Medical dictionary

What is kidney cancer? Kidney cancer, sometimes referred to as renal cancer, is a type of cancer affecting the kidneys which most commonly occurs in people over the age of 60. It is one of the commonest cancers in the UK. There are different types of kidney cancer: renal cell carcinoma transitional cell carcinoma Wilm’s tumour Kidney cancers are graded on a scale of one-fou

What is laparoscopy? Laparoscopy is a minimally invasive surgical technique which allows the surgeon to operate without the need for deep or large incisions in the skin. This means the recovery period is generally shorter, there is less pain after the operation, and scarring is reduced significantly for the patient. This technique is also known as keyhole surgery.     Why

What is Ledderhose disease?   Ledderhose disease is an extremely rare condition that causes various amounts of connective tissue to build up. This results in the formation of hard lumps that appear on the soles of the feet most commonly along the plantar fascia, which is the band of tissue that connects our heel bone to our toes.    Ledderhose disease is r

What is leukaemia? Leukaemia is a group of cancers of the white blood cells. It usually begins in the bone marrow (the spongy centre of our bones), where blood cells are made. Normally, stem cells in the bone marrow mature into different sorts of blood cells (red, white and platelets) in a regulated manner. Different types of leukaemia affect the bone marrow in different ways, but all result

What is a lipoma? A lipoma is a benign lump that forms under the skin, often made from overgrown fatty tissue. They usually grow slowly over several months and can develop anywhere on the body, situated between the skin layer and the muscle layer beneath. These lumps are usually painless and can appear on the upper back, shoulders, chest, abdomen, arms, thighs, bottom and the back of th

What is liver cancer?Liver cancer can be of two kinds. Primary liver cancer is a form of cancer that starts in the liver, as opposed to secondary liver cancer which starts elsewhere in the body and travels to the liver. Most cancer that is found in the liver is secondary cancer, as cancer cells travelling around the body often end up in the liver.What are the symptoms of liver cancer?The usual sym

What is lung cancer? Lung cancer is often thought of as the most lethal forms of cancer, and it is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the western world.     There are two types of lung cancer; small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer is more common and its subtypes are; squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma,

What is lymphoma? Lymphoma is a group of blood cancers developing from lymphocytes, which are the cells that defend the body in the immune system. This proliferation takes place in the nodules or lymph nodes, although sometimes it also affects the spleen or liver. Thus, it is a cancer that originates in the lymphatic tissue. As a result of the disease, there is an impairment of the immune sy

What is Lynch syndrome? Lynch syndrome, also known as HNPCC (hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer), is an inherited disorder that increases the risk of many types of cancer, particularly cancers of the colon (large intestine) and rectum, which are collectively referred to as colorectal cancer. Patients with Lynch syndrome usually develop colorectal cancer before the age of 50. The cond