Glossary
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Cedars CanSupport - A non-profit organization that was founded in 1988 with the mission to provide cancer patients and their families with practical, educational, emotional and humanitarian support. CanSupport has offices at the Montreal General and the Royal Victoria Hospitals.
Clear Liquids - Search for term
Clear Liquids - Liquids you can see through (e.g. apple juice, broth and tea). After surgery, it can take 24 hours before your stomach and intestines are active again and you are able to eat normally. Until then, it is advised to move back to your normal diet slowly and begin by drinking clear fluids only.
CT scan - Search for term
CT scan - Also called a computerized tomography, or CT. This test takes a series of x-rays from many different angles to make 3-D pictures of a certain part of your body (e.g. your brain). Similar to a loaf of sliced bread, your doctor can study each of these slices separately or together.
Chest X-Ray - Search for term
Chest X-Ray - A painless test that takes pictures of the inside of your chest. It is used to study your ribs, spine, heart and lungs.
Clear Margins - Search for term
Clear Margins - Means that no cancer cells have grown past the edge of the tissue the surgeon has removed. In other words, all of the cancer has been removed, and none is left behind in your breast. Clear margins are determined in surgery and confirmed by the pathologist in their report.
Cardiogram - Search for term
Also called electrocardiogram, EKG or ECG. This is a simple, painless test that helps to understand how your heart is working. With each heartbeat, an electrical signal spreads through your heart. As it travels, the signal causes the heart to contract and pump blood. This process repeats with each new heartbeat. The cardiogram records these electrical signals.
Cells - Search for term
Cells - The building blocks that make up the tissues and organs of your body. When a cell gets old or is damaged, your body repairs or clears it away. A brand new cell then grows and takes its place.
Canada's Food Guide - Search for term
Canada's Food Guide - Published by Health Canada, this is a daily eating plan designed to help people of all ages eat a healthy diet.
Chemotherapy Plan - Search for term
Chemotherapy Plan - Also called a chemotherapy protocol or a chemotherapy regimen. This is the course of medications prescribed by your doctor to treat cancer. The plan depends on the breast cancer you have, your age, your health and how you would like to deal with the side effects.
Cancer Cells - Search for term
Cancer Cells - When cells grow out of control, they are called cancer cells. They make many more cells than your body needs and often, form a lump, or mass, commonly called a tumour.
Chemotherapy - Search for term
Chemotherapy - The use of powerful medications to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy is systemic. This means it goes everywhere in your body, using your blood vessels. This also means that it may damage normal, healthy cells as well.
Clinic - Search for term
Clinic - A health facility that is devoted to the care of patients. Each often has a focus in a specific area of care (e.g. chemotherapy, radiotherapy).
Cervix - Search for term
Cervix - Is the opening that is at the bottom of the uterus. This is where the uterus connects to the vagina.
Cryopreserved - Search for term
Cryopreserved - A process that freezes tissue for later use. Commonly used for fertility preservation, for example: during egg banking.
CT SIM - Search for term
CT SIM - This is a type of scanner, which is used to plan your radiotherapy treatment. It usually lasts around 30 minutes. It is used to plan your position during the treatment, the right dose of radiation for the cancer cells, and how to best avoid your healthy tissues.
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