves of the peripheral nervous system. Can cause pain, numbness, changes in sensation and tingling. Most commonly affects the hands and feet but can affect any nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. Can be caused by cancer or some types of cancer treatment (including(...)
- Peripheral T cell lymphomaA type of high grade non Hodgkin's lymphoma, which affects the T cells of the immune system. Abnormal T cells are found in the blood supply throughout the body. This category of lymphomas has a number of different sub types, including adult T cell leukaemia/lymphoma and anaplastic large T cell(...)
- PeritonealAffecting the peritoneum. The peritoneum is the sheet of body tissue that lines the abdominal cavity and covers the organs inside it.
- PeritonectomyAn operation to remove part of the peritoneum.
- PeritoneumThe sheet of body tissue that lines the abdominal cavity and covers the organs contained within it.
- PeritonitisInflammation of the peritoneum. The peritoneum is the membrane which lines part of the abdominal cavity and some of the organs in the abdomen. The inflammation is often due to infection and may cause sudden severe abdominal pain, a high temperature, sickness, diarrhoea and abdominal swelling.
- Permanent colostomyAn opening of the bowel onto the surface of the tummy (abdomen). A bag is worn to collect the waste matter from digestion that would normally be passed from the body as a bowel motion. This operation cannot be reversed. Often the rectum is removed and the anus is closed up by the surgeon.
- Pernicious anaemiaA type of anaemia caused by a reduced ability to absorb vitamin B12 in the stomach. Having pernicious anaemia may increase the risk of stomach cancer.
- PET–CT scanA scan that combines a PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan and a CT (Computerised Tomography) scan. PET scans show up cancer cells. CT scans give a clear picture of the inside of the body. Doing the two scans together can give the doctors a more detailed picture.
- PET scanStands for Positron Emission Tomography. A type of scan that uses a low dose radioactive liquid to find abnormalities in the body. PET scans are sometimes used to help diagnose cancer.
- PetechiaA small red or purple spot just under the skin, caused by blood leaking from a small broken blood vessel. People whose blood is not clotting properly may have many petechia in an area of the body. Looks like a rash of tiny red dots and is sometimes called pinprick bleeds or a purpural rash.
- Peutz Jeghers syndromeA rare inherited disease that causes benign (non cancerous) polyps to form in the bowel. It can also cause dark coloured spots inside the mouth and around the lips, eyes and nose. People with Peutz Jeghers syndrome have an increased risk of developing cancer, including cancers of the breast,(...)
- PhaeochromocytomaPhaeochromocytomas are tumours that start in the inner part of the adrenal glands which are found above each kidney. Pheochromocytomas are often benign (non cancerous). Only about 1 in 10 (10%) are cancerous. Because the inner part of the adrenal gland makes hormones such as adrenalin, these(...)
- Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory CommitteeThe Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee is an independent statutory body that makes recommendations and give advice to the Health Minister about which drugs and medicinal preparations should be made available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
- Pharmaceutical Benefits SchemeProvides those medicines listed under this scheme at an affordable price to all Australian residents.
- PharmacodynamicsLooking at how a drug works and the effect it has on your body.