Relapse (recurrence) A return of the disease after it has been in remission following treatment. Remission No sign of the disease and/or a long time span when the disease is not causing any health problems for the patient. Sedimentation rate A blood test that measures how quickly red cells (erythrocytes) settle in a test tube in one hour. A sedimentation rate test is done to find out if inflammation is present in the body, check on the progress of a disease or see how well a treatment is working. This test is also called a “sed rate” or an “erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).” Serum The portion of blood without cells. Thrombocytopenia A decrease below normal in the concentration of blood platelets. Watch and wait (watchful waiting) A treatment plan for patients with certain blood cancers that are either not growing or slow-growing and who have no symptoms of their blood cancer. Patients in watch and wait need periodic medical exams and tests to monitor their disease. They may not need treatment for a long time after diagnosis. White cells A synonym for leukocytes. There are five major types of white cells in the blood: neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes and lymphocytes.
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