Nausea

Feeling sick.

Needle Aspiration

Type of biopsy. A needle is put into the area to be examined (for example, a breast lump) and some cells sucked out. The cells are then looked at under the microscope to see if any are cancerous.

Needle Biopsy

Sample of tissue taken with a needle and looked at under a microscope.

Neoadjuvant Therapy
(Neoadjuvant Treatment)

Giving chemotherapy before surgery to try to shrink a cancer and so perform a smaller operation.

Neutrophil

A type of white blood cell that is very important in fighting infection. Your doctor will regularly measure your neutrophil count if you are having chemotherapy. See Chemotherapy, White Blood Cells.

Nickel

Metal that is used in various industrial processes, for example, to make other metal alloys, in coin making and in electroplating. Can cause lung cancer. But this is extremely rare.

Night Sweats

Heavy sweating that happens at night for no apparent reason. Can be a symptom of Hodgkin's Disease or Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma. See B Symptoms, Hodgkin's Disease, Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Nipple Discharge

Abnormal leakage of fluid from the breast.

Nitrosamines

Chemicals that are thought to be carcinogenic (cause cancer). Used in curing meats, so found in bacon, ham, salami etc.

Nodule

Small lump.

Nolvadex

See Tamoxifen.

Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma
(NHL)

A group of diseases that are cancers of the lymphatic system. There are many different types of Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma. They can be low, intermediate or high grade. They are classified as different stages depending on how many groups of lymph nodes are involved and where they are in the body. Treatment depends on grade and stage and includes radiotherapy, chemotherapy, bone marrow transplant and stem cell transplant. See Bone Marrow Transplant, Chemotherapy, Grade: Lymphomas, Lymphoma, Radiotherapy, Stage, Stem Cell Transplant.

Non Small Cell Lung Cancer
(Non Small Cell)

Name for a group of types of lung cancer: squamous cell, adenocarcinoma and large cell lung cancers. These are grouped together because they all respond to roughly the same treatments and behave in similar ways. See Adenocarcinoma, Large Cell Lung Cancer, Small Cell Lung Cancer, Squamous Cell Cancer.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
(NMR)

See Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Numbness

Loss of feeling.