Mesothelioma Glossary P

Click on the letters below for an explanation of the glossary terms for each letter.

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Palliative care - medical or nursing care to relieve pain and suffering, usually in a person with a terminal disease. It does not attempt to treat the underlying condition.

Paper toxicities - side effects, such as changes in blood cells, of which the patient is unaware, but which still may be important and the doctor can monitor through laboratory tests

Para occupational exposure - exposure to asbestos through the fibers that cling to worker's clothing, shoes, skin, and hair

Paracentesis - the removal of fluid from a body cavity using a needle, trocar, cannula, or other hollow instrument

Parenchyma - the essential parts of an organ that are concerned with its function as opposed to its framework

Parenchymal asbestosis - also known as diffuse interstitial pulmonary asbestosis

Parietal pleura - the lining on the inside of the chest wall that is composed of mesothelial cells and is the target organ for asbestos induced mesothelioma

Pathogenic - causing or capable of causing disease

Pathogenesis - the origin and development of a disease

Pathologist - a specialist physician expert in the origin and development of disease and the microscopic analysis of body tissues

Pathology - the study of disease. Pathology is the branch of medicine that treats the essential nature of disease.

Patient-felt toxicities - side effects that may be important, such as hair loss, nausea, or fever, of which the patient generally is aware

Peribronchial - situated around a bronchus

Peribronchitis - a form of bronchitis consisting of inflammation and thickening of the peribronchial tissue

Pericardial mesothelioma - mesothelioma of the pericardium, the tissue that encloses the heart and the roots of the aorta and other large blood vessels

Pericardium - the conical sac of fibrous tissue that surrounds the heart and the roots of the great blood vessels. The pericardium's outer coat (the parietal pericardium ) is tough and thickened, loosely cloaks the heart, and is attached to the central part of the diaphragm and the back of the breastbone. Its inner coat (the visceral pericardium or epicardium ) is double, with one layer closely adherent to the heart and the other lining the inner surface of the outer coat. The intervening space between these layers is filled with pericardial fluid. This small amount of fluid acts as a lubricant to allow normal heart movement within the chest.

Peritoneal - having to do with the peritoneum (the tissue that lines the abdominal wall and covers most of the organs in the abdomen)

Peritoneal mesothelioma - cancer of the lining of the abdominal cavity

Peritoneum - the smooth transparent membrane that lines the abdominal cavity and covers most of the abdominal organs

PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan - a test used to verify mesothelioma diagnosis. A procedure where a small amount of radioactive glucose is injected into a vein and a scanner is used to make detailed, computerized pictures of areas inside the body where the glucose is used. Because cancer cells often use more glucose than normal cells, the pictures can be used to find cancer cells in the body.

Phagocyte - any cell that characteristically engulfs foreign matter

Phase I trial - the first step in human testing of a new drug. These trials evaluate drug safety and toxicity at different dose levels in a small number of volunteers.

Phase II trial - the second step in the evaluation of a new drug in humans. These trials evaluate drug effectiveness and involve more participants than Phase I studies.

Phase III trial - the third step in human drug testing. These trials are designed to support and verify information gathered in Phase I and II trials and involve many more volunteers (up to several thousand). Phase III trials may compare the drug being tested to other therapies or to placebo.

Phase IV trial - post-marketing studies done after regulatory approval has been granted and a drug has been offered for sale

Photodynamic therapy - a form of cancer treatment using an photosensitizing agent administered intravenously that concentrates selectively in tumor cells, followed by exposure of the tumor tissue to a special red laser light, to destroy as much of the tumor as possible

Platelet - type of cell found in the blood that assists with clotting

Pleura - the thin covering that protects and cushions the lungs. It is made of two layers of tissue separated by a small amount of fluid. The visceral pleura covers the lungs, and the parietal pleura lines the chest wall. The space between the two layers of pleura normally contains a few cc of lubricating fluid, but it may become filled with fluid (pleural effusion).

Pleural - pertaining to the pleura.

Plueral effusion - accumulation of fluid between the lining of the lung and the chest cavity

Pleural mesothelioma - cancer of the pleura, the membrane lining the lungs and chest cavity. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of mesothelioma accounting for 80-90% of mesothelioma cases.

Pleural plaque - a localized abnormal fibrous thickening on the surface of the parietal pleura. The presence of pleural plaques indicates asbestos exposure and suggests ingestion of asbestos fibers.

Pleurectomy - a surgical procedure to remove part of the chest or abdomen lining (pleura) and some of the tissue around it

Pleurisy - inflammation of the pleura. It is also referred to as pleuritis.

Pleuritic chest pain - chest wall pain related to the pleura. The pain is usually sharp and knife-like in quality.

Pleurodesis - a treatment administered through a thorascopy or existing chest tube. A medical procedure that uses chemicals or drugs to cause inflammation and adhesion between the layers of the pleura. This prevents the buildup of fluid in the pleural cavity. It is used as a treatment for severe pleural effusion. It can be performed with a variety of agents, including talc.

Protocol - an action plan for a clinical trial. The plan states what will be done in the study and why. It outlines how many people will take part in the study, what types of patients may take part, what tests they will receive and how often, and the treatment plan.

Pulmonologist - a specialist physician expert in the treatment of lung disease

Pneumococcus - the organism that causes pneumonia, among other infectious diseases

Pneumoconiosis - fibrosis and scarring of the lungs as a result of repeated inhalation of occupationally associated dust, such as silica, asbestos, and coal dust. It is a chronic (not acute) lung disease.

Pneumonia - inflammation of one or both lungs. In bronchopneumonia, the inflammation is concentrated around the bronchi. In lobar pneumonia, it involves one or more lobes of the lung, and viral pneumonia is that caused by a virus.

Pneumonectomy - surgical procedure to remove the entire lung

Pneumothorax - free air in the pleural cavity, between the visceral and parietal pleura

Primary tumor - a tumor that is at the original site where it first arose. The original tumor is sometimes called "the primary."

Prognosis - the expected course of a disease - the patient's chance of recovery.

Prospective study - a study that looks forward in time. Patients are selected and their progression is followed.

Pulmonary - related to or associated with the lungs

Pulmonary fibrosis - loss of elasticity of a lung due to proliferation of the connective tissue in the lung

Pulmonary function tests - measures how well the lungs are working and include: Spirometry (measures the amount of air the lungs can hold). lung volume tests (measures the amount of air remaining in the lungs after exhaling), and lung diffusion tests and pulse oximetry (measures the amount of oxygen passed from the lungs to the blood).

Pulmonary insufficiency - a disorder occurring when the exchange of respiratory gases between the circulating blood and the ambient atmosphere is impaired. Chronic pulmonary insufficiency is commonly caused by airways obstruction and interstitial fibrosis.

Pulmonologist - a physician that specializes in the treatment of lung disease