Glossary of Terms

Glossary of cancer terminology Adaptive radiation therapy: Adaptive radiation therapy offers adaptive treatments for increased probability of tumor control under reduced or equivalent toxicity. Such adaptions can be based upon biological changes in target signatures (changes in metabolism, hypoxia, perfusion, replication) or simple alterations in the geometric placement/shape of the target and normal structures as the treatment is delivered.

Adjuvant therapy: A treatment method used in addition to the primary therapy. Radiation therapy often is used as an adjuvant to surgery.

Alopecia(al-oh-PEE-she-ah): Hair loss.

Anesthesia: Loss of feeling or sensation resulting from the use of certain drugs or gasses.

Antiemetic (an-tee-eh-MET-ik): A medicine to prevent or relieve nausea or vomiting.

Benign tumor: A growth that is not a cancer and does not spread to other parts of the body.

Biological therapy: Treatment by stimulation of the body's immune defense system.

Biopsy: The removal of a sample of tissue to see whether cancer cells are present.

Brachytherapy (BRAK-ee-THER-ah-pee): Internal radiation treatment achieved by implanting radioactive material directly into the tumor or very close to it. Sometimes called "internal radiation therapy."

Cancer: A general term for more than 100 diseases that have uncontrolled, abnormal growth of cells that can invade and destroy healthy tissues.

Catheter: A thin, flexible tube through which fluids enter or leave the body.

Chemotherapy: Treatment with anticancer drugs.

Dietitian (also registered dietician): A professional who plans diet programs for proper nutrition.

Dosimetrist (do-SIM-uh-trist) A person who plans and calculates the proper radiation dose for treatment.

Electron beam: A stream of particles that produces high-energy radiation to treat cancer.

External radiation: Radiation therapy that uses a machine located outside of the body to aim high-energy rays at cancer cells.

Fluoride: A chemical applied to the teeth to prevent tooth decay.

Gamma rays: High-energy rays that come from a radioactive source such as cobalt-60.

Gray: A measurement of absorbed radiation dose. 1 Gray = 100 rads.

High dose rate remote brachytherapy: A type of internal radiation in which each treatment is given in a few minutes while the radioactive source is in place. The source of radioactivity is removed between treatments.

Hyperfractionated radiation: Division of the total dose of radiation into smaller doses that are given more than once a day.

Hyperthermia: Hyperthermia (hyperpyrexia), in its advanced state referred to as heat stroke or sunstroke, is an acute condition which occurs when the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate. It is usually due to excessive exposure to heat. The heat-regulating mechanisms of the body eventually become overwhelmed and unable to effectively deal with the heat, and body temperature climbs uncontrollably. This is a serious medical emergency that requires immediate attention. Hyperthermia can be created artificially by drugs or medical devices. In these instances it may be used to treat cancer and other conditions. Malignant hyperthermia is a rare complication of some types of general anesthesia. Hyperthermia is the opposite of hypothermia. Because the words sound alike, they are easily confused.

Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT): The process of imaging the location of the patient's organ/tumor on a daily basis and comparing the tumor's current location to the location the organ/tumor was on the day the CT for the radiation treatment plan was completed.

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT): A type of conformal radiation, which shapes radiation beams to closely approximate the shape of the tumor. The intensity of the radiation in IMRT can be changed during treatment to spare adjoining normal tissue than is spared during conventional radiation therapy.

Implant: A small container of radioactive material placed in or near a cancer.

Internal radiation: A type of therapy in which a radioactive substance is implanted into or close to the area needing treatment.

Interstitial radiation: A radioactive source (implant) placed directly into the tissue (not in a body cavity).

Intracavitary radiation: A radioactive source (implant) placed in a body cavity such as the chest cavity or the vagina.

Intraoperative radiation: A type of external radiation used to deliver a large dose of radiation therapy to the tumor bed and surrounding tissue at the time of surgery.

Linear accelerator: A machine that creates high-energy radiation to treat cancers, using electricity to form a stream of fast-moving subatomic particles. Also called mega-voltage (MeV) linear accelerator or a linac.

Malignant: Cancerous (see cancer).

Medical oncologist: A doctor who specializes in using chemotherapy to treat cancer.

Metastasis: The spread of a cancer from one part of the body to another. Cells in the second tumor are like those in the original tumor.

Oncologist: A doctor who specializes in treating cancer.

Palliative care: Treatment to relieve, rather than cure, symptoms caused by cancer. Palliative care can help people live more comfortably.

Physical therapist: A health professional trained in the use of treatments such as exercise and massage.

Platelets: Special blood cells that help stop bleeding.

Prosthesis: An artificial replacement of a part of the body.

Radiation: Energy carried by waves or a steam of particles.

Radiation oncologist: A doctor who specializes in using radiation to treat cancer.

Radiation physicist: A person trained to ensure that the radiation machine delivers the right amount of radiation to the treatment site.

Radiation therapist: A person with special training who runs the equipment that delivers the radiation.

Radiation therapy: The use of high-energy penetrating rays or subatomic particles to treat disease. Types of radiation include X-ray, electron beam, alpha and beta particles, and gamma rays. Radioactive substances include cobalt, radium, iridium, and cesium. (See also gamma rays, brachytherapy, teletherapy, and X-ray.)

