Menu Close

Glossary

Showing 441-450 out of 1154 Terms

We're sorry, it looks like there has been an error. Please try again soon.

  • Fanconi anemia

    (fan-KOH-nee uh-NEE-mee-uh)

    A rare inherited disorder in which the bone marrow does not make blood cells. It is usually diagnosed in children between 2 and 15 years old. Symptoms include frequent infections, easy bleeding, and extreme tiredness. People with Fanconi anemia may have a small skeleton and brown spots on the skin. They also have an increased risk of developing certain types of cancer.

  • Fatigue

    (fuh-TEEG)

    A condition marked by extreme tiredness and inability to function due to lack of energy. Fatigue may be acute or chronic.

  • Febrile

    Fever, elevated body temperature.

  • Febrile neutropenia

    (FEH-brile noo-troh-PEE-nee-uh)

    A condition marked by fever and a lower-than-normal number of neutrophils in the blood. A neutrophil is a type of white blood cell that helps fight infection. Having too few neutrophils increases the risk of infection.

  • Fellow

    A physician who has completed residency. May be a fully trained pediatrician or internist and is doing further study to become a sub-specialist in a field of interest.

  • Fertility

    (fer-TIH-lih-tee)

    The ability to produce children.

  • Fertility preservation

    (fer-TIH-lih-tee PREH-zer-VAY-shun)

    A type of procedure used to help keep a person’s ability to have children. A fertility preservation procedure is done before a medical treatment that may cause infertility, such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Examples of fertility preservation procedures include sperm banking, egg freezing, in vitro fertilization with embryo freezing, and certain types of surgery for cervical and ovarian cancer.

  • Fetal

    (FEE-tul)

    Having to do with a fetus. A fetus is an unborn baby that develops and grows inside the uterus. In humans, the fetal period begins 8 weeks after fertilization of an egg by a sperm and ends at birth.

  • Fever

    An increase in body temperature above normal (98.6 degrees F), usually caused by disease.

  • First-line therapy

    (... THAYR-uh-pee)

    The first treatment given for a disease. It is often part of a standard set of treatments, such as surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiation. When used by itself, first-line therapy is the one accepted as the best treatment. If it doesn’t cure the disease or it causes severe side effects, other treatment may be added or used instead. Also called induction therapy, primary therapy, and primary treatment.