Glossary
Absent body part: A congenital malformation characterised by total or partial absence or severe stunting of skeletal structures of the limbs. In this study it refers to the total or partial absence of the arm, fingers, hand, radius, femur, foot, leg and toes.
Acute lymphatic leukaemia (ALL): A cancer of the white blood cells where the disease has a rapid onset and the cancer cells are of the lymphocyte type.
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML): An acute onset cancer of the white blood cells where the cancer arises in the bone marrow.
Anaemia: A reduction in normal levels of haemogloblin, the protein in red blood cells which carries oxygen. Has many causes, including bleeding and processes that damage the red blood cells or reduce their production.
Anencephaly: Absence of the cerebrum, cerebellum, and flat bones of the skull in the foetus (born without a brain).
Basal cell carcinoma: A skin cancer of cells resembling those of the basal (deepest) layer of the skin. It is locally invasive but rarely metastasises.
Benign tumour: A non-malignant growth. It does not invade other tissues or spread to other parts of the body, but can expand to interfere with local healthy structures.
Cancer of the head and neck: All malignant cancers of the head and neck area except skin cancers, eye cancers and brain cancers. Includes cancers of the lip, tongue, salivary glands, gum, mouth, tonsils, oesophagus, ears, nasal passage and larynx.
Cancer of the nervous system: Malignant tumour of the brain, spinal cord or nerves.
Cancer: Describes a range of diseases in which abnormal cells multiply and spread out of control. The main features of a malignant tumour (cancerous growth) are its ability to grow in an uncontrolled way and to invade and spread to other parts of the body (metastasise).
Crohn’s disease: A chronic inflammation of the intestine. The severity of symptoms can fluctuate but they typically include abdominal pain and can include diarrhoea, fever and weight loss.
Chronic lymphatic leukaemia (CLL): A leukaemia where the onset and progression of the disease is usually very gradual and the cancer cells are of the lymphocyte type. This is the most common type of leukaemia in adults over the age of 45.
Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML): A disorder where the multiplication of bone marrow cells is excessive. Maturation of the cells proceeds fairly normally.
Cirrhosis of the liver: A condition of the liver representing severe damage with scarring and disturbed structure.
Cleft lip (harelip): A congenital cleft (groove) in the upper lip, resulting from a failure of parts of the face to join up during early growth in the womb.
Cleft palate: Congenital defect due to failure of parts of the face to join up during growth in the womb resulting in a groove through the palate.
De-identified information: Information on an individual, stored in the database or on file, that cannot be linked to the name or address of that individual. The individual can not be identified from any of the data provided.
Down syndrome: A congenital disorder with a typical facial appearance, mental retardation and often other defects. It arises from an extra chromosome (Trisomy 21).
Encephalitis: Inflammation of the brain.
Extra body part: An extra body part is defined as a significant extra body part where the deformity causes significant impairment or reduced function, requires significant treatment or management to be corrected or poses a significant risk of death.
Extra condition: Conditions which arose before the Morbidity Study, not reported by the veteran then but reported in the Validation Study. These conditions are included in the results.
Hodgkin’s disease: A cancer marked by progressive painless enlargement of lymph nodes throughout the body. A form of lymphoma.
Hydrocephalus: ‘Water on the brain’. A disorder where the fluid around the brain builds up because of a blockage in its flow.
Leukaemia: A group of cancers of the white blood cells. The course of the disease varies with the type of leukaemia.
Lymphoma: A cancer of the lymphatic tissues. The two main types of lymphomas are Hodgkin’s disease and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Melanoma of the skin: A cancer of the pigment (melanin) cells of the skin.
Mesothelioma: A cancer of cells similar to those forming the lining of the lungs, heart, the abdominal cavity and its organs.
Metastasis: The transfer of a cancer from its original site to other parts of the body.
Motor neurone disease: A chronic slowly progressive disease marked by the wasting of muscles and associated with weakness and paralysis.
Multiple sclerosis: One of the most common nervous system disorders with symptoms such as weakness or loss of control in the limbs, sudden vision problems or disturbed sensations.
New condition: Conditions reported by a veteran and/or his children that have developed since the Morbidity Study. These were diagnosed in 1998 and 1999 and therefore cannot be included in the results.
New veteran: A veteran who had not completed the Morbidity Study survey, but came forward to offer their information in the Validation Study. They were validated as per the study methods but their conditions are not included in the results as they are a bias sample.
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL): A lymphoma which is not of the Hodgkin’s type. It results in the enlargement of the lymph nodes and often other more severe symptoms of cancer.
Non-melanocytic skin cancer: A type of skin cancer not involving pigment (melanin) cells.
Not able to be validated: A condition is considered not able to be validated where the validation source nominated by the respondent cannot be contacted or accessed, or where the validation source indicates they are not able to confirm or deny the existence of the condition. A condition is also considered not able to be validated where no response from the veteran or their child has been received.
Not validated: A condition is considered not validated where information provided from the validation source indicates clearly that the specified condition does not or has not existed in the respondent to the best of their knowledge. The category also applies where the respondent and their condition does not exist on a disease or death register or where a respondent clearly indicates they do not have the specified condition.
Scoliosis: A lateral (sideways) curvature of the spine.
Soft tissue sarcoma: A cancer of the soft tissues of the body, including tendons, muscles and fat tissue.
Solar keratosis: Skin growths which are caused by cumulative sun exposure and are pre-malignant.
Spina bifida–maxima: A congenital defect where the covering of the spinal cord protrudes out of an incompletely closed spinal column, usually in the lower part of the back.
Spina bifida–occulta: A defect in the spinal column where there is no protrusion in the covering of the spinal cord. It usually has no symptoms and is not clinically significant.
Squamous cell carcinoma: A cancer originating in the squamous cells of the skin.
Thymus: The central lymphoid organ which controls many aspects of immunologic activity.
Tracheo-oesophageal fistula: Abnormal congenital or acquired communication between the trachea and the oesophagus.
Validated: A condition is considered validated if sufficient information has been provided by the validation source to confirm that the condition currently exists or has existed at some time.
Validation source: The provider of medical information that confirms the existence of a condition. In this study the validation sources include the doctors nominated by the veteran or his children, a disease or death register or medical documents.
Wilm’s tumour: A malignant tumour of the kidney, usually affecting infants and children.
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