Radiologist: A physician with special training in reading diagnostic x-rays and performing specialized X-ray procedures.

Radiotherapy: See radiation therapy.

Remote brachytherapy: See high dose rate remote brachytherapy.

Simulation: A process involving special x-ray pictures that are used to plan radiation treatment so that the area to be treated is precisely located and marked.

Teletherapy: Treatment in which the radiation source is at a distance from the body. Linear accelerators and cobalt machines are used in teletherapy.

Treatment port or field: The place on the body at which the radiation beam is aimed.

Tumor: An abnormal mass of tissue. Tumors are either benign or malignant.

Unsealed internal radiation therapy: Internal radiation therapy given by injecting a radioactive substance into the bloodstream or a body cavity. This substance is not sealed in a container.

White blood cells: The blood cells that fight infection.

X-ray: High-energy radiation that can be used at low levels to diagnose disease or at high levels to treat cancer.

Complementary medicine terms

Acupuncture: The practice of inserting needles into the body to reduce pain or induce anesthesia. More broadly, acupuncture is a family of procedures involving the stimulation of anatomical locations on or in the skin by a variety of techniques. There are a number of different approaches to diagnosis and treatment in American acupuncture that incorporate medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries. The most thoroughly studied mechanism of stimulation of acupuncture points employs penetration of the skin by thin, solid, metallic needles, which are manipulated manually or by electrical stimulation.

Alexander technique: A process that teaches how to properly coordinate body and mind to release harmful tension and to improve posture, coordination and general health. The technique is named for the Australian Frederick Matthias Alexander (1869-1955) who developed it. An actor, Alexander began his career as a Shakespearean orator. He developed chronic laryngitis while performing. Determined to restore the full use of his voice, he carefully watched himself while speaking, and observed that undue muscular tension accounted for his vocal problem. He sought a way to eliminate that restriction. Over time, he discovered and articulated a principle that he believed profoundly influenced health and well-being: when neck tension is reduced, the head no longer compresses the spine and the spine is free to lengthen. Alexander restored his own natural capacity for ease by changing the way he thought while initiating an action. From this work on himself and others, he evolved a hands-on teaching method that encouraged all the body's processes to work more efficiently -- as an integrated, dynamic whole. Today the Alexander technique is usually considered to be within the context of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

Alternative medicine: Practices used instead of standard medical treatments. Alternative medicine is distinct from complementary medicine which is meant to accompany, not to replace, standard medical practices. Alternative medical practices are generally not recognized by the medical community as standard or conventional medical approaches.

Aromatherapy: A form of alternative medicine based on the use of very concentrated "essential" oils from the flowers, leaves, bark, branches, rind or roots of plants with purported healing properties.

Ayurveda: India's traditional, natural system of medicine that has been practiced for more than 5,000 years. Ayurveda provides an integrated approach to preventing and treating illness through lifestyle interventions and natural therapies. Ayurvedic theory states that all disease begins with an imbalance or stress in the individual's consciousness. Lifestyle interventions are a major ayurvedic preventive and therapeutic approach.

Biofeedback: A method of treatment that uses monitors to feed back to patients physiological information of which they are normally unaware. By watching the monitor, patients can learn by trial and error to adjust their thinking and other mental processes in order to control "involuntary" bodily processes such as blood pressure, temperature, gastrointestinal functioning, and brain wave activity.

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, in some cases, to metastasize (spread).

Cartilage: Firm, rubbery tissue that cushions bones at joints. A more flexible kind of cartilage connects muscles with bones and makes up other parts of the body, such as the larynx and the outside parts of the ears.

Chemotherapy: In the original sense, a chemical that binds to and specifically kills microbes or tumor cells. The term chemotherapy was coined in this regard by Paul Ehrlich (1854-1915). In oncology, drug therapy for cancer. Also called "chemo" for short.

Chiropractic: A system of diagnosis and treatment based on the concept that the nervous system coordinates all of the body's functions, and that disease results from a lack of normal nerve function. Chiropractic employs manipulation and adjustment of body structures, such as the spinal column, so that pressure on nerves coming from the spinal cord due to displacement (subluxation) of a vertebral body may be relieved. Practitioners believe that misalignment and nerve pressure can cause problems not only in the local area, but also at some distance from it. Chiropractic treatment appears to be effective for muscle spasms of the back and neck, tension headaches, and some sorts of leg pain. It may or may not be useful for other ailments.

Complementary medicine: A group of diagnostic and therapeutic disciplines that are used together with conventional medicine. An example of a complementary therapy is using aromatherapy to help lessen a patient's

Conventional medicine: Medicine as practiced by holders of MD (medical doctor) or DO (doctor of osteopathy) degrees and by their allied health professionals, such as physical therapists, psychologists, and registered nurses. Other terms for conventional medicine include allopathy and allopathic medicine; Western medicine, mainstream medicine, orthodox medicine, and regular medicine; and biomedicine.

