| X-ray therapy | Radiation therapy using X-rays; sometimes used ironically to refer to excessive use of diagnostic radiation. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| psychedelic therapy | Psychiatric therapy utilizing psychedelic drugs. (05 Mar 2000) |
| psychoanalytic therapy | A form of psychiatric treatment, based on freudian principles, which seeks to eliminate or diminish the undesirable effects of unconscious conflicts by making the patient aware of their existence, origin, and inappropriate expression in current emotions and behaviour. (12 Dec 1998) |
| home infusion therapy | Use of any infusion therapy on an ambulatory, outpatient, or other non-institutionalised basis. (12 Dec 1998) |
| home oxygen therapy | A form of oxygen that is typically delivered via nasal cannula. Commonly provided to those with severe heart or lung disease. See: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. (27 Sep 1997) |
| pulse therapy | A short, intensive course of pharmacotherapy, usually given at intervals such as weekly or monthly; often used in chemotherapy of malignancy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| hormonal therapy | Treatment of cancer by alteration of the hormonal balance. Some cancer will only grow in the presence of certain hormones. (09 Oct 1997) |
| hormone | <endocrinology> A naturally occuring substance secreted by specialised cells that affects the metabolism or behaviour of other cells possessing functional receptors for the hormone. Hormones may be hydrophilic, like insulin, in which case the receptors are on the cell surface or lipophilic, like the steroids, where the receptor can be intracellular. Some cancers may be stimulated and others inhibited by hormones (for example breast and prostate cancer). Some hormones can be synthesised and used as replacement in glandular deficiencies or as treatment for some cancers. Hormones may be injected, others taken by mouth. (29 Sep 1997) |
| hormone, aldosterone | Hormone produced by the outer portion (cortex) of the adrenal gland that regulates the balance of water and electrolytes (ions such as potassium and sodium) in the body. Aldosterone encourages the kidney to excrete potassium into the urine and to retain sodium, thereby retaining water. Aldosterone is classified as a mineralocorticoid hormone. (12 Dec 1998) |
| hormone, androgenic | Any hormone that promotes the development and maintenance of male sex characteristics. Testosterone is an androgen. (12 Dec 1998) |
| hormone antagonists | Chemical substances which inhibit the function of the endocrine glands, the biosynthesis of their secreted hormones, or the action of hormones upon their specific sites. (12 Dec 1998) |
| hormone, cortisol | The primary stress hormone. Cortisol is the major natural glucocorticoid in humans. (12 Dec 1998) |
| hormone, glucocorticoid | A hormone that predominantly affects the metabolism of carbohydrates and,to a lesser extent, fats and proteins (and has other effects). Glucocorticoids are made in the outside portion (the cortex) of the adrenal gland and chemically classed as steroids. Cortisol is the major natural glucocorticoid. The term glucocorticoid also applies to equivalent hormones synthesised in the laboratory. (12 Dec 1998) |
| hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin | A human hormone made by chorionic cells (in the foetal part of the placenta), hcg is directed at the gonads and stimulates them. Hcg becomes detectable (by immunologic means) within days of the time of fertilization. It therefore forms the foundation of most common pregnancy tests. The level of hcg in maternal serum enters as one component in the double and the triple screens used during pregnancy to assign risks of down syndrome and other foetal disorders. (12 Dec 1998) |
| hormone, mineralocorticoid | A group of hormones, the most important being aldosterone, that regulate the balance of water and electrolytes (ions such as sodium and potassium) in the body. The mineralocorticoid hormones act specifically on the tubules of the kidney. (12 Dec 1998) |