Cancer Glossary
Adjuvant, treatment used in addition to, and following, the primary therapy (often surgery) to treat a cancer; maybe chemotherapy, radiation, biological or hormonal therapy.
Acute stage, the acute stage of survival begins with diagnosis and spans the time of further diagnostic and treatment efforts.
Allogeneic, replacing a patient’s bone marrow with the healthy marrow of someone who is not genetically identical.
Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels that commonly accompanies malignant tissue growth.
Antibody, a protein produced by the body’s immune system to fight infection or harmful foreign substances.
Antiemetic, medication to prevent or reduce nausea and vomiting
Antigen, foreign substance in the body that stimulates the body to produce antibodies to fight them.
Aspiration, removal of fluid or a small sample of tissue cells generally using a syringe.
Autologous, using the patient’s own body tissue or blood in a transplant treatment.
Benign, abnormal, non-cancerous growth of tissue that does not spread to other parts of the body and is not life threatening.
Biological Therapy, treatments using the body’s own immune system to fight cancer.
Biopsy, the removal of a sample of tissue (to be examined under a microscope to look for cancer cells).
Body Mass Index, Adults, describes body weight relative to height. It is equal to weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Overweight for adults is defined as BMI of 25 to 29.9, and obesity is defined as BMI of 30 and above.
Body Mass Index, Children, children with BMI of greater than or equal to the 85th percentile but less than the 95th percentile for age and gender, based on growth charts, are considered at risk for overweight; children with BMI greater than or equal to the 95th percentile are considered overweight.
Cancer, a term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control.
Cancer Survivors, people who have been diagnosed with cancer and the people in their lives who are affected by their diagnosis, including family members, friends and caregivers
Carcinogen, a substance or agent that causes cancer.
CAT (or CT) scan, a diagnostic procedure combing an x-ray with a computer to produce very detailed cross-sectional pictures of the body and/or brain.
Cell, the basic unit or building block of human tissue.
Chemotherapy, treatment with cancer fighting drugs to kill cancerous cells.
Chronic, lasting a long time
Clinical Trials, research studies that find better ways to prevent, diagnose, or treat cancer using new drugs or medical devices.
Colonoscopy, a procedure that allows the doctor or nurse to look inside the rectum and the colon through a lighted tube.
Comprehensive Cancer Care, an integrated and coordinated approach to reducing cancer incidence, morbidity, and mortality through prevention, screening, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and palliative care.
Contaminants, anything that makes something else impure or unclean through contact or mixture; may include natural (arsenic or radon) or man-made (polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs]) elements.
Cryotherapy, a surgical procedure using liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide to destroy a tumor by freezing.
Cyst, an irregular sac in the body containing fluid or semisolid material.
Diagnosis, the process using symptoms, lab results, and a physical exam to find out about a disease.
Differentiated / Undifferentiated, how similar or dissimilar cancer cells are to normal cells—undifferentiated cells are less like normal cells, which are very specialized or differentiated.
Dysplasia, abnormal development of size, shape, and organization of cells or tissue. Occurring most often in rapidly reproducing cells. May precede the development of cancer.
Endoscopy, a diagnostic procedure using a flexible instrument with a lighted tube and optical system (endoscope) to examine the inside of many organs and structures in the body.
Estrogen, female hormone primarily produced in the ovaries.
Extended stage, the “extended” stage of survival begins when the patient goes into remission or has completed treatment.
Gene, biological unit of heredity; a discrete segment of the DNA molecule of a chromosome.
Genetic, inherited; having to do with information passed from parents to children through DNA.
Gene Therapy, use of genes in the treatment of disease, including cancer, most often by supplying healthy copies of missing or flawed genes.
Grade, describing cancer cells in terms of how quickly or slowly they are growing.
Hormone therapy, treatment that prevents certain cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to grow.
Hyperplasia, abnormal growth of normal cells resulting in the increase in size of a tissue or organ. Not cancerous, but it may become cancerous.
Immunotherapy, treatment to stimulate or restore the ability of the immune system to fight infection and disease.
Incidence, the number of new cases of a disease diagnosed each year.
Infrastructure, the systems, competencies, relationships, data and information systems, skilled workforce, effective public health organizations, resources, and research that enable performance of the essential public health services in every community.
Infusion, a procedure by which fluid or medication is given directly into a vein.
In Situ, the growth or cancer has not extended beyond the level of tissue in which it began.
