Medical Terminology
Unit 3
Oncology and the Central Nervous System
Prefix

Hyper– Above or more than normal
 Hypercritical
 Hypercholesterolemia
 Hypertoxicity
 Hyperflexion
 Hyperactivity
 Hyperlipidemia
 Hyperproteinuria
Prefix

Hypo– Below or less than normal
 Hypocalcemia
 Hypodactylia
 Hyposensitive
 Hypothermia
 Hypokalemia
 Hypothyroidism
 Hypodermic
More Examples
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Hypertrophy
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– Overdevelopment

Hypertension
– High blood pressure

Hyperemesis
– Excessive vomiting
Hypotrophy (atrophy)
– Progressive degeneration

Hypotension
– Low blood pressure
Aden/o

“glands”
– Adenitis
– Adenectomy
– Adenoma
– Adenopathy
– Lymphadenopathy
Skin Lesions
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Lesion = One of many possible types of
abnormal tissue conditions
– Ulcer = Open sores on the skin or mucous
membranes
– Tumor = Abnormal growth in numbers and/or
types of cells. May be benign or malignant
(cancerous)
Benign vs. Malignant
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Benign
– -oma

Malignant
– Carcinoma/-carcinoma

From epithelial-type
tissue
– Sarcoma/-sarcoma

From connective-type
tissue
Carcin/o = “crab”
= Cancer
CA or Ca
Benign vs. Malignant

Adenoma
 Papilloma
 fibroadenoma

Adenocarcinoma
 Melanoma (Malignant
Melanoma)
– Exception to pattern

Squamous Cell
Carcinoma
 Basal Cell Carcinoma
Skin Cancers
Melanoma
Basal Cell Carcinoma
Benign vs. Malignant
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Osteoma
Chondroma
Leiomyoma
Lipoma
Hemangioma
Neuroma
Atheroma

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Osteosarcoma
Chondrosarcoma
Leiomyosarcoma
Liposarcoma
Angiosarcoma
Neurosarcoma
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Lymphosarcoma
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Lipoma
Exceptions
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Sound like benign but are malignant:
– Melanoma (Malignant melanoma)
– Myeloma (Multiple Myeloma)
– Lymphoma
– Leukemia
Metastasis
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Singular Noun
Plural Noun
Adjective
Verb
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Meta- = beyond -stasis = in one place
Metastasis
 Metastases
 Metastatic
 Metastasize(d)
– Spreading beyond the original place
Met, Metas, Mets
Plural Formation

-oma

– Lipoma
– Sarcoma
– Atheroma
– Adenoma
– Melanoma
omata





Lipomata
Sarcomata
Atheromata
Adenomata
Melanomata
Onc/o = Tumor

From Greek word oncos = mass
– Oncology
– Oncologist
-oid

Means like or resembling
– Lipoid
– mucoid
Ather/o

Means fatty or porridgelike
– Atheroma = tumorlike thickening and
degeneration of blood vessel walls caused by
fatty deposits
Atherosclerosis = hardening of
vessel walls due to fatty
deposits

Be careful:
– Ather/o = fatty, porridgelike
– Arteri/o = arteries
– Arthr/o = joint
Hist/o
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
Means tissue
Histolysis = destruction of tissue
 Histogenous = made of tissue
 Histology = the study of tissue
 Histologist = one who studies tissues
Hist/o

An Embryonic tissue
 A tissue cell
 Resembling tissue

Histoblast
 Histocyte
 Histoid
Neo
Greek neos mean new

Neogenesis = generation of new substance
Neonatal = refers to the newborn
Neoplasm = new formation, tumor or growth


– Plasm/o = formation
– A nonmalignant tumor is called a benign neoplasm
– Carcinoma or sarcoma are malignant neoplasm

Anti- is a Prefix meaning against
 -plast/ic is an adjective suffix for abnormal
growth
– Antineoplastic is a therapeutic agent that works
against cancerous neoplasms

-genesis refers to development.
– Antitumorigenesis = the process of inhibiting
development of a tumor
Mucosa & Serosa

Muc/us = secretion of the mucous membrane
– Noun: Muc/us adjective: Muc/ous

Mucosa = mucous membrane
– Lining of the open body cavities, like digestive system

Ser/ous
 Serosa = serous membrane
– Lining of the closed body cavities. Covers the outside
of organs such as the intestines
Cephal = Head

Headache (pain in head)
– Noun
 Cephal/algia
 Cephalgia
 Cephal/o/dynia
(-algia = pain)
(Odyne, -odynia = pain)
– Adjective
 Cephal/o/dynic

Cephalic
– Adjective: Pertaining to the head
Encephal = Brain

Encephal/itis: inflammation of the brain
 Encephal/o/cele: Herniation of brain tissue
through cranial fissure
– Kele or –cele = abnormal protrusion or swelling
– Brain herniation is sometimes a finding in
hydrocephaly

Encephal/o/malac/ia: softening of brain tissue
 Encephal/o/tomy: incision into the brain
 Electr/o/encephal/o/gram (EEG): picture of
the electrical activity of the brain
Brain
Crani/o = Skull


Cranium = skull
Cranioplasty: Surgical repair
of skull
– -plasty = surgical repair

Craniomalacia: softening of
the bones of the skull
 Craniectomy: excision of part
of the cranium
 Craniotomy: incision into skull
 Craniometer: instrument used
to measure the cranium
 Cranial (Adjective)
Cerebr = Cerebrum

Cerebrum is a part of the brain
– Thought occurs
– Feeling is interpreted
– Motor impulses arise
– “gray matter”

Cerebral (adjective)
Cerebr = Cerebrum

Cerebr/itis
 Cerebr/oma
 Cerebr/otomy
 Cerebr/o/vascul/ar
 Cerebr/o/spin/al
Mening/o = Meninges

Meninges are 3-layered membrane that
covers the brain and spinal cord.
– Pia mater, arachnoid, dura mater

Mening/o/cele: herniation of meninges
 Mening/o/malac/ia: softening of the
meninges
 Mening/itis: inflammation of the meninges
– Caused by bacteria or virus
Meninges
Abbreviation
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AIDS
ASCP
BX
BCC
BP
Ca, CA
CIS
CLA
CP
CSF
CV
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
American Society of Clinical Pathology
Biopsy
Basal cell carcinoma
Blood pressure
Calcium, Cancer
Carcinoma in situ
Certified laboratory assistant
Cerebral palsy
Cerebralspinal fluid
Cardiovascular
Abbreviation
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CVA
Cerebrovascular accident (stroke)
EEG
Electroencephalogram
END
Electroneurodiagnostic
ENG
Electronystaygraphy
EP
Evoked Potential
HA
Headache
HCVD
Hypertensive Cardiovascular disease
MBD
Minimal brain dysfunction
Met., metas., mets.
Metastasis
MLT
Medical laboratory technician
Abbreviation
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mmHG
MT
NCS
PSG
TIA
millimeters of mercury (pressure)
Medical technologist
Nerves Conduction Studies
Polysomnography
Transient ischemic attack