Glossary — E

Early detection means identifying a disease — most often cancer — at an initial stage, before symptoms develop or the condition has had a chance to spread. Catching a problem early typically means simpler treatment, less aggressive intervention, and significantly higher survival rates.

An echocardiogram is an ultrasound scan of the heart that uses sound waves to create moving images of the heart's chambers, valves, and surrounding structures. It allows doctors to assess how well your heart is pumping blood and to detect problems with its size, shape, or function.

An embolism occurs when a clot, air bubble, fat droplet, or other material lodges in a blood vessel and blocks blood flow to the tissue beyond. Depending on where it occurs, an embolism can affect the lungs, brain, heart, or limbs, and it can range from minor to life-threatening.

Endometrial cancer is a malignancy that begins in the endometrium, the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus. It is the most common cancer of the female reproductive organs in the United States, and it is often caught at an early stage because it frequently causes abnormal uterine bleeding that prompts women to seek evaluation.

Estrogen is a group of hormones produced mainly by the ovaries that drive the development of female sexual characteristics, regulate the menstrual cycle, support bone density, and influence the cardiovascular system and brain. It is not one single molecule but a family of related compounds, with estradiol being the most potent and prevalent during the reproductive years.

An estrogen receptor (ER) is a protein found inside certain cells that binds to estrogen and carries its signal into the cell's nucleus, triggering changes in gene activity. In breast cancer, tumors that contain these receptors are called ER-positive and tend to grow in response to estrogen — a characteristic that guides treatment decisions.