- F –
5-FU (5-fluorouracil): A chemotherapeutic drug used to treat pancreatic cancer.
Family history: The family structure and
relationships within the family, including information about diseases in family
members.
Fatigue: A condition characterized by a
lessened capacity for work and reduced efficiency of accomplishment, usually
accompanied by a feeling of weariness and tiredness. Fatigue can be acute and
come on suddenly or chronic and persist.
First Line Therapy: The first type of treatment given for a condition or disease.
Fluoroscopy: Use of an x-ray machine to examine parts of the body directly rather than
taking a picture and developing it, as in conventional x-rays. Fluoroscopy uses
more radiation than a single x-ray.
Forceps: An
instrument used by a surgeon for grasping or extracting tissue.
Forceps Biopsy: In a forceps biopsy, forceps are passed through the endoscope and a
small piece of tissue is removed. A tissue sample can also be taken
during surgery.
FOS (Fructooligosaccharide) Fiber: A soluble fiber that is not digested in the
gastrointestinal tract. FOS stimulates the growth of healthy intestinal
bacteria to restore or maintain the lining of the colon that may have been
damaged by disease or medicines. FOS enhances water and electrolyte absorption
and helps fight against diarrhea.
- G –
Gallbladder: A pear-shaped organ located
below the liver that stores the bile secreted by the liver. During and after a
fatty meal, the gallbladder contracts, delivering the bile through the bile
ducts into the intestines to help with digestion.
Gallstones: Stones that form when substances
in the bile harden. Gallstones can be as small as a grain of sand or as large
as a golf ball. There can be just one large stone, hundreds of tiny stones, or
any combination.
Gastrectomy: Surgery to remove part of all of the
stomach.
Gastrin: The
major hormone that regulates acid secretion in the stomach.
Gastroenterologist: A physician who
specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the digestive system.
Gastrointestinal: Adjective referring
collectively to the stomach and small and large intestines.
Gemzar (Gemcitabine): A chemotherapy drug frequently used to treat pancreatic cancer. It has
been shown, in controlled clinical trials, to improve quality of life.
General anesthetic: A type of medicine, given to
make patients unconscious so they don't feel pain when they have surgery.
Genes: Your genes are the parts of your cells that
contain instructions for how your body works. Genes are found on chromosomes,
structures that sit in the nucleus at the middle of each of your cells. You
have 23 pairs of chromosomes in your normal cells, each of which has thousands
of genes. You get one set of chromosomes, and all of the genes that are on
them, from each of your parents.
Gland: An
organ that produces and releases one or more substances. The pancreas is both
an endocrine gland and an exocrine gland.
Glucagon: A
hormone produced by the endocrine (islets of Langerhans) cells of the
pancreas. When blood sugar levels are low, glucagon acts to raise blood sugar
levels.
Glucose: A
simple sugar that provides a major energy source for the body. Carbohydrates
are metabolized to form glucose for use by the body.
Glucose Intolerance: A condition marked by elevated blood glucose levels. Symptoms include
high thirst, frequent urination, and fatigue.
- H –
Head of the pancreas: The widest part of the pancreas. It is found in the right part of
abdomen, nestled in the curve of the duodenum, which forms an impression
in the side of the pancreas.
Hemorrhage: Bleeding or the abnormal flow of blood. The patient may have an internal
hemorrhage that is invisible or an external hemorrhage that is visible on the
outside of the body. Bleeding into the spleen or liver is internal hemorrhage.
Bleeding from a cut on the face is an external hemorrhage.
Hereditary: A trait that is carried by genes from one generation to the next.
Hereditary breast-ovarian cancer syndrome: The
term hereditary breast-ovarian cancer (HBOC) refers to families in
which individuals have suffered from breast cancer and ovarian
cancer (either one individual suffered from both, or several individuals
in the pedigree suffered from one or the other disease). Physicians, and
especially genetic counselors, use the term hereditary breast-ovarian
cancer (or HBOC) to refer to a family in which they suspect a hereditary factor
to cause the pattern of breast and ovarian cancer occurrences in the family.
Hereditary pancreatitis: Hereditary Pancreatitis is a genetic disease affecting
enzyme production in the pancreas. In the pancreas, a genetic mutation causes
the enzyme cationin trypsinogen to be made in a way which renders it
resistant to inactivation through autolysis. Normally this autolysis mechanism
prevents trypsinogen from being activated within the pancreas. However, when
the abnormal trypsinogen is activated, it causes a chain reaction where all the
trypsinogen in the pancreas is activated, effectively digesting the pancreas
from the inside.
Home Care: The
most common type of hospice in which the hospice staff visits the private home
to assess the survivor's condition and manage symptoms. Most of the survivor's
day-to-day care is provided by a family member or close friend.
Hormones: Hormones are chemicals that are made in
certain parts of the body. They travel through the bloodstream and have an
effect on other parts of the body.
Hormone therapy: Treatment of cancer by changing
hormone levels.
Hospice: A program or facility that provides
special care for people who are near the end of life and for their families.
Hospice care can be provided at home, in a hospice or other freestanding
facility, or within a hospital.
Hospice Team: A group of health professionals who work with the caregivers to provide
end-of-life care for the cancer survivor. The health professionals on the
hospice team include the hospice physician, hospice registered nurse, home
health aides/certified nursing assistants, social worker, chaplain, volunteers,
and bereavement counselor.
Hyperparathyroidism: A condition caused by excessive amounts of parathyroid hormone which
invokes an excessive amount of calcium and phosphates in the blood. It affects
the functions of many cells and causes weakened bones.
Hypoglycemia: An abnormally low level of sugar in
the blood, most commonly caused by excessive doses of insulin in people with
diabetes or by excessive ingestion of alcohol or certain other drugs. It can
cause weakness, dizziness, disorientation, and, if prolonged, permanent brain
damage.
