| prophylactic | Preventive measure or medication. (16 Dec 1997) |
|---|---|
| prophylactic cranial irradiation | Radiation therapy to the head to prevent cancer from spreading to the brain. (12 Dec 1998) |
| prophylactic mastectomy | <procedure, surgery> Surgery to remove a breast before it has cancer. (16 Dec 1997) |
| prophylactic membrane | A layer of pus cells lining an abscess cavity which have not yet autolyzed. Synonym: prophylactic membrane. (05 Mar 2000) |
| prophylactic treatment | The institution of measures designed to protect a person from an attack of a disease to which he has been, or is liable to be exposed. Synonym: preventive treatment. (05 Mar 2000) |
| biological immunotherapy | <immunology> Treatment of disease by stimulating the bodys own immune system. This is a type of therapy currently being researched as a treatment for cancer. (16 Dec 1997) |
| passive immunotherapy | <immunology> A process in which individuals with advanced disease (who have low levels of HIV antibody production) are infused with plasma rich in HIV antibodies or an immunoglobulin concentrate (HIV Ig) from such plasma. The plasma is obtained from asymptomatic HIV-positive individuals with high levels of HIV antibodies. (09 Oct 1997) |
| immunotherapy | <immunology> Treatment of disease by stimulating the bodys own immune system. This is a type of therapy currently being researched as a treatment for cancer. (16 Dec 1997) |
| immunotherapy, active | Active immunization where vaccine is administered for therapeutic or preventive purposes. This can include administration of immunopotentiating agents such as bcg vaccine and corynebacterium parvum as well as biological response modifiers such as interferons, interleukins, and colony-stimulating factors in order to directly stimulate the immune system. (12 Dec 1998) |
| immunotherapy, adoptive | Form of adoptive transfer where cells with antitumour activity are transferred to the tumour-bearing host in order to mediate tumour regression. The lymphoid cells commonly used are lymphokine-activated killer (lak) cells and tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (til). This is usually considered a form of passive immunotherapy. (12 Dec 1998) |
| immunotherapy, allergy | Stimulation of the immune system with gradually increasing doses of the substances to which a person is allergic, the aim being to modify or stop the allergy war (by reducing the strength of the IgE and its effect on the mast cells). This form of treatment is very effective for allergies to pollen, mites, cats, and especially stinging insects (e.g., bees, hornets, yellow jackets, wasps, velvet ants, fire ants). Allergy immunotherapy usually takes 6 months to a year to become effective and shots (injections) are usually required for 3-5 years. (12 Dec 1998) |