Sarcoma: A form of cancer that begins in connective and supportive tissue, such as bone, cartilage, fat or muscle.

Scans: Pictures are taken of organs in your body to be used in diagnosing, staging, and monitoring cancer. These pictures include liver scans, bone scans, positron emission tomograhy scans (PET) and computed tomography (CT) or computed axial tomography (CAT) scans. In PET scanning, liver scanning and bone scanning, radioactive substances are injected into your bloodstream and collect in these organs. You are then placed through a scanner that detects the radiation and creates a picture. In CT scanning, an x-ray machine is linked to a computer and is used to make detailed pictures of organs inside your body.

Screening: Testing for the presence of disease in persons who are having no symptoms.

Search Process: The process of identifying a suitable donor for a patient in need of a stem cell transplant. The first step is to test family members. If a suitable donor is not found, the patient's HLA antigens are then compared to those of the volunteer donors listed in donor registries (preliminary search). Potentially matched donors are then contacted and asked to participate in further testing (formal search). Blood cells on the volunteers arrive at the transplant center and are tested to identify the best donor for the patient (confirmatory typing). The search process may take from several weeks to over a year.

Secondary Malignancy: A tumor that develops as a result of treatment for a cancer, such as leukemia after treatment for Hodgkin's Disease.

Secondary Tumor: A tumor that develops because a cancer has spread from its original site.

Segmented Neutrophils: A type of white blood cell that fights bacterial infections. Also called segs or neutrophils. If the seg count is less than 1,000, the patient is at great risk for infection.

Segs: Another word that is sometimes used for neutrophils or segmented neutrophils. If the seg count is less than 1,000, the patient is at great risk for infection.

Serologic Testing: Testing using serum containing antibodies to detect expressed antigens. In the case of HLA typing, serum containing HLA antibodies is used to detect expressed HLA antigens on the surface of cells. Molecular typing is now preferred to this method of testing.

Shingles: A condition caused by the reactivation of chickenpox viruses (Herpes Zoster or Varicella zoster) that settle around certain nerves resulting in inflammation, pain, and a rash of small skin blisters.

Side Effects: Problems that occur when treatment affects healthy cells. Common side effects of cancer treatment are fatigue, nausea, vomiting, decreased blood cell counts, hair loss, and mouth sores.

Spleen: An organ that produces lymphocytes, filters the blood, stores blood cells, and destroys cells that are aging. It is located on the left side of the abdomen near the stomach.

Splenectomy: An operation to remove the spleen.

Staging: Doing tests and exams to learn the extent of a cancer, especially whether the disease has spread from the original site to other parts of the body. Staging helps determine appropriate treatment and prognosis.

Stem Cell: The cells from which all cell types develop. A hemopoietic stem cell is a type of "committed" stem cell destined to give rise to all types of blood cells.

Stem Cell Transplant: The process of giving healthy hemopoietic stem cells to someone who has undergone high-dose chemotherapy for one of may forms of leukemia, lymphoma, anemias, and other disorders. There are three types of stem cell transplants: autologous (receiving your own stem cells), allogeneic (receiving someone else’s stem cells) and syngeneic (receiving cells from an identical twin). Healthy stem cells can be collected from bone marrow, peripheral blood, and umbilical cord blood. Once the healthy stem cells are infused into the patient's blood stream, the cells travel from the blood vessels to the center of the bones, where they begin making new blood cells.

Steroids: A type of hormone used to reduce swelling and inflammation. These drugs also suppress the function of the immune system.

Supportive Care: Treatment given to improve the patient's comfort and quality of life by preventing, controlling or relieving complications and side effects.

Syngeneic Stem Cell Transplant: A type of transplant where the bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells are obtained from someone genetically identical to the patient; an identical twin.

Systemic Disease: Disease that reaches and affects all areas of the body.