Glossary M

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to produce detailed pictures of the inside of your body.

MRI scans can show muscles, joints, bone marrow, blood vessels, nerves and other structures within your body. The images the scans produce are usually two-dimensional but, in some cases, several different scans can be taken to build up a three-dimensional image that can be displayed on a computer screen.

MRI scans are commonly used to examine the brain, spine, abdomen and pelvis.

Malignant melanoma     
A tumour of the cells that produce melanin

Malignant tumours
When polyps become cancerous, they are known as malignant tumours, and can grow into and through the wall of the colon or rectum. Cancerous cells are able to break off from the tumour and spread to other parts of the body and start new tumours.

Medical oncologist
A medical professional who practices oncology is an oncologist. The oncologist often coordinates the multidisciplinary care of cancer patients, which may involve physiotherapy, counselling, clinical genetics, to name but a few. On the other hand, the oncologist often has to liaise with patholgists on the exact biological nature of the tumor  that is being treated.

Metastasis
Spread of cancer cells (invasive) to other locations in the body via lymph or blood.

Two definitions:
Firstly - The process by which cancer spreads from the place at which it first arose as a primary tumor to distant locations in the body.

Secondly - The cancer resulting from the spread of the primary tumor. For example, someone with melanoma may have a metastasis in their brain. And a person with colon cancer may, fortunately, show no metastases.