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Glossary of Medical Terms
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To help you understand the many words and phrases that are frequently used in the diagnosis, treatment and management of blood disorders and cancer, we have compiled this glossary of commonly used medical terms.
-A-
Analgesia: a medication for pain relief.
Alopecia: loss of hair.
Anemia: a low red blood cell count, which can result in fatigue and sometimes dizziness or shortness of breath.
Anorexia: loss of appetite
-B-
Benign: an abnormal growth of tumor, which is not cancer and does not spread to other areas of the body.
Biologic response modifiers: a new class of compounds, such as interferon, produced in the body that fight cancer naturally by stimulating the body’s own immune system; also called "immunotherapy."
Biopsy: the surgical removal of a small piece of tissue for microscopic examination to determine if cancer cells are present.
Bone marrow: the soft, fatty substance that fills the cavities of bones where blood cells are made.
Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy: a procedure in which a needle is inserted into the cavity of a bone, usually the hip or breast bone, to remove a small amount of bone marrow for microscopic examination.
Bone scan: pictures of the bones that can show areas of rapid growth that may be a sign of cancer. A radioactive substance that is injected into the bloodstream will collect in any areas of rapid growth. A scanner can detect these areas.
-C-
Cancer: a general term for a large group of diseases (more than 100), all characterized by uncontrolled growth, invasion, and spread of abnormal cells to other parts of the body.
Carcinogen: any substance that initiates or promotes the development of cancer. For example, asbestos is a carcinogen.
Carcinoma: a form of cancer that develops in tissues covering the lining organs of the body, such as the skin, the uterus, the lung, or the breast. Adenocarcinoma affects glandular tissue. Squamous cell carcinoma affects epithethial tissue.
Carcinoma in situ: an early stage in development, when the cancer is still confined to one layer of tissue. In situ carcinomas are highly curable.
CAT scans: see computerized tomography scans.
Chemotherapy: systemic treatment of cancer with medicines administered orally or by injection. Treatment with anticancer drugs disrupts the cancer cells’ ability to grow and multiply.
Clinical trial: the scientific evaluation of the means to prevent, detect, diagnose, or treat disease in humans. Clinical trials are conducted after experiments in animals have shown evidence of potential effectiveness and preliminary studies in humans suggest usefulness.
Clinical trials are used to evaluate promising new treatment. Each study is designed to answer scientific questions and to find better ways of treating patients.
Computerized tomography scans (CT scans): specialized x-ray studies that give cross-sectional views of the body; sometimes called CAT scans.
Cystitis: an inflammation of the bladder.
-D-
-E-
Edema: swelling of the body tissues with fluid.
Emesis: vomiting with or without nausea.
-F-
-G-
Growth factor: a hormone-like substance (medication) that stimulates the bone marrow to produce blood cells; also called colony-stimulating factor (CSF).
-H-
Hematologist: a physician who specializes in treating blood disorders, such as leukemia and anemias.
Hormone therapy: treatment of cancer by removing, blocking, or adding hormones. Hormones are chemicals produced by glands, which control how certain cells or organs act.
Hyperalimentation: nourishing the body through the veins or a tube into the stomach with high calorie fluids; also called total parenteral nutrition (TPN).
-I-
Informed consent: the process by which sufficient information is provided by the healthcare team in understandable language about proposed treatment in order for the patient to make decisions about treatment and care.
IV: intravenous. This means an injection of a solution into a vein such as intravenous fluids.
-J-
-K-
-L-
Lesion: a change in body tissue; sometimes used as a synonym for tumor.
Leukemia: cancer of the blood-forming tissues. Categorized as acute or chronic.
Lymph nodes or glands: small, bean-shaped structures located along the channels of the lymphatic system. These nodes can contain bacteria or cancer cells.
Lymphoma: a form of cancer that affects the lymph system, which is categorized as Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s varieties.
-M-
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): a technique using magnetic fields to produce images of the body; useful in disease diagnosis, including cancer.
Malabsorption: impaired intestinal absorption of nutrients.
Malignant tumor: a mass of cancer cells. A malignant tumor may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant areas of the body.
Mammogram: the image produced by a low-dose x-ray of the breast.
Melanoma: a type of skin cancer such as a mole, which changes in appearance.
Metastasis: the spread of cancer cells to distant areas of the body by way of the lymph system or bloodstream. The term "metastases" refers to these new cancer sites.
Monoclonal antibodies: antibodies designed to seek out chosen targets on cancer cells; they are under study to deliver chemotherapy and radiotherapy directly to a cancer, thus killing the cancer cells and sparing healthy tissue.
MRI: see magnetic resonance imaging
Mucous membranes: tissues that line the passages and cavities that communicate with air, such as the GI tract.
-N-
Neoplasm: any new abnormal growth.
Neutropenia: low white blood cell count, which creates high risk for infection.
Nuclear scan: a technique in which radioactive dye in injected into a vein, so that images of the body can be recorded to detect the cancerous tissue. The brain, bone, and liver are common sites scanned.
-O-
Oncologist: a physician who specializes in treating cancer.
Oncology: the science dealing with the physical, chemical and biologic properties and features of cancer.
Ommaya reservoir: a device implanted in the ventricle of the brain through which chemotherapy is administered.
-P-
Palliative treatment: therapy that relieves symptoms such as pain, but does not alter the course of the disease.
Peristalsis: progressive contraction and relaxation of the intestines.
Primary site: the site in the body where cancer originated.
Prognosis: a prediction of the course of the disease.
Prosthesis: an artificial substitute for a missing body part.
-Q-
-R-
Radiotherapy: local treatment of cancer with high-energy x-rays (radiation). The radiation may come from outside the body or placed inside the body as close as possible to the cancer.
Radiation/portal field: the area of the body designated to receive radiotherapy; usually marked with ink or a tattoo.
Remission: disappearance of the signs and symptoms of cancer. It can be permanent or temporary.
Right atrial catheter or central venous catheter: a tube stitched into the vein through which medications and other solutions are given; it remains in place until it is not needed.
-S-
Sarcoma: a form of cancer that arises in the supportive tissues such as bone, cartilage, fat, or muscle.
Staging: an evaluation of the extent of cancer using exams or tests, which provides the basis for making treatment recommendations.
Stomatitis: inflammation and/or sores of the oral mucous membrane resulting from chemotherapy or radiation to the head and neck regions (also known as mucositis).
Subcutaneous venous access disk: a device implanted under the skin through which chemotherapy, IV fluids, and blood may be given. It is sometimes called an "implanted port."
-T-
Tumor: an abnormal tissue swelling or mass that may be either benign or malignant (cancer).
Thrombocytopenia: low platelet count, which creates high risk for bleeding.
-U-
-V-
-W-
-X-
-Y-
-Z-
Adapted from publications of the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute.
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