Biopsy - The removal of a sample of tissue (to see if cancer cells are present, for example).
1 Chromosome - The part of a cell that contains genetic information.
2 Except for sperm and eggs, all human cells contain 46 chromosomes.
2 CUP - CUP stands for cancer of unknown primary. It is a kind of cancer that is found when the disease has spread to one or more sites and doctors are not sure where it started
3.
DNA - DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. It is the genetic "blueprint" found in each cell.
3 DNA holds genetic information on cell growth, division, and function.
3 Gene - A piece of DNA that has information on hereditary traits such as hair color, eye color, and height.
3 Genes can also reveal susceptibility to certain diseases.
3 Genome - The total DNA in a single cell, representing all of the genetic information of the organism.
3 Genomics - The study of genomes.
microRNA (miRNA) - MicroRNAs are short strands of ribonucleic acid, or RNA.
4 Like RNA, they carry messages that direct the body's functions
5. They have been linked with cancer and development.
5
- American Cancer Society Web site. Accessed February 22, 2009.
- National Cancer Institute Web site. Accessed March 2, 2009.
- Overview: cancer of unknown primary: what is cancer of unknown primary? American Cancer Society Web site. Accessed February 25, 2009.
- American Cancer Society Web site. Accessed February 22, 2009.
- Asbestosis mesothelioma information and resource guide. Accessed February 22, 2009.
- Meiri E, Spector Y, Cohen L, et al. MicroRNAs as powerful diagnostic tools for the differential diagnosis of lung tumors. Presented at: 44th American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting; May 30-June 3, 2008; Chicago, IL. Abstract 11112.
- Minnesota partnership researchers discover disease "fingerprint"
: interferon signature in dermatomyositis. Mayo Clinic Web site. Published April 2, 2007. Accessed February 23, 2009.
