| tumor | 1. <oncology> An abnormal mass of tissue that results from excessive cell division that is uncontrolled and progressive, also called a neoplasm. Tumours perform no useful body function. They may be either benign (not cancerous) or malignant. 2. Swelling, one of the cardinal signs of inflammations, morbid enlargement. Origin: L. Tumere = to swell (12 May 1997) |
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| tumor marker | <investigation, oncology> A substance in the body that usually indicates the presence of cancer. These markers are usually specific to certain types of cancer and are usually found in the blood or other tissue samples. Examples are alphafetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotropin, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). They may be indicators of tumour stage and grade as well as useful for monitoring responses to treatment and predicting recurrence. Many chemical groups are represented including hormones, antigens, amino and nucleic acids, enzymes, polyamines, and specific cell membrane proteins and lipids. (18 Jul 2002) |
| tumor necrosis factor | <cytokine> Originally described as a tumour inhibiting factor in the blood of animals exposed to bacterial lipopolysaccharide or Bacille Calmette-Guerin. Preferentially kills tumour cells in vivo and in vitro, causes necrosis of certain transplanted tumours in mice and inhibits experimental metastases. Human Tumour Necrosis factor alpha is a protein of 157 amino acids and has a wide range of pro inflammatory actions. Usually considered a cytokine. Synonym: cachectin. Acronym: TNF (13 Nov 1997) |
| gross | Coarse or large; large enough to be visible to the naked eye. Origin: L. Grossus, thick (05 Mar 2000) |
| gross anatomy | General anatomy, so far as it can be studied without the use of the microscope; commonly used to denote the study of anatomy by dissection of a cadaver. See: practical anatomy. Synonym: macroscopic anatomy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| gross haematuria | The presence of blood in the urine in sufficient quantity to be visible to the naked eye. (05 Mar 2000) |
| gross heating value | (GHV) The maximum potential energy in the fuel as received. It reflects the displacement of fibre by water present in the fuel. Expressed as: GHV = HHV (1 - MC / 100) (05 Dec 1998) |
| gross lesion | A lesion plainly visible to the naked eye. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Gross' leukaemia virus | A strain of mouse leukaemia virus. Synonym: Gross' leukaemia virus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Gross, Ludwik | <person> 20th century U.S. Oncologist. See: Gross' virus, Gross' leukaemia virus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| gross reproduction rate | The average number of female children a woman would have if she survived to the end of her childbearing years and if, throughout that period, she were subject to a given set of age-specific fertility rates and a given sex ratio at birth; this rate provides a measure of the replacement fertility of a population in the absence of mortality. (05 Mar 2000) |
| gross virus | A murine leukaemia virus obtained from inbred mice with a high incidence of spontaneous lymphoid leukaemia. Infection is passed by vertical transmission from one generation to another through the ovum. (12 Dec 1998) |
| Gross' virus | A strain of mouse leukaemia virus. Synonym: Gross' leukaemia virus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| atomic volume | The atomic weight of an element divided by its density in the solid state; the volume of the gram-atomic weight of a solid element. (05 Mar 2000) |
| blood volume | Volume of circulating blood. It is the sum of the plasma volume and erythrocyte volume. (12 Dec 1998) |