Glossary

Absolute neutrophil count (ANC)

The actual count of the white blood cells (also called polys or granulocytes) that destroy bacteria. There is some concern about infection if the count is less than 1,000.

Alopecia

Partial or complete loss of hair. This may result from radiation therapy to the head (hair might not completely return after therapy) or from certain chemotherapeutic agents (hair almost always returns).

Analgesic

A drug that relieves pain. Analgesics may be mild (aspirin or acetaminophen), stronger (codeine) or very strong (morphine). There are also a large number of mild, moderate or strong medicines.

Anemia

Having less than the normal amount of hemoglobin or red cells in the blood. This may be due to bleeding or lack of blood made by the bone marrow. Symptoms include tiredness, shortness of breath and weakness.

Antiemetics

Drugs given to prevent or lessen nausea and vomiting.

Biopsy

The surgical removal of a small portion of tissue for diagnosis. A biopsy diagnosis of cancer is required before correct treatment planning can take place. In some cases, a needle biopsy may be enough for diagnosis.

Bone marrow

Substance found in the bone. Marrow is made of new young blood such as red cells, white cells, platelets and fat. Some forms of cancer can be diagnosed by examining the bone marrow.

Bone marrow examination

The process of removing bone marrow through a needle for examination. It is usually taken from the hipbone. This bone is just under the skin, making the removal of the marrow easy, safe and only uncomfortable for a short time.

Bone marrow suppression

A decrease in one or more of the blood counts. This can be caused by chemotherapy, radiation, disease or medications.

Bone scan

A picture of all of the bones in the body taken about two hours after a radioactive tracer. "Hot spots" means areas of abnormal bone that may indicate tumors, although they can also be due to other causes, such as arthritis. No preparation is required, and the test is easy. The main problem is lying still on a hard table for 15 minutes. This test can help determine if cancer has spread to the bones, if therapy is working and if damaged bony areas are healing.

CEA (careinoembryonic antigen)

A "tumor marker" in the blood that may indicate the presence of cancer. It may be elevated in some cancers, especially of the colon. Doctors can watch the progress of treatment by having the patient get this blood test.

Chemotherapy

The treatment of cancer by chemicals (drugs) that kill cancer cells or stop them from growing.

Clinical trials

The procedure where new cancer treatments are tested in humans. Clinical trials have shown that a new treatment method might be effective.

Combined modality therapy

Treatment with two or more types of therapy - surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and biological therapy. These may be used at the same time or one after the other. Surgery, for example, is often followed by chemotherapy to destroy cancer cells that may have spread.

Dysphagia

Difficulty swallowing; a sensation of food sticking in the throat.

Dyspnea

Shortness of breath.

Edema

The accumulation of fluid within tissues.

Emesis

Vomiting.

Estrogen

The female sex hormone made by the ovaries. Estrogen controls the development of the physical characteristics, period (menstruation) and pregnancy. Found also in oral contraceptives and in various therapies.

Estrogen-receptor (ER) assay

A test that tells whether the breast cancer in a particular patient is caused by estrogen.

Extravasation

Occurs when the IV (Intravenous) fluids or drugs leak into the surrounding tissues. This occurs during cancer chemotherapy. Extravasation may damage tissues.

Fatigue

Weak feeling all over

Frozen section

A procedure done during surgery to give the surgeon an immediate answer as to whether a tissue is benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). This information is important in helping the surgeon decide the treatment plan.

Grade of tumor

Describing tumors by how they look under a microscope. Low-grade tumors are slow to grow and spread, whereas high-grade tumors grow and spread rapidly.

Guaiac test

A test to see if there is hidden blood in the stool. A positive result may be a sign of cancer, but many benign (non-cancerous) conditions also cause bleeding.

Hematocrit

A way of measuring the red cell count of the blood. The normal level is about 40 to 45 in men and from 37 to 42 in women. A low hematocrit is a sign of anemia.

Hemoglobin

A way of measuring the red cell count of the blood. The normal value in men is about 13 to 15 grams, in women from 12.5 to 14 grams.

Herpes zoster, shingles

A painful burst in the skin caused by a virus infection that affects the nerves. The same virus that causes shingles causes chicken pox.

Hospice

A facility and a philosophy of care that stress comfort, peace of mind and the control of symptoms. Hospice care, provided on either an outpatient or inpatient basis, is generally started when no further anticancer therapy is available and life expectancy is very short. Hospice also helps family and friends to care for and cope with the loss of a dying loved one.

Immune system

The body’s process that resists and fights disease. The white blood cells and antibodies react to the foreign substances in the body and try to destroy them.

Immunosuppression

The state of having decreased immunity and protection being less able to fight infections and disease.

Lobectomy

Removal of one lobe of a lung. The right lung contains three lobes. The left lung contains two.