Invasive, spreading into healthy tissue.
Iqmik, homemade form of spit tobacco used by some Alaska Natives. Also sometimes referred to as Blackbull or Dediguss.
Leukemias, cancers of the organs that make the blood, bone marrow and lymph.
Localized, cancer only found in the organ where the cancer started.
Lymph nodes, small, bean-shaped organs located along the channels of the lymphatic system. Also called lymph glands.
Malignant, a tumor that is cancerous and has the ability to spread to other parts of the body.
Mediport, a surgically implanted device used to infuse medications and fluids (venous access device). For people who need frequent blood draws and medication, it eliminates the need to start an IV in the arm every time medication is needed or blood is needed for lab studies.
Metastasis, the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another part of the body.
Moderate physical activity, exercise or participation in physical activities for at least 30 minutes, 5 times per week, that does not cause sweating or heavy breathing; may include walking, picking berries, and gathering wild plants.
Morbidity, a disease or the incidence of disease within a population. Morbidity also refers to adverse effects caused by a treatment.
Mortality, deaths due to disease during a given period of time usually expressed as number of deaths per 100,000 population.
MRI, a procedure using a magnet linked to a computer to make pictures of areas inside the body.
Neoplasm, any growth, benign or malignant. A tumor.
Oncologist, a doctor who specializes in cancer care.
Palliative care, addresses care needs of people with serious life-limiting illnesses such as cancer. It focuses on bringing comfort and reducing pain to the patient even when cure may not possible.
Pap test, microscopic examination of cells from the cervix. It is used to detect changes that may be cancer or may lead to cancer.
Patient navigator, a support person that can be used to ensure that survivors understand their care and their process of care and to enhance optimum care.
Permanent stage, the “permanent” stage is defined as a time when the “activity of the disease or likelihood of its return is sufficiently small that the cancer can now be considered permanently arrested
Polyp, small, non-cancerous growths in the mucous membrane, most commonly found in the colon.
Primary site, where the cancer first started.
Prognosis, the probable outcome of a disease and the chance of recovery.
Prophylactic, use of medical treatment to prevent disease.
Protocol, the outline or plan for use of an experimental treatment or procedure.
PSA, Prostate Specific Antigen test used to detect prostate disease.
Radiation Therapy, treatment with high-energy rays to kill or damage cancer cells.
Radiation Oncologist, a doctor who specializes in using radiation to treat cancer.
Recurrent, reappearance of a cancer; may be local, regional, or metastatic
Refractory, a cancer that does not respond to therapy.
Remission, disappearance of the signs and symptoms of cancer. It can be temporary or permanent.
Risk Factor, factors that increase a person’s chance of developing cancer, including but not limited to tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and physical inactivity.
Screening, tests or examinations done to detect cancer very early, before the person is aware of the cancer and has symptoms.
Sedentary, no participation in any physical activities for at least 30 minutes, 5 times per week, that does not cause sweating or heavy breathing.
Side Effects, problems that may occur when treatment affects healthy cells such as nausea, feeling tired, vomiting, hair loss and mouth sores.
Stage, describes how far the cancer has spread from the original site to other parts of the body (in situ, local, regional, and distant).
Stereotactic biopsy, a procedure that uses a computer and a three-dimensional scanning device to find a tumor site and guide the removal of tissue for examination under a microscope.
Sigmoidoscopy, a procedure that allows the doctor or nurse to look inside the rectum and the lower part of the colon through a lighted tube.
Survivorship, the period from the time cancer is diagnosed until the end of life.
Systemic, treatment that reaches and affects cells all over the body.
Tumor, a general term used for a growth, malignant or benign.
Tumor Board Review, a treatment planning approach in which a number of doctors, experts in different specialties, review and discuss the medical condition and treatment options of a patient. In cancer treatment, a tumor board review may include a medical oncologist (who provides cancer treatment with drugs), a surgical oncologist (who provides cancer treatment with surgery), a radiation oncologist (who provides cancer treatment with radiation), and other specialists (pathologist, . Also called a multidisciplinary opinion.
Tumor debulking, surgical removal of as much of a tumor as possible.
Ultrasound, a way to locate and measure solid tumors in the body using very high frequency sound waves.
Vigorous physical activity, exercise or participation in physical activities for at least 20 minutes, 3 times per week, that causes sweating and heavy breathing.
White blood cells, cells that help the body fight infection and disease.
