Somnolence

Sleeping for unusually long periods / strong desire to sleep.

Staging

Is the process of determining of details/the extent of spread of disease/cancer

Standard of Care

Treatment plan which the majority of the medical community would accept as appropriate in similar circumstances.

Stenosis

Abnormal narrowing of a passage in body(duct, tube, or one of the heart valves).

Stomatitis

Mouth sores; inflammation of the mouth / lips, affecting mucous membrane(most often caused by cancer treatment).

Stratify

Partitioning of participants /rearrange in groups for analysis of results by a factor (ie. stratify by age, sex, etc).

Subclavian

A blood vessel under the collarbone/clavicle.

Subcutaneous

Located or placed just beneath/under the skin.

Supportive care

Treatment given to prevent/control/ relieve complications and side effects caused by serious illness like cancer / treatment related, but not intended to improve or cure underlying disease.

SWOG

Southwest Oncology Group (a comprehensive cancer research base).

T-lymphocytes

Sub type of white blood cell involved in immune reactions.

Teratogenic

Drug / agent capable of causing malformations in embryo/unborn fetuses by interfering with their normal development.

TID

Three times a day.

Titration

General alteration of drug dose to determine desired effect or most beneficial strength of drug.

Toxicity

Side effects or undesirable effects of a drug / agent.

Uptake

Absorption and incorporation of a substance by living tissue;  taking in of a substance by living tissue (e.g.: uptake of glucose in a PET scan)

Valvuloplasty

Surgical reconstruction/plastic repair of a deformed valve, especially of the heart.

Varices

Dilated/enlarged sub mucosal veins, usually in lining of tube between mouth and stomach.

Venipuncture

Entering a vein with a needle, generally through the skin to inject a drug/draw blood/fluids.

WBC

White blood cell.