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radiation therapy The use of radiation energy to interfere with tumor growth. See irradiation. radioresistant Resistant to radiation therapy. radiosensitive Responsive to radiation therapy. radiosurgery See stereotactic radiosurgery recurrence The return of symptoms or the tumor itself, as opposed to a remission. rehabilitation The return of function after illness or injury, often with the assistance of specialized medical professionals. remission The disappearance of symptoms; the disappearance of the tumor. resection Surgical removal of a tumor. residual Remaining tumor. respiration Breathing. To inhale and exhale. rhabdoid tumor A highly malignant and usually fatal tumor which predominantly arises in the brain and kidney. When these tumors present in the central nervous system (CNS), they may occur as pure rhabdoid tumors, or as a variant of rhabdoid tumor which has been designated atypical teratoid tumor (ATT) (1). Atypical teratoid tumors consist of a mixture of rhabdoid cells with areas of primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET), as well as mesenchymal and/or neoplastic epithelial tissue. In many cases this has led neuropathologists to misclassify ATTs as PNETs (1). ATT and rhabdoid tumors usually occur in children less than 2 years of age. The early age at presentation, and the occurrence of both a primary renal rhabdoid tumor and a CNS malignancy in some patients (2), suggests that these children may have germline mutations in a locus which predisposes them to developing rhabdoid tumors. |