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Merkel Cell Carcinoma

Merkel Cell Carcinoma - Glossary


Glossary

Hormone: Special chemical messengers secreted by endocrine glands; they control complex body mechanisms like temperature, reproduction and body metabolism.

Endocrine system: Group of organs/glands that produce hormones.

Metastasis: Spread of cancer cells from one part of the body to another part without being directly connected to it. The cancer cells at the site of the origin constitute the primary tumour. These cells can then penetrate through the walls of blood vessels or lymphatic vessels and get carried in the blood or lymph to a nearby lymph node or distant organ like the lung. Here they re-penetrate the vessel wall and continue to multiply in the lymph node or the organ, this tumor is then called a secondary tumour.

Subcentimeter nodes: very small lymph nodes.
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