Acute: Having the abrupt onset of symptoms
and a short course; not chronic.
Adenoma: A noncancerous tumor.
Adjuvant therapy: Treatment given
after the primary treatment to increase the chances
of a cure. Adjuvant therapy may include chemotherapy,
radiation therapy, or hormone therapy.
Aggressive: A fast-growing cancer.
Angiogenesis: Blood vessel formation.
Tumor angiogenesis is the growth of blood vessels from
surrounding tissue to a solid tumor. This is caused
by the release of chemicals by the tumor.
Antibody therapy: Treatment with an
antibody, a substance that can directly kill specific
tumor cells or stimulate the immune system to kill tumor
cells. .
Aspiration: Removal of fluid from
a cyst or cells from a lump, using a needle and syringe.
Atypical hyperplasia: Cells that are
both abnormal (atypical) and increased in number.
Average risk: A measure of the chances
of getting cancer without the presence of any specific
factors known to be associated with the disease.
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Benign: Not cancerous;
cannot invade neighboring tissues or spread to other
parts of the body.
Biological therapy: Treatment to stimulate
or restore the ability of the immune system to fight
infection and disease. Also known as immunotherapy,
biotherapy, or biological response modifier (BRM) therapy.
Biomarkers: Substances sometimes found
in an increased amount in the blood, other body fluids,
or tissues and that may suggest the presence of some
types of cancer.
Biopsy: The removal of a sample of
tissue or cells for examination under a microscope for
purposes of diagnosis.
Brachytherapy: A procedure in which
radioactive material sealed in needles, seeds, wires,
or catheters is placed directly into or near a tumor.
Also called internal radiation, implant radiation, or
interstitial radiation therapy.
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Cancer: A general
name for more than 100 diseases in which abnormal cells
grow out of control. Cancer cells can invade and destroy
healthy tissues, and they can spread through the bloodstream
and the lymphatic system to other parts of the body.
Carcinoma: Cancer that begins in tissues
lining or covering the surfaces (epithelial tissues)
of organs, glands, or other body structures. Most cancers
are carcinomas.
Carcinoma in situ: Cancer that is
confined to the cells where it began, and has not spread
into surrounding tissues.
Chemoprevention: The use of drugs
or vitamins to prevent cancer in people who have precancerous
conditions or a high risk of cancer, or to prevent the
recurrence of cancer in people who have already been
treated for it.
Chromosomes: Structures located in
the nucleus of a cell, containing genes.
Computed tomography (CT) scanning:
An imaging technique that uses a computer to organize
the information from multiple x-ray views and construct
a cross-sectional image of areas inside the body.
Core needle biopsy: The use of a small
cutting needle to remove a core of tissue for microscopic
examination.
Cyst: Fluid-filled sac.
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Excisional biopsy:
The surgical removal (excision) of an abnormal area
of tissue, usually along with a margin of healthy tissue,
for microscopic examination.
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False negative: Test
results that miss cancer when it is present.
False positive: Test results that
indicate cancer is present when the disease is truly
absent.
Fine needle aspiration: The use of
a slender needle to remove fluid from a cyst or clusters
of cells from a solid lump.
Frozen section: A sliver of frozen
biopsy tissue. A frozen section provides a quick preliminary
diagnosis but is not 100 percent reliable.
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Gene: Segment of a
DNA molecule and the fundamental biological unit of
heredity.
Genetic change: An alteration in a
segment of DNA, which can disturb a gene's behavior
and sometimes leads to disease.
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Higher risk: A measure
of the chances of getting cancer when factor(s) known
to be associated with the disease are present.
Hormones: Chemicals produced by various
glands in the body, which produce specific effects on
specific target organs and tissues.
Hyperplasia: Excessive growth of cells.
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Incisional biopsy:
The surgical removal of a portion of an abnormal area
of tissue, by cutting into (incising) it, for microscopic
examination.
Infection: Invasion of body tissues
by microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses.
Infiltrating cancer: Cancer that has
spread to nearby tissue, lymph nodes, or other parts
of the body (same as Invasive cancer).
Inflammation: The body's protective
response to injury (including infection). Inflammation
is marked by heat, redness, swelling, pain, and loss
of function.
Invasive cancer: Cancer that has spread
to nearby tissue, lymph nodes, or other parts of the
body (same as Infiltrating cancer).
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Lymphatic system:
The tissues and organs that produce, store, and transport
cells that fight infection and disease.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): A technique that uses
a powerful magnet linked to a computer to create detailed
pictures of areas inside the body.
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Malignancy: State
of being cancerous. Malignant tumors can invade surrounding
tissues and spread to other parts of the body.
Margin: The edge or border of the
tissue removed in cancer surgery. The margin is described
as negative or clean when the pathologist finds no cancer
cells at the edge of the tissue, suggesting that all
of the cancer has been removed. The margin is described
as positive or involved when the pathologist finds cancer
cells at the edge of the tissue, suggesting that all
of the cancer has not been removed.
Monoclonal antibody: Laboratory-produced
substances that can locate and bind to cancer cells
wherever they are in the body. Many monoclonal antibodies
are used in cancer detection or therapy; each one recognizes
a different protein on certain cancer cells. Monoclonal
antibodies can be used alone, or they can be used to
deliver drugs, toxins, or radioactive material directly
to a tumor.
Mutation: A change in the number,
arrangement, or molecular sequence of a gene.
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Needle biopsy: Use
of a needle to extract cells or bits of tissue for microscopic
examination.
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One-step procedure:
Biopsy and surgical treatment combined into a single
operation.
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Palpation: Use of
the fingers to press body surfaces, so as to feel tissues
and organs underneath.
Pathologist: A doctor who diagnoses
disease by studying cells and tissues under a microscope.
Permanent section: Biopsy tissue specially
prepared and mounted on slides so that it can be examined
under a microscope by a pathologist.
Phytochemicals: Naturally occurring
chemicals found in plants that may be important nutrients
for reducing a person's cancer risk.
Positron emission tomography (PET scanning):
A technique that uses signals emitted by radioactive
tracers to construct images of the distribution of the
tracers in the human body.
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Rad: A unit of measure
for radiation. It stands for radiation absorbed dose.
Radiation: Energy carried by waves
or by streams of particles. Various forms of radiation
can be used in low doses to diagnose disease and in
high doses to treat disease. See X-rays.
Radiologist: A doctor with special
training in the use of x-rays (and related technologies
such as ultrasound) to image body tissues and to treat
disease.
Risk: A measure of the likelihood
of some uncertain or random event with negative consequences
for human life or health.
Risk factors (for cancer): Conditions
or agents that increase a person's chances of getting
cancer. Risk factors do not necessarily cause cancer;
rather, they are indicators, statistically associated
with an increase in likelihood.
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Sonogram: The image
produced by ultrasound.
Specimen x-ray: An x-ray of tissue
that has been surgically removed (surgical specimen).
Surgical biopsy: The surgical removal
of tissue for microscopic examination and diagnosis.
Surgical biopsies can be either excisional or incisional
(see Excisional biopsy and Incisional biopsy).
Tumor: An abnormal growth of tissue. Tumors may be either
benign or cancerous.
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Tumor markers: Proteins
(either amounts or unique variants) made by altered
genes in cancer cells that are involved in the progression
of the disease.
Two-step procedure: Biopsy and treatment
done in two stages, usually a week or two apart.
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Ultrasound: The use
of sound waves to produce images of body tissues.
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X-ray: A high-energy
form of radiation. X-rays form an image of body structures
by traveling through the body and striking a sheet of
film.