Lumpectomy

The removal of a breast cancer (lump) and the surrounding tissue around itwithout removing the entire breast. It is a more basic procedure than mastectomy and is usually followed by radiation treatment.

Lymph nodes

Lymph nodes are small pea-sized organs located all through the body. The lymph nodes trap bacteria, viruses and cancer cells and make sure they get rid of them from the body. Lymph nodes act as our first line of defense against infections and the spread of cancer.

Markers; tumor markers

Chemicals in the blood that are produced by certain cancers. Measuring the markers is useful for diagnosis, but especially useful for following the course of treatment. (See CEA)

Metastasis

The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another by way of the lymph system or bloodstream. Cells in the new cancer are like those in the original tumor.

Milligrams/meter squared (mg/m2)

A formula for calculating dosages of chemotherapy drugs according to the surface area of the body. Since the amount of skin is hard to determine exactly, it is closely estimated from height and weight. An average person might have 1.7 square meters of body surface area. If the standard drug dosage was 650 mg/ m2, then 650 x 1.7 - 1105 mg of drug is to be given.

Myelosuppression

A fall in the blood counts caused by therapy, especially chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Nadir

The lowest point at which white blood cell or platelet counts fall after chemotherapy.

Neoplasm

A new abnormal growth. Neoplasms may be benign or malignant.

Neutrophils

One of the white blood cells that fights infection. Also called granulocytes, polys or PMNs.

Nodes

See lymph nodes.

Nodule

A small lump or tumor that can be benign or malignant.

Oncologist

A physician who specializes in cancer therapy. There are surgical, radiation, pediatric, gynecologic and medical oncologists.

Palliative Care

A philosophy of care to prevent and relieve suffering and to support the best possible quality of life for patients and their families.

Phlebitis

Inflammation of the veins, often causing pain and tenderness.

Platelet

One of the three kinds of circulating blood cells. The normal platelet count is about 150,000 to 300,000. Platelets are responsible for creating the first part of a blood clot. Platelet transfusions are used in cancer patients to prevent or control bleeding when the number of platelets has significantly decreased.

Polyp

An abnormal growth of tissue that sticks out from mucous membranes, often looking like a tiny mushroom. Polyps may be found in the nose, ears, mouth, lungs, vocal cords, uterus, cervix, rectum, bladder and intestine. Some polyps occurring in the cervix, intestine, stomach or colon can eventually become malignant and should be removed.

Port-A-Cath

A type of IV (intravenous) access device. Injections are made into a chamber implanted just under the skin.

Radiotherapy

The use of high-energy radiation from X-ray machines, cobalt, radium or other sources for control of cure of cancer. It may reduce the size of a cancer before surgery or be used to destroy any remaining cancer cells after surgery. Radiotherapy can be helpful in treating recurrent cancers or relieving symptoms.

Red blood cells

Cells in the blood that bring oxygen to tissues and take carbon dioxide from them.

Shingles

See Herpes zoster.

Staging

A process of deciding how far a cancer has spread. Staging involves a physical exam, blood tests, X-rays, scans and sometimes surgery. Knowing the stage helps decide the most appropriate treatment and the prognosis.

Stem cells

Primitive or early cells found in bone marrow and blood vessels that give rise to all of our blood cells. To protect patients from low blood counts and the resulting complications after chemotherapy, a complex device is used to remove stem cells from a vein in the arm and give them back intravenously a few days later. They find their way back into the bone marrow that was depressed by chemotherapy. The use of peripheral stem cell transplants has made the need to collect bone marrow itself much less important. This procedure should really be called peripheral stem cell protection rather than transplantation since patients get their own cells back.

Steroids

A class of fat-soluble chemicals — including cortisone and male and female sex hormones — that are vital to many functions within the body. Some steroid derivatives are used in cancer treatment.

Stomatitis

Inflammation and soreness of the mouth. This is sometimes a side effect of chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Thrombocytopenia

An abnormally low number of platelets (thrombocytes) — fewer than 150,000 due to disease, reaction to a drug or toxic reaction to treatments. Bleeding can occur if there are too few platelets, especially if the count falls to less than 20,000.

Tumor

A lump, mass or swelling. A tumor can be either benign or malignant.

Ulcer

A sore resulting from corrosion of normal tissue by some irritating process or substance such as stomach acid, chemicals, infections, impaired circulation or cancerous involvement.

Venipuncture

Inserting a needle into a vein in order to obtain blood samples, start an intravenous infusion or give a medication.

Vesicant drugs

Chemotherapeutic agents that can cause significant tissue irritation and soreness if they leak outside the vein after injection.

White blood cells

Cells in the blood that fight infection. These are composed of monocytes, lymphocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils. The normal count is 5,000 to 10,000. It may be elevated or depressed in a wide variety of diseases. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy usually cause low white blood cell counts.