Glossary

SPECT scanSPECT stands for 'Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography'. You have an injection of a very small amount of a radioactive chemical, which circulates in your blood and shows up the cancer on the scanner. It is similar to a PET scan.

SpeculumA device used to hold the vagina open during an internal examination. Allows the doctor to see the cervix clearly.

Speech therapistA person trained to help people learn how to speak and swallow properly. If you have surgery to your mouth or voice box, you will see a speech therapist as you may need to learn how to speak or swallow in a new way.

Sperm bankingCollecting, freezing and storing sperm samples to use in the future. Can be done before cancer treatment is given. If the treatment causes infertility, the frozen sperm can be used to father a child as part of fertility treatment.

Sperm countThe number of healthy sperm counted in a sperm sample. This shows how healthy the sperm sample is and can tell whether it is worth freezing the sample for sperm banking.

SplanchnicectomyNerve block of the splanchnic nerve in the abdomen. This is sometimes done for severe pain in cancer of the pancreas which is not responding to pain killers.

SpreadDoctors use the term spread in relation to cancer to means that cancer cells have spread away from where the cancer first started. A cancer can spread to areas next to where it began to grow (local spread) or to other parts of the body (secondary cancer or metastasis).

Squamous cell cancerA cancer that develops from squamous cells. It is also called squamous cell carcinoma. Squamous cells are found in the skin and also the membranes that line some body cavities, such as the airways in the lungs.

Squamous cellsA flat type of cell found in the skin and the membranes that line some body cavities. Many cancers start from these cells.

Stable diseaseDoctors and researchers may use the term 'stable disease' to describe a cancer that is not getting better or worse. Tests and scans may show that a cancer is not getting bigger or smaller, but is staying the same size.

Stage (stages)The size of a cancer and how far it has spread. The stage of a cancer is used to decide the best type of treatment. Different cancer have different staging systems but most systems have about four stages. Stage one is the smallest cancer and stage four (or the highest number) means the cancer(...)

StagingTests and scancs to work out what stage a cancer is - how large it is and whether it has spread. For most cancers there are four stages. Stage one is a small localised cancer. Stage four is a cancer that has spread away from where it started to another body organ. TNM is a more detailed(...)

Staging laparotomyAn operation sometimes carried out for Hodgkin's lymphoma or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The surgeon opens the abdomen to check how far the disease has spread and whether any organs are involved, such as the stomach or spleen. The surgeon may remove the spleen or any lymphoma tumours that are found.

Standard treatmentThe most commonly used treatment for a particular cancer. New treatments are often compared to standard treatments in research trials. The usual, or standard treatment, is the best treatment that is available for the particular type and stage of cancer that you currently have.

StatisticianSomeone who works on trial results to find out whether they have happened by chance, or whether one treatment is really better than another. Statisticians also work out how many people are needed to take part in a trial and put them into groups at random.

StatisticsCollecting and analysing data to make comparisons and see patterns in research results.

SteatorrhoeaA particular type of diarrhoea caused by difficulty digesting fats. Can be a symptom of diseases of the pancreas or gall bladder.

Stem cell collecting machine (blood cell separator, cell separator)A machine which separates out blood cells and removes them from your blood. You have a drip put into a vein in each of your arms (or one of the drips is attached to your central line if you have one). Your blood circulates out of one drip, through the machine and back into the other drip. The(...)

Stem cell harvest (stem cell collection)Collecting blood stem cells from the blood for a stem cell transplant. Before the collection, you will be given injections of growth factors to help lots of stem cells to develop. When your white blood cell count is high enough, your stem cells are collected using a stem cell collecting machine.

Stem cell transplantA treatment for some types of cancer, leukaemia and lymphoma. Stem cells are collected from the blood of a patient or a donor. The patient then has very high doses of chemotherapy (and sometimes whole body radiotherapy) to kill cancer cells. The collected stem cells are then given back to the(...)

Stem cells (blood stem cells, peripheral blood stem cells)Stem cells are the cells in the bone marrow from which red blood cells, white cells and platelets develop. Stem cells can be collected from the blood of a patient or donor to use as part of stem cell transplant treatment for some types of cancer, leukaemia or lymphoma.

