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121 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Adenocarcinoma
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Cancerous tumor of glandular tissue.
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Adjuvant therapy
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Treatment of disease with substances that assist or enhance the action of primary treatment.
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Alkylating agents
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Synthetic chemicals used in treatment of cancer. They interfere with DNA synthesis and cell division to prevent cancer cells from increasing in number.
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Alopecia
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Partial or complete lack of hair.
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Alveolar
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Pertaining to a small sac or alveolus.
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Anaplasia
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Loss of differentiation of cells and reversion to a more primitive, unspecialized cell type.
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Angiogenesis
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Process of forming new blood vessels.
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Antibiotics
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Chemical substances produced by bacteria or primitive plants; inhibit the growth of cells and are used in treatment of cancer and infectious disease.
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Antimetabolites
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Chemicals that prevent cell division by inhibiting formation of substances necessary to make DNA; used in cancer treatment.
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Antimitotics
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Drugs that block mitosis (cell division); used to treat cancer.
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Apoptosis
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Programmed cell death.
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Benign tumor
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Noncancerous growth.
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Biologic response modifiers
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Substances produced by normal cells that block tumor growth or stimulate the immune system to fight cancer.
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Biologic therapy Use of the body’s own defenses to fight tumor cells.
Biologic therapy Use of the body’s own defenses to fight tumor cells. Biologic therapy Use of the body’s own defenses to fight tumor cells. Biologic therapy |
Use of the body’s own defenses to fight tumor cells.
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Bone marrow biopsy
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Small amount of bone marrow tissue is removed (aspirated) and examined under a microscope for evidence of malignancy.
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Bone marrow transplant
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Bone marrow tissue is infused intravenously into a patient.
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Brachytherapy
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Placement of radioactive material (small sealed containers) in contact with or implanted into tumor tissue.
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Cachexia
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General ill health (muscle wasting and weight loss) associated with severe, chronic disease, such as cancer.
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Carcinogen
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Substance that produces cancer.
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Carcinoma
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Cancerous tumor.
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Carcinoma in situ
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Localized cancer, confined to its site of origin.
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Cauterization
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Process of burning tissue to destroy it.
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Cellular oncogenes
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Pieces of DNA that, when broken or dislocated, can cause a normal cell to become malignant.
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Chemotherapy
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Treatment with drugs.
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Combination chemotherapy
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Use of several chemotherapeutic agents together for treatment of tumors.
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Cryosurgery
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Use of subfreezing temperature to destroy tissue.
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Cystic tumor
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A cystic tumor forms large open spaces filled with fluid.
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Dedifferentiation
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Loss of differentiation of cells; reversion to a more primitive, embryonic cell type.
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Deoxyribonucleic acid
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Genetic material within the nucleus of a cell; controls cell division and protein synthesis.
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Differentiating agents
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Drugs that promote tumor cells to differentiate, stop growing and die.
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Differentiation
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Specialization of cells; unspecialized cells are modified and altered to form specific and characteristic types and functions.
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Dysplastic
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Pertaining to abnormal formation or development of cells; not clearly malignant.
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Electron beams
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Low-energy beams of radiation for treatment of skin or surface tumors.
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En bloc resection
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Removal of a tumor with a large area of surrounding tissue containing lymph nodes.
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Encapsulated
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Surrounded by a capsule; benign tumors are encapsulated.
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Epidermoid
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Resembling epidermis or the outer layer of skin. Epidermoid tumors are composed of thin, plate-like cells.
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Excisional biopsy
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Removal of tumor and a margin of normal tissue.
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Exenteration
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Wide resection involving removal of the tumor, its organ of origin, and all surrounding tissue in the body space.
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Exfoliative cytology
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Cells are scraped from a region of suspected disease and examined under the microscope.
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External beam radiation
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Radiation applied to a tumor from a distant source, such a machine (linear accelerator).
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Fiberoptic colonoscopy
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Visual examination of the colon using a fiberoptic instrument (endoscope).
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Fibrosarcoma
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Malignant tumor of fibrous or connective tissue.
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Fibrosis
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Abnormal condition (proliferation) of fibrous connective tissue; occurring in the lung as a side effect of radiation for lung cancer.
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Follicular
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Pertaining to forming small, glandular sacs.
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Fractionation
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Method of administering radiation treatment in small, repeated doses rather than in a few large doses.
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Fulguration
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Destruction of tissue by electric sparks generated by a high-frequency current.
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Fungating tumor
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Gross description of tumor growth in which cells pile one on top of another and project from the tissue surface.
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Genetic screening
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Family members are tested to determine whether they have inherited a cancer-causing gene.
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Grading of tumors
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Evaluating