Medical Glossary I

Inguinal orchiectomy (IN-gwin-al or-kee-EK-to-mee): Surgery to remove the testicle through the groin.

Insulin (IN-su-lin): A hormone made by the islet cells of the pancreas. Insulin controls the amount of sugar in the blood.

Interleukin (in-ter-LOO-kin): A substance used in biological therapy. Interleukins stimulate the growth and activities of certain kinds of white blood cells.

Internal radiation (ray-dee-AY-shun): Radiation therapy that uses radioactive materials placed in or near the tumor.

Intestine (in-TES-tin): The long, tube-shaped organ in the abdomen that completes the process of digestion. It consists of the small and large intestines.

Intraepithelial (in-tra-eh-pih-THEEL-ee-ul): Within the layer of cells that forms the surface or lining of an organ.

Intrahepatic (in-tra-hep-AT-ik): Within the liver.

Intrahepatic bile duct (in-tra-hep-AT-ik): The bile duct that passes through and drains bile from the liver.

Intraoperative radiation therapy: Radiation treatment given during surgery. Also called IORT.

Intraperitoneal chemotherapy (IN-tra-per-i-to-NEE-al): Treatment in which anticancer drugs are put directly into the abdomen through a thin tube.

Intrathecal chemotherapy (in-tra-THEE-cal KEE-mo-THER-a-pee): Chemotherapy drugs infused into the thin space between the lining of the spinal cord and brain to treat or prevent cancers in the brain and spinal cord.

Intravenous (in-tra-VEE-nus): Injected in a vein. Also called IV.

Intravenous pyelogram (in-tra-VEE-nus PIE-el-o-gram): A series of x-rays of the kidneys and bladder. The x-rays are taken after a dye that shows up on x-ray film in injected into a vein. Also called IVP.

Intravenous pyelography (om-tra-VEE-nus py-LOG-ra-fee): X-ray study of the kidneys and urinary tract. Structures are made visible by the injection of a substance that blocks x-rays. Also called IVP.

Intravesical (in-tra-VES-ih-kal): Within the bladder.

Invasion: As related to cancer, the spread of cancer cells into healthy tissue adjacent to the tumor.

Invasive cancer: Cancer that has spread beyond the layer of tissue in which it developed. Invasive breast cancer is also called infiltrating cancer or infiltrating carcinoma.

Invasive cervical cancer: Cancer that has spread from the surface of the cervix to tissue deeper in the cervix or to other parts of the body.

IORT (intraoperative radiation therapy): Radiation treatment given during surgery.

Islet cell cancer (EYE-let): Cancer arising from cells in the islets of Langerhans.

Islets of Langerhans (EYE-lets of LANG-er-hanz): Hormone-producing cells in the pancreas.

IV (intravenous) (in-tra-VEE-nus): Injected in a vein.

IVP (intravenous pyelogram) (in-tra-VEE-nus PYE-el-o-gram): X-ray study of the kidneys, uterus, and urinary tract. Structures are made visible by the injection of a substance that blocks x-rays.