Stent (stents)A stent is a tube used to keep open structures in the body that are becoming blocked off. For example, in cancer of the lung a stent may be used to keep open an airway that is getting blocked by a tumour.

SterilisationCan mean to thoroughly clean something and kill any bacteria that might be there. It can also mean preventing pregnancy by cutting or blocking the tubes from a woman's ovaries, or cutting the tubes that carry sperm in a man.

SterilityInability to have children.

Sternum (chest bone)The bone at the front of the chest where the ribs meet. Bone marrow is sometimes taken from the sternum during a bone marrow harvest.

Steroid replacement therapySteroid treatment (usually as tablets) given when the body is not producing steroids naturally.

SteroidsSubstances made naturally in the body. They affect many functions of the body. Steroids can now be made artificially and used in cancer treatment as tablets or injections. They have side effects,such as difficulty sleeping, increased appetite and water retention.

StomaAn opening to the outside of the body formed during surgery. Can be a colostomy (opening of the large bowel onto the abdomen), ileostomy (opening of the small bowel onto the abdomen), urostomy (opening of the urine system onto the abdomen after bladder removal) or a tracheostomy (a hole in the(...)

Stoma appliances (stoma bag, stoma bags)Bags and seals that are made to use with a stoma. There are many different types and it may take a few tries to find the one that suits you.

Stoma nurseA nurse who is specially trained and experienced at working with people who have a colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy. The stoma nurse can help you find the right type of stoma appliances for you and help solve any problems or difficulties that you may have in coping with your stoma.

StomachAn organ of the digestive system. The stomach digests food and absorbs water.

StreptozocinA chemotherapy drug used in the treatment of carcinoid tumours and pancreatic islet cell tumours.

StridorMaking a rasping noise when breathing, caused when an airway is partly blocked in some way.

Strontium (metastron, Sr89)A radioactive isotope used to treat bone cancer. A small dose of a liquid is injected into the body. It finds it way into the bones where it gives a high local dose of radiotherapy.

Subcapsular orchidectomyRemoval of the inner part of a testicle from inside its covering, or capsule.

Subcutaneous breast reconstructionA type of breast reconstruction. The skin and nipple are left in place, the breast tissue is taken away from underneath, and an implant is put in under the skin to create a new breast shape.

Subcutaneous injection (subcutaneously)An injection into the layer of fat just under the skin.

Subcutaneous tissueThe tissue underneath the outer layers of the skin.

SubglottisPart of the voice box (larynx) - the area below the vocal cords that contains the cricoid cartilage and continues down into the windpipe (trachea).

Submuscular breast reconstructionA type of breast reconstruction where an implant is put under the muscles of the chest wall after the breast has been removed. This creates a new breast shape.

Sunitinib (Sutent)Sunitinib is a growth blocker that is typically used for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumour.

Superficial spreading melanomaThe most common type of malignant melanoma. This has an early phase (called the radial phase) where it grows outwards rather than downwards into the skin. So if you catch it early when it has not begun to grow downwards into the skin layers, it is unlikely to recur after it has been removed.

Support group (cancer support group, support groups)Groups of patients (and sometimes their relatives or friends) who have the same type of disease. They meet together to talk about their experiences and find ways of helping themselves.

Supportive careSupportive care means treatment and physical care given to control cancer symptoms and reduce the side effects of cancer treatments. Supportive care aims to give patients the best possible quality of life and is often compared to new treatments for symptoms in palliative care clinical trials.(...)

SuppositoryDrugs inside a soft, waxy substance that is put into the back passage (rectum). The drugs are absorbed into the lining of the rectum and go into the bloodstream. This is a fast way of getting drugs into your system and is helpful if eating or drinking are a problem. Glycerine suppositories do(...)

Suppressor T cellA specialised type of white blood cell that tells B cells when to stop making antibodies. It is part of the immune response.

SurgeryMedical treatment to remove or repair body tissue during an operation. Surgery can be done with a scalpel (knife) or with lasers that cut through body tissue.

Surgical biopsyRemoving a piece of tissue during a surgical operation.

Surgical voice restorationA specialised type of surgery that creates a small hole between the windpipe and food pipe for a voice valve. This helps people learn to speak again after they have had their voice box removed (laryngectomy).

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