| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Anti-emetic |
A drug used to control nausea and vomiting |
| Anti-emetics |
Drugs used to control nausea and vomiting |
| Anti-oestrogen |
A type of hormonal therapy, eg Tamoxifen |
| Anticipatory vomiting |
Vomiting before the administration of chemotherapy |
| Antimetabolite |
A class of chemotherapy, eg 5-fluorouracil (5FU), methotrexate |
| Areola |
the dark area of skin around the nipple. |
| Aromatase inhibitor |
A type of hormonal therapy used in the treatment of breast cancer, eg anastrozole (Arimidex®), letrozole (Femara®), exemestane (Aromasin®) |
| Arthralgia |
Pain in the joints |
| Ascites |
The abnormal accumulation of fluid in the abdominal or peritoneal cavity |
| Autologous breast reconstruction |
Breast reconstruction using tissue from a person’s own body. |
| Axilla |
The armpit |
| Axillary dissection/axillary clearance |
Removal of some or all of the lymph nodes from the armpit |
| Benign |
Not cancerous, does not invade nearby tissue or spread to other parts of the body. |
| Bilateral mastectomy |
Surgical removal of the tissue of both breasts. |
| Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy |
Surgery to remove both ovaries and fallopian tubes. It may be done as part of treatment or to reduce risk of ovarian cancer |