- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan
A scan which uses magnetism to build up a picture of the inside of the body.For more information see tests and scans.
- Maintenance therapy
Drug treatment for leukaemia that aims to prevent the cancer from returning.
- Malignant
A cancerous tumour or cancerous cells.
- Mask (mould, shell)
A plastic/Perspex mask made to be worn during radiotherapy treatment to the head and neck.
- Medical oncologist
A doctor specialising in treating cancer using chemotherapy, hormone therapy and biological therapy.
- Medulloblastoma (me dull o blast o ma)
A type of brain tumour that tends to affect teenagers; sometimes called a primitive neuroectodermal tumour or PNET because they develop from primitive nerve cells.
- Mesenchymal (mee zen ky mal)
A network of connective tissue which can include some blood vessels and lymphatic vessels.
- Metastasis (met tas tas sis)
Another word for secondary cancer, where the cancer has spread to another part of the body.
- Methotrexate (me tho trex ate)
A chemotherapy drug.
- Mitomycin (my toe my sin)
A chemotherapy drug.
- Monoclonal (mono cl own all) antibodies
Substances that can recognise and attach to certain proteins on cancer cells. They can be used on their own or to deliver drugs or radioactive material.
- Mucositis
Soreness and ulceration of the lining of the mouth.
- Myeloid
Refers to blood forming cells found in the bone marrow.
