| family medicine | The medical specialty concerned with providing continuous, comprehensive care to all age groups, from first patient contact to terminal care, with special emphasis on care of the family as a unit. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| family physician | <specialist> A physician expert in the management of a wide scope of health problems in adults and children. Once referred to as a general practitioner or family practice physicians. (15 Nov 1997) |
| family planning | Programs or services designed to assist the family in controlling reproduction by either improving or diminishing fertility. (12 Dec 1998) |
| family planning policy | A course or method of action selected, usually by a government, to guide and determine present and future decisions on population control by limiting the number of children or controlling fertility, notably through family planning and contraception within the nuclear family. (12 Dec 1998) |
| family practice | A medical specialty concerned with the provision of continuing, comprehensive primary health care for the entire family. (12 Dec 1998) |
| family practice physician | <specialist> A physician expert in the management of a wide scope of health problems in adults and children. Once referred to as a general practitioner or family physician. (27 Sep 1997) |
| family predisposition | <genetics> A disease or condition that is present in a blood relative (grandparent, parent or sibling). (27 Sep 1997) |
| family relations | Behavioural, psychological, and social relations among various members of the nuclear family and the extended family. (12 Dec 1998) |
| family therapy | A form of group psychotherapy. It involves treatment of more than one member of the family simultaneously in the same session. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cancer, malignant melanoma | A skin cancer that begins in cells called melanocytes that can grow together to form benign (not cancerous) moles. A change in size, shape, or colour of a mole can be a sign of melanoma. Melanoma can be cured if detected early, before spread (metastasis) to other areas of the body. Diagnosis is confirmed with a biopsy of the abnormal skin. Sun exposure can cause skin damage that can lead to melanoma. (12 Dec 1998) |
| canine malignant lymphoma | <tumour> A progressive fatal disease of dogs characterised by neoplastic transformation and proliferation of lymphoid cells, usually originating in solid lymphoid organs (lymphosarcoma) or bone marrow (lymphocytic leukaemia). (05 Mar 2000) |
| malignant | <oncology> Tending to become progressively worse and to result in death. Having the properties of anaplasia, invasion and metastasis, said of tumours. Origin: L. Malignans = acting maliciously (18 Nov 1997) |
| malignant anaemia | <haematology> A form of anaemia (low red blood cell counts) that results when the bone marrow fails to produce adequate numbers of red blood cells due to a deficiency in vitamin B12. Intrinsic factor, necessary for normal B12 absorption, may be the underlying cause for B12 deficiency if is not produced in the gastric glands (in the stomach). Origin: Gr. Haima = blood (27 Sep 1997) |
| malignant carcinoid syndrome | <syndrome> A symptom complex associated with carcinoid tumour and characterised by attacks of severe flushing of the skin, diarrhoeal watery stools, bronchoconstriction, sudden drops in blood pressure, oedema, and ascites. The carcinoid tumours are usually located in the gastrointestinal tract and metastasize to the liver. Symptoms are caused by tumour secretion of serotonin, prostaglandins, and other biologically active substances. Cardiac manifestations constitute carcinoid heart disease. (12 Dec 1998) |
| malignant catarrh | A herpes virus infection of cattle characterised by catarrhal inflammation of the upper respiratory and alimentary epithelia, keratoconjunctivitis, encephalitis and lymph node enlargement. Syn: bovine epitheliosis, snotsiekte. (12 Dec 1998) |