Glossary
Adjuvant Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy given once surgery to remove a primary tumour has taken place.
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Angiogenesis
The production of new blood vessels.
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Avastin
A monoclonal antibody that recognises and binds to cancer cells and prevents them from forming new blood vessels.
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Carcinoma
A cancer which originates as epithelial cells.
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Differentiation
The process of acquiring a certain cell fate. Differentiation is often prevented in the case of tumour formation, which can lead to the accumulation of proliferating immature cells.
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FGF10
Fibroblast Growth Factor 10 is a gene which codes for proteins which usually play a key role in development and growth. Specific mutations in this gene has been directly linked to the formation of breast cancer.
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Herceptin
A monoclonal antibody that binds to breast cancer cells which express the HER-2 receptor, thereby preventing further division and growth which is regulated by this receptor.
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Homologous Recombination
A mechanism by which DNA is exchanged between two strands. In the case of DNA damage, this procedure can be used by cells in an attempt to repair it.
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Hypertension
Abnormally high blood pressure.
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Lymph node
A constituent of the immune system. Each node is a small gland which plays a key role in the body's fight against infection.
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Metastasis
The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another.
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Mutation
A change in the base sequence of DNA.
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Oestrogen
The female sex hormone produced by the ovaries.
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Paget's Disease of the Nipple
A form of breast cancer in which the nipple appears scaly and inflamed. Read more.
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Prophylactic Mastectomy
The removal of breast tissue as a preventative measure, before breast cancer has developed.
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Rap80
Receptor Associated Protein 80- a ubiquitin-binding protein that interacts with the gene BRCA1. Read more about Rap80.
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Single nucleotide polymorphism
A situation where one nucleotide in the DNA sequence is different in one member of a pair of chromosomes.
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Tumour
Mass of cells formed as a result of abnormal proliferation.
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Tumour Suppressor Gene
A gene that, under normal circumstances, prevents the cell from becoming cancerous. Mutations which result in a loss of function of these genes can lead to cancer, examples in breast cancer being BRCA1 and BRCA2.
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