Sclera – the tough, white, fibrous outer envelope of tissue covering all of the eyeball and is continous with the cornea

Choroid – the dark-brown vascular coat of the eye between the sclera and the retina that is continous with the iris

Retina – the light sensitive membrane covering the back wall of the eyeball; it is continous with the optic nerve.  It contains the rods and cones.

Rods – light receptors that absorb light by the breakdown of rhodopsum

Cones – are the color receptors of the eye and are only located in the fovea centralis

Pupil – the apparently black circular opening in the center of the iris of the eye through which light passes

Conjunctiva – the mucous membrane that lines the inner surface of the eyelid and the exposed surface of the eyelid

Lacrimal system – consists of the tear ducts (puncta) and the lacrimal glands

Eyelashes – any of the short hairs fringing the edge of the eyelid that are responsible for the blink reflex

Optic Nerve – either of the second pair of cranial nerves that arise from the retina and carry visual information to the thalamus an other parts of the brain.

Optic chiasm – a flattened quadrangular body that is the point of crossing of the fibers of the optic nerves

Vitreous Humor – the clear gelatinous substance that fills the eyeball between the retina and the lens

Cataracts – opacity of the lens or capsule of the eye; causing impairment of vision or blindness

Retinoblastoma – malignant ocular tumor of the retinal cells that usually occurs before the second year of life.

Tolerance of the lens is 5Gy in 5 years!!!  Tolerance will be reached in 100% of patients with any dose over 12Gy

Most malignant tumors of the EYE are skin tumors that most often occur in the lower eyelid. (Would be treated to 50Gy)

Choroidal Melanoma – melanoma that occurs in the choroids of the eye

Lacrimal Gland Tumors – adenocarcinomas of the lacrimal glands (5000 cGy)

Pyterygium – abnormal mass of tissue arising from the conjunctiva of the inner corner of the eye that obstructs vision by growing over the cornea (strontium 90 or Co60 Plaques)

Chalazion – is a stie of the eye (blocked duct)

Central Nervous System – portion of the nervous system consisting of the brain and the spinal cord

Brain – extends from the cerebrum and ends at the medulla oblongata

Spinal Cord – starts at the cervical spine which is located at the foramen magnum.  The live spinal cord extends from the formamen magnum at C1 to L2.

Cervical 7 – spiney process which can be seen and palpated.  Good landmark to localize C7 or the beginning of T1

Cerebrum – made up of 2 hemispheres and has 4 lobes (frontal, temporal, occipital, parietal).  Controls conscious thought processes, intellectual functions and memory and storage processing.  Also controls the subconscious regulation of skeletal muscle contractions

Corpus Callosum – the arched bridge of nervous tissue that connects the two cerebral hemispheres allowing communication between the right and left sides of the brain.

Meninges – the 3 membranes that cover the brain and the spinal cord and is filled with Cerebral Spinal Fluid CSF (dura mater, arachnoid, pia mater)

Cerebrospinal Fluid flows in the Sub Arachnoid space which is in between the arachnoid and pia mater and ends at S2

Cerebrospinal Fluid – liquid that is made up of lymph material that circulates through the ventricles to the spaces between the meninges about the brain and spinal cord, acts as a shock absorber.

Ventricles – any of the interconnecting cavities in the brain.  We have 2 lateral ventricles and 2 lower ventricles.  Filtrate from the lymphatic system enters the ventricles and eventually becomes cerebrospinal fluid.

Glioma – primary brain tumor of the forebrain.  Tumor of the glial cells (sticky cells of the nerves that hold the neurons together)

Ependymomas – a central nervous system neoplasm made up of relatively undifferentiated ependymal cells (cells that line the CSF Sac and ventricles)

Olgodendro Cells – fatty cells that protect the brain

Aystrocytoma Grade 4 (Glioblastoma Multiforme) – the worst most deadly tumor known to man.  It is made up of highly undifferentiated (anaplastic) cells

Medulla Oblongota – relays sensory info to the thalamus and other portions of the brain stem.  Atonomic centers for regulation of cardiovascular, respiratory, and digestive system activities

Pons – relays sensory info to the cerebellum and thalamus (subconscious and visceral moto centers)

Cerebellum – (little brain) coordination of muscle activities, balance and posture

Diencephelon – contains the thalamus and the hypothalamus

Hypothalmus – regulates body temperature, BP, GI secretions and emotional states

Thalmus – senses temperature and pain

Pituitary – (hypohysis) located in the sela turcica and produces the hormones ACTH, TSH, FSH and ADH.  Tumors of the pituaitary are chromophobe adenomas (benign)

ACTH – controls weight

TSH – controls metabolism

FSH – controls ovulation in females and sperm maturation in men

ADH – anti dieuretic hormone

Chromophobe Adenomas – tumors of the pituitary gland that are benign.  Usually treated with RT to a dose of 5000 cGy

Limbic System – controls fear, hunger pleasure center and sex drive

Pineal Body – biological clock (when to release agss in woman, regulates gonads)

Supratentorial Area – is the cerebrum and diencephalons which contain the thalamus, hypothalamus, pituitary and the pineal body

Decadron – medication that is given to brain tumor patients to reduce swelling before radiation treatments

Medulloblastoma – most common primary brain tumor in children.  Malignant tumors formed by poorly developed cells at a very early stage of life.  They develop in the cerebellum in the area called the posterior fossa but can spread to other parts of the brain and spinal cord through CSF.

Breast – glandular, reproductive and skin organ.  Breast is made up of ducts, glands, adipose tissue and 3 sets of lymph nodes.

Glands of the Breast – end in milk ducts in females

Ducts of the Breast – end at the nipple

Areolar – area around the nipple

Amuplea – end of the ducts

Axillary Nodes – 3 levels of nodes of the breast (III, II, I)  going from high to low superiorly to inferiorly.  These nodes are dissected all of the time (used in staging of patient) when breast cancer is diagnosed.  Nodal mets follow the axillary chain in this order : I, II, III (spreading superiorly on the breast).  If more than 3 axillary nodes are found to be postive we will treat the Supraclavicular Field.

Internal Mammary Nodes – located medially and are only involved with inner quadrant tumors

Supraclavicular Nodes – most superiorly located nodes of the breast

Infiltrating Ductal Adenocarcinoma – most common breast cancer.  It is cancer of the ducts of the breast that represents advanced disease.  The tumor has infiltrated thorught the ducts.

Intraductal Adenocarcinoma – is the second most common and is a malignancy of the ducts that has not infiltrated out of the ducts. DCIS

Lobular Cancer of the Breast – a malignancy of the lobes of the breast

Pagets Disease of the Breast – cancer of the nipple region which presents with a discharge of fluid (treatment by the removal of the ductal system)

Inflammatory Breast Cancer – Stage IV breast cancer.  Breast appears “paudoorange” orange skin appearance.  Treated with Radiation and Chemo palliatively.