Glossary

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.

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(...)

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