Breast Health Dictionary

Paget's disease: A disorder in which bone does not form properly, causing bone weakening, thickening and deformity.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET): An imaging technique used to measure blood flow and metabolism within body tissues, including the heart and brain.

phyllodes tumor: A type of tumor found in breast tissue. It is often large and bulky and grows quickly.

progesterone: Female sex hormone that induces changes in the lining of the uterus essential for successful implantation of a fertilized egg. Synthetic compounds with progesterone-like qualities are used in oral contraceptives.

prognosis: The probable outcome of a disease.

prosthesis: An artificial substitute for a missing body part.

radical mastectomy: Surgery for breast cancer in which the breast, chest muscles and all of the lymph nodes under the arm are removed.

relapse: The return of cancer signs and symptoms after a period of improvement.

sarcoma: A type of cancer that starts in bone or muscle.

sclerosing adenosis: A benign breast condition that involves excessive growth of tissues in the breasts' lobules, often resulting in breast pain.