The following are commonly used terms in
oncology. Please consult your physician
or nurse if there is a word you do not
understand or if you would like additional
clarification about a word's meaning.
ADVERSE EFFECT—Any unexpected,
unpleasant, or dangerous reaction to a drug or vaccine (also
called side effect)
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ALOPECIA—Hair loss (this is
a temporary side effect of some chemotherapies)
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ANEMIA—Having too few red
blood cells, which can cause tiredness, weakness, and shortness
of breath
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ANOREXIA—Poor appetite, you
are unable to eat
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ANTIEMETIC—A medicine to prevent
or control nausea and vomiting
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BENIGN—Describes a tumor that
is not cancerous
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BIOPSY—The removal of a sample
of tissue for examination under a microscope to check for cancer
cells
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BLOOD CELL COUNT—The number
of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in a sample
of blood (also called complete blood count or CBC)
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CANCER—Abnormal cells that
grow out of control
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CATHETER—A thin, flexible
tube used to place fluids in your body or to allow fluids to
leave your body
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CHEMOTHERAPY—The use of drugs
to treat disease
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COMPUTED AXIAL TOMOGRAPHY SCAN (CT SCAN
OR CAT SCAN)—An imaging test that takes x-rays of
a part of the body from different angles
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DIETITIAN—A professional who
plans well-balanced diet programs, including plans for patients
with medical conditions (also registered dietitian)
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INTRAVENOUS—Into a vein
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MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI)—An
imaging method that uses magnetic fields, radio waves, and a
computer to produce a detailed picture of the inside of the
body
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MALIGNANT—Describes a tumor
that is cancerous
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MEDICAL ONCOLOGIST—A physician
who treats patients diagnosed with cancer with chemotherapy
or other drugs
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ONCOLOGIST—A physician who
cares for patients who have cancer
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PLATELETS—Blood cells that
help to stop the bleeding when a blood vessel has been damaged
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PORT—A small plastic or metal
piece that is surgically placed under the skin and attached
to a catheter to allow blood and fluids to enter and leave the
body
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POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY SCAN (PET
SCAN)—An image that helps a physician visualize
body function; a radioactive glucose is often injected into
the patient being scanned; if the patient has a tumor, more
glucose will appear in that location
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RADIATION ONCOLOGIST—A physician
who treats patients diagnosed with cancer with radiation
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RADIATION THERAPY—The use
of high-energy radiation beams to damage cancer cells by stopping
them from growing and dividing
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RADICAL NECK DISSECTION—A
surgical procedure that involves the removal of a tumor from
the neck and additional areas called lymph nodes
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RED BLOOD CELLS—Cells that
carry oxygen from the lungs to tissues in the body
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REMISSION—Partial or complete
disappearance of signs and symptoms of disease
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SIMULATION—A process that
uses x-ray pictures to plan a patient's radiation treatment
to ensure accuracy
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TREATMENT FIELD (OR PORT)—The
place on the body where the radiation beam is aimed
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TUMOR—An abnormal growth of
cells or tissues
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WHITE BLOOD CELLS—Blood cells
that fight infection
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X-RAY—A form of radiation
that, at low levels, can make images of the body to help diagnose
diseases and, at high levels, can treat cancer
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