White blood cells: Several types of blood cells that help defend the body against infections from bacteria, viruses, parasites, and foreign tissue such as abnormal or tumor cells.  Certain cancer treatments (particularly chemotherapy) can reduce the number of these cells and make a patient more vulnerable to infections. Some types of white blood cells may also help the body fight certain cancers.  (See also neutropenia).

Wire localization: Also called needle localization. A procedure used to guide a surgical breast biopsy when the breast lump is difficult to locate or in areas that look suspicious on the x-ray (mammogram) but do not have a distinct lump. Mammogram or ultrasound images are used to guide the needle to the suspicious area of the breast. The radiologist typically replaces the needle with a wire and sends the patient to the surgeon with only a wire in place.  The surgeon then uses the path of the wire as a guide to locate the abnormal area to be removed. Needle localization is usually used when there is no palpable (able to be felt) lump (i.e., a finding found only or most convincingly on an imaging study such as a mammogram or ultrasound.

Updated: August 2006

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