Saline
A saltwater solution similar to that found in IV fluids. Saline can be used to fill a breast implant.
Schedules
The different combinations and timing for chemotherapy and other drugs.
Sclerosing Adenosis
A benign (not cancerous) condition in which scar-like fibrous tissue is found in the breast lobules (the glands that make milk). In sclerosing adenosis, the lobules are larger than normal. This may result in a breast lump that may be large enough to feel. Sclerosing adenosis may also cause pain in the breast. A biopsy may be needed to tell the difference between sclerosing adenosis and breast cancer. Sclerosing adenosis may slightly increase the risk of breast cancer.
Screening Mammogram
A test used to find early signs of breast cancer in a woman who does not have any known breast problems or symptoms.
Second Primary Cancer or Tumor
A term used to describe a new primary cancer that occurs in a person who has had cancer in the past. Second primary cancers may occur months or years after the original (primary) cancer was diagnosed and treated. Certain types of cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, may increase the risk of a second primary cancer. Having certain inherited gene mutations (changes) and being exposed to certain cancer-causing substances, such as tobacco smoke, may also increase the risk of a second primary cancer.
Selection Criteria
In clinical trials, requirements that must be met for a person to be included in a trial. These requirements help make sure that participants in a trial are like each other in terms of specific factors such as age, type and stage of cancer, general health, and previous treatment. When all participants meet the same eligibility criteria (requirements to participate), it is more likely that results of the study are caused by the intervention (new medicine or drug) being tested and not by other factors or by chance.
Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM)
A drug that acts like estrogen on some tissues but blocks the effect of estrogen on other tissues. Tamoxifen and raloxifene are selective estrogen receptor modulators. Also called SERM.
Sentinel Node Biopsy
Removal and examination of the sentinel node(s) (the first lymph node(s) to which cancer cells are likely to spread from a primary tumor). To identify the sentinel lymph node(s), the surgeon injects a radioactive substance, blue dye, or both near the tumor. The surgeon then uses a probe to find the sentinel lymph node(s) containing the radioactive substance or looks for the lymph node(s) stained with dye. The surgeon then removes the sentinel node(s) to check for the presence of cancer cells.
Silicone Gel
Medical-grade, solid form of silicone used for breast implants. Silicone implants can mimic the feel of a natural breast better than saline implants.
Simple Mastectomy (see Total Mastectomy in T)
Skin-Sparing Mastectomy
A procedure that surgically removes the breast, but keeps intact (or unchanged) as much of the skin that surrounds the breast as possible. This skin can then be used in breast reconstruction to cover a tissue flap or an implant instead of having to use skin from other parts of the body.
Sonogram (see Ultrasound in U)
Stage of Cancer (Cancer Stage)
The size of a cancer and if and where it has spread from the primary site (where the cancer started). A clinical stage is based on results of the physical exam, biopsy and imaging tests. A pathologic stage is based on how the cells in the tissue samples from surgery or a biopsy look under a microscope.
Staging (Cancer Staging)
Performing exams and tests to learn the extent of the cancer within the body, especially whether the disease has spread from where it first formed to other parts of the body. It is important to know the stage of the disease in order to plan the best treatment. Different staging systems are used for different types of cancers. The TNM staging system is used the most.
Standard Treatment (Standard of Care)
Treatment that is accepted by medical experts as a proper treatment for a certain type of disease and that is widely used by health care professionals. Also called best practice, standard medical care, and standard of care.
Stereotactic Needle Biopsy
A type of needle biopsy that uses a compuer and a 3-dimensional scanning device and guide the removal of tissue for examination under a microscope. It is useful when calcifications or a small mass can be seen on imaging tests but cannot be felt (such as in a breast) or tumors are in a location where surgery to remove them is risky (such as a brain tumor). A computer maps the location of the mass to guide the placement of the needle (or where the needle goes).
Stereotactic Mammography
Three-dimensional (3D) mammography used to guide a needle biopsy.
Supraclavicular Lymph Nodes
The lymph nodes above the clavicle (collarbone). See Lymph Nodes in L.
Surgeon
A doctor with special training to perform surgery, who removes or repairs a part of the body by operating on the patient. They can remove tumors or parts of the body affected by a disease. A surgical oncologist is a doctor who specializes in surgery to treat cancer.
Surgical Oncologist
A surgeon who has special training in perfoming biopsies and other surgical procedures in cancer patients.
Survival Rate
The percentage of people in a study or treatment group who are still alive for a certain period of time after they were diagnosed with or started treatment for a disease, such as cancer. The survival rate is often stated as a five-year survival rate, which is the percentage of people in a study or treatment group who are alive five years after their diagnosis or the start of treatment. Also called overall survival rate.
Survival (see Overall Survival and Survival in O)
Survivor (Breast Cancer Survivor)
A person who remains alive and continues to function during and after overcoming a serious hardship or life-threatening disease. In cancer, a person is considered to be a survivor from the time of diagnosis until the end of life. The American Cancer Society believes that each person has the right to define their own experience with cancer and considers a cancer survivor to be anyone who describes themselves this way, from diagnosis throughout the rest of their life.
Survivorship
In cancer, survivorship focuses on the health and well-being of a person with cancer from the time of diagnosis until the end of life. This includes the physical, mental, emotional, social, and financial effects of cancer that begin at diagnosis and continue through treatment and beyond. The survivorship experience also includes issues related to follow-up care (including regular health and wellness checkups), late effects of treatment, cancer recurrence, second cancers, and quality of life. Family members, friends, and caregivers are also considered part of the survivorship experience.
Systemic (Adjuvant) Treatment
Treatment using substances that travel through the bloodstream, reaching and affecting cells all over the body.