Medical Glossary Z

ZD 1839: A substance that is being studied as an anticancer drug.

ZD0473: A substance that is being studied in the treatment of cancer. It belongs to the family of drugs called platinum analogs.

ziconotide: A drug used in the treatment of chronic pain. Also called SNX 111.

zidovudine: A drug that inhibits the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS. Also called AZT. It belongs to the family of drugs called systemic antivirals.

zinc oxide: A compound that may enhance immune function, especially when administered by inhalation.

zoledronate: A drug that belongs to the family of drugs called bisphosphonates. It is used to prevent bone fractures and reduce bone pain in people who have cancer that has spread to the bone.

Zollinger-Ellison syndrome: A disorder in which tumors of the pancreatic islet cells produce large amounts of gastrin (a hormone), leading to excess acid in the stomach and, possibly, a peptic ulcer (ulcer of the stomach or the upper part of the small intestine). Portions of this cancer definition glossary are adapted from Cancer.gov: The Web site of the National Cancer Institute.