Created to handle asbestos-related personal injury claims against Fibreboard Corporation under the Ahearn Settlement |
A hereditary condition that is a risk factor for colorectal cancer. People with this syndrome develop polyps in the colon and rectum. Often these polyps become cancerous. |
A sheet of fibrous tissue that covers muscles and some organs of the body. |
An involuntary movement of a muscle. |
Having a fever. |
A test for blood in a person’s stool that may not be seen. If blood is found this could be a sign of cancer. |
A brown-colored protein produced by the lungs, which surrounds particles from iron salts and other minerals. |
A general term that describes any fiber such as glass, cotton, talc, etc. in the lung that is covered by an iron coating. |
Stands for forced expiratory volume, this refers to the amount of air a person breathes in one second. It is a test to see how much air can be in the lungs. |
A trust created in 1992 to handle funds that would have been available to the FACT to pay claims. |
A mesenchyme cell which produces collagen to make tissue, blood, bone and cartilage. |
The growth of scar tissue resembling fibers which can happen after radiation therapy or as scars, if any normal tissue is damaged. |
To prepare a set of papers such as a Complaint or Petition, describing the facts and legal issues then bringing them to court. |
See needle aspiration. |
A medical operation performed by having a needle inserted, under local anesthesia that gets a sample of tissue that might be infected or diseased. |
An opening between two parts of the body, which is not usually there. |
The amount of people with a certain cancer, who are expected to survive for five or more years. Five year survival rates are not always accurate. The rates are based on the most recent information available; this can include data from patients treated several years earlier. Technology in cancer treatment is becoming more advanced quickly. Five-year survival rates, while accurate, may not show these advances. They should not be used to predict each individual case. |
A test for tumor tissue to see how fast the tumor cells are reproducing and to show if the tumor cells contain a normal or abnormal amount of DNA. This test is used to help predict how fast a cancer is likely to be. (See also ploidy, DNA, S-phase fraction.) |
A procedure which x-rays pass through the body, and are shown on a screen, providing an image of the body’s internal looks. |
Flexible plastic tube that is put into the bladder, to drain urine out. |
A special cell in lymph nodes that traps foreign antigens for the lymphocytes. |
The federal agency responsible for regulating the development, use and safety of drugs, medical devices, food, cosmetics and related products. |
Stands for functional residual capacity. It is the amount of air left in the lungs at the end of normal breathing, when breathing muscles are relaxed. |
A molecule that contains at least one unpaired electron, they are very reactive, and easily bind with other molecules; this disrupts normal cells, and can also damage them. |
A material which when dry, may be crumbled, crushed, pulverized, or reduced to powder by normal hand pressure. |
A piece of tissue that has been quickly frozen and examined under a microscope. This can give a quick diagnosis, sometimes while the surgeon is waiting to complete a procedure. The diagnosis is confirmed in a few days by a more detailed study called a permanent section. (See also permanent section.) |
A technique when tissue is removed then quickly frozen, and examined under a microscope by a pathologist. |
See CXCR-4. |
A primitive life form that can cause infection in the body. Fungi that sometimes cause infections after a transplant; these are the Candida and Aspergillus fungi. |
Stands for forced vital capacity, it is the maximum volume of air that can be forcibly breathed out after taking a large breath. |