Health: As officially defined by the World Health Organization, a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Herbalism: The practice of making or prescribing herbal remedies for medical conditions. Practitioners of herbalism may be licensed MDs, naturopaths or osteopaths. They may also be unlicensed. Interested consumers should seek out knowledgeable, and preferably licensed, herbalists.

Homeopathy: A system of therapy based on the concept that disease can be treated with drugs (in minute doses) thought capable of producing the same symptoms in healthy people as the disease itself.

Hypnosis: A part of healing from ancient times. The induction of trance states and the use of therapeutic suggestion were a central feature of the early Greek healing temples, and variations of these techniques were practiced throughout the ancient world.

Magnet therapy: An alternative therapy in which magnetic fields are administered by application of magnets to certain parts of the body, by magnetic field-generating machines, or by magnetic mattresses or blankets. Magnet therapy has been promoted to diagnose and/or treat arthritis , cancer , circulatory disorders, diabetic neuropathy (nerve disease), fibromyalgia, HIV/AIDS, immune dysfunction, infection, inflammation, insomnia, multiple sclerosis, muscle pain, neuropathy, pain, rheumatoid arthritis, sciatica, stress and to increase energy and prolong life, There is no convincing evidence that magnet therapy is useful in any of these regards. Body magnets are contraindicated in people having radiology, an MRI or wearing a cardiac pacemaker. Also known as biomagnetic therapy or electromagnetic field therapy.

Massage: The manipulation of muscle and connective tissue to enhance the function of those tissues and promote relaxation and well-being. Therapeutic massage can ease tension and reduce pain.

Meditation: A self-directed practice for relaxing the body and calming the mind. Most meditative techniques have come to the West from Eastern religious practices, particularly India, China, and Japan, but can be found in all cultures of the world. Until recently, the primary purpose of meditation has been religious, although its health benefits have long been recognized. It is now being further explored as a way of reducing stress on both mind and body.

Naturopathy: A system of therapy based on preventative care, and on the use of heat, water, light, air, and massage as primary therapies for disease. Some naturopaths use no medications, either pharmaceutical or herbal. Some recommend herbal remedies only. A few who are licensed to prescribe may recommend pharmaceuticals in those cases where they feel their use is warranted.

Nursing: 1) Profession concerned with the provision of services essential to the maintenance and restoration of health by attending the needs of sick persons. 2) Feeding a infant at the breast.

Qi gong: ("chee-GUNG") A component of traditional Chinese medicine that combines movement, meditation and regulation of breathing to enhance the flow of qi (an ancient term given to what is believed to be vital energy) in the body, improve blood circulation, and enhance immune function.

Radiation: 1. Rays of energy. Gamma rays and X-rays are two of the types of energy waves often used in medicine. 2. The use of energy waves to diagnose or treat disease.

Reiki: ("RAY-kee") A Japanese word representing Universal Life Energy. Reiki is based on the belief that when spiritual energy is channeled through a reiki practitioner, the patient's spirit is healed, which in turn heals the physical body.

Surgery: The word "surgery" has multiple meanings. It is the branch of medicine concerned with diseases and conditions which require or are amenable to operative procedures. Surgery is the work done by a surgeon. By analogy, the work of an editor wielding his pen as a scalpel is s form of surgery. A surgery in England (and some other countries) is a physician's or dentist's office.

Therapeutic: Relating to therapeutics, that part of medicine concerned specifically with the treatment of disease . The therapeutic dose of a drug is the amount needed to treat a disease.

Therapeutic touch: A practice derived from an ancient technique called laying on of hands. It is based on the premise that it is the healing force of the therapist that affects the patient's recovery; healing is promoted when the body's energies are in balance; and, by passing their hands over the patient, healers can identify energy imbalances.

Traditional Chinese medicine: The current name for an ancient system of health care from China. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is based on a concept of balanced qi (pronounced "chee"), or vital energy, that is believed to flow throughout the body. Qi is proposed to regulate a person's spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical balance and to be influenced by the opposing forces of yin (negative energy) and yang (positive energy). Disease is proposed to result from the flow of qi being disrupted and yin and yang becoming imbalanced. Among the components of TCM are herbal and nutritional therapy, restorative physical exercises, meditation, acupuncture, and remedial massage.

Vitamins: The word "vitamin" was coined in 1911 by the Warsaw-born biochemist Casimir Funk (1884-1967). At the Lister Institute in London, Funk isolated a substance that prevented nerve inflammation (neuritis) in chickens raised on a diet deficient in that substance. He named the substance "vitamine" because he believed it was necessary to life and it was a chemical amine. The "e" at the end was later removed when it was recognized that vitamins need not be amines.

Yoga: A way of life that includes ethical precepts, dietary prescriptions, and physical exercise. Its practitioners believe that their discipline has the capacity to alter mental and bodily responses normally thought to be far beyond a person's ability to modulate them. During the past 80 years, health professionals in India and the West have begun to investigate the therapeutic potential of yoga. To date, thousands of research studies have been undertaken and have shown that with the practice of yogic meditation a person can, indeed, learn to control such physiologic parameters as blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory function, metabolic rate, skin resistance, brain waves, body temperature, and many other bodily functions.