Glossary

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z A Active Specific Immunotherapy (ASI) Immunization of cancer patients against specific antigens found in high concentrations on cancer cells but absent or only in low concentrations on normal cells. Adenocarcinoma Carcinoma that is derived from glandular tissue. This type of carcinoma is very common. Adenopathy Abnormally enlarged lymph nodes. Adjuvant In immunology, any substance that, when mixed with an antigen, enhances antigenicity and provides a superior immune response. Adjuvant Therapy Treatment given in addition to the primary treatment (e.g. surgery) to enhance the effectiveness of the primary treatment. Adverse Event An undesirable medical occurrence in a patient or clinical trial subject, which does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the therapy being administered. Analgesic Any medication given to relieve pain. Narcotic analgesics include morphine, codeine, hydrocodone and oxycodone. Anemia Having low red blood cell counts. Since red blood cells deliver oxygen to the various organs and muscles, anemia produces fatigue, especially with exertion. Anorexia Loss of appetite. This may have many causes including chemotherapy or radiation, depression about having cancer, or the cancer itself. Antibody Specific and defensive protein substances which are generated in the body in response to the introduction of foreign substances (antigens) and which combine with them to neutralize their toxic effects. Anti-emetic medication Medication that prevents or treats nausea and vomiting. Antigen Any foreign or "non-self" substance that, when introduced into the body, causes the immune system to create an antibody. return to top ^ B Benign If a tumor does not have the capacity to spread and establish itself in another part of the body, it is labeled benign. Benign tumors can still sometimes grow to large sizes, but if they are surgically removed the problem is generally eliminated. Although they are not as serious as malignant tumors, benign tumors can still cause problems because of their size. See Malignant. Biological Response Modifiers This has been called the "Fourth Treatment Modality," the other three being surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. This strategy enhances the body's own immune system to fight the cancer. This type of treatment is also called "immunotherapy." Biopsy Obtaining a small sample of suspicious tissue for analysis, to see (for example) if tumor cells are present. Bone marrow The central part of the larger bones in the body where blood cells are produced. If there is a problem with blood cell counts, often one needs to know if there is a problem with the production mechanism, or whether there is a problem with blood cell destruction. Analyzing the bone marrow helps to evaluate the production and maturation capability of blood cells. return to top ^ C Cancer This refers to any malignant growth of cells in the body. Cancer cells grow uncontrollably, and have the potential to spread and establish growth in other parts of the body - ie. are malignant. Cancer is generally divided into three broad groups: 1) carcinomas - those derived from cells found in the lining of various tissues, 2) sarcomas - those derived from the underlying supporting tissue, and 3) hematologic tumors - those derived from bone marrow and lymphatic tissue. Carcinoma This term refers to cancer of cells that line various organs. This category is the largest and the most common type of cancer. Carcinoma-in-situ This refers to cancer in its earliest stage, that has become cancerous in appearance, but has not penetrated or invaded deeper into the underlying tissue. Often, if nothing is done to remove carcinoma-in-situ, it will eventually progress to become invasive carcinoma. Chemonaive If you have never received any kind of chemotherapy before, then you are considered chemonaive. Chemotherapy The use of drugs given orally or intravenously to kill or control cancer. Clinical trial The administration of an experimental therapy to patients or normal human subjects to determine if the experimental therapy is safe and/or effective. Clinical trials are generally conducted in "phases". Phase I: The drug has been tested in animals and it looks promising, but no one knows what a safe dose is for humans (or whether it really works in humans). In this phase, the dose of the drug is gradually increased, while side-effects are monitored. Anti-tumor response is also monitored, but one cannot make conclusions about efficacy from this phase alone. Phase II: After safety data and a tolerable dose have been determined from a phase I trial, the drug is then tested against a particular disease to determine its efficacy against a particular cancer. Phase III: If the treatment looks effective and promising from phase II trials, then the next step is to compare it against the current standard of care (or a regimen that is commonly used), to determine which treatment is superior. In this phase, patients are randomized to getting the new treatment versus the standard treatment on a control. Cycle A planned chemotherapy schedule that is repeated. Some cycles of chemotherapy repeat at regular intervals every 3 weeks, while others repeat every 4 or even 8 weeks. Each cycle consists of a group of drugs given on certain days, according to the treatment plan. return to top ^ E Edema Swelling resulting from build-up of fluid within the tissues. return to top ^ L Leukemia Cancer of white blood cells. Acute leukemias are characterized by the presence of "blasts," which are immature white blood cells. Large quantities of blasts generally overgrow the bone marrow, leaving very little space for normal bone marrow cells. This type generally requires immediate treatment. Chronic leukemias are those characterized by a large and uncontrolled growth of more mature white blood cells. These types of leukemias tend not to progress as rapidly, and treatment is often milder than that of acute leukemias. Liposome A special way fatty acids arrange themselves. Certain fatty acids can be arranged to form a membrane-like structure, which can then be manipulated to form a sphere or bubble. Technologies have been developed to enclose chemotherapy and other drugs in these liposome bubbles. This has often resulted in a decrease in toxicity of the drug. Lymph node A rounded mass of lymphatic tissue that is surrounded by a capsule of connective tissue. Also known as a lymph gland. Lymph nodes are spread out along lymphatic vessels and contain many lymphocytes, which filter the lymphatic fluid (lymph) to encourage the immune system to recognize foreign substances. An increase in the size of a node may indicate a high level of activity during infection, or the presence of a malignant tumor. Lymphoma A cancer of lymphatic tissue, specifically of the lymphocytes. Lymphomas are divided into two categories, Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. return to top ^ M Malignant If a tumor is capable of spreading to other regions of the body, rather than just growing in one place, it is characterized as malignant. See Benign. Metastasis When a cell or clump of cells separates from a tumor and spreads to another location, it is said to have metastasized. Metastasis is one of the main reasons some tumors are difficult to control. Mucositis Inflammation of the lining of the mouth and gastrointestinal tract. return to top ^ N Neoplasm A general term for any type of tumor, benign or malignant. Neutropenic Neutrophils are the major type of white blood cells that fight fungal (including yeast) and bacterial infections. When your white blood cell count is low, your neutrophil count will almost certainly be low as well, and the medical term for this is "neutropenia". return to top ^ R Remission Complete Remission refers to complete elimination of cancer as far as can be told by all appropriate testing. For example, if there is no trace of cancer seen by CT scans, a lung cancer might be said to be in complete remission. In the case of leukemia, one would look at the bone marrow to see if all traces of leukemia have been eliminated. This does not necessarily mean "cure", since it is possible for the cancer to relapse later. Partial Remission usually refers to substantial but incomplete elimination of cancer. It is understood that some of the tumor is still present. return to top ^ S Sarcoma A cancer that arises from cells that do not line the surface of organs or glands. Tumors of this type arise from muscle, tendon, ligaments, cartilage or fat. Stomatitis Inflammation of the mouth. Similar to mucositis. return to top ^ T Thrush, Candida A type of yeast that commonly infects patients when their white blood cell counts are low. Thrombocytopenia Low platelet counts. Because platelets help to stop bleeding, severe thrombocytopenia needs to be recognized and treated accordingly with platelet transfusions. Tumor This is from a Latin term that means "lump" and refers to a solid neoplasm, as opposed to leukemias, which are blood cancers. return to top ^