Glossary

neutropenia – very low amount of neutrophils (neutrophils are white blood cells that fight bacterial infections).

ETR (end of treatment response) – having an undetectable HCV viral load at the end of HCV treatment. See SVR.

dronabinol – medicine made from the active ingredient in marijuana. Dronabinol is approved in the US but is no longer available in the UK.

sensitivity – when referring to the accuracy of a test result, sensitivity refers to the proportion of people with an illness or disease who have a positive test result.

If a test has low sensitivity, then false-negative results are the concern – where people have a condition but it is missed.

If a test has high sensitivity, then people are accurately diagnosed – and only a few people are missed.

For a serious condition, high sensitivity is essential to be able to identify people early.

Online calculator.

See specificity.

sensitivity – when referring to the activity of a drug, sensitive means that a drug still works. As resistance develops a drug becomes less sensitive.

A complete loss of sensitivity implies that a drug is no longer working.

It also means that your partner may benefit from counselling.

cancer – disease caused by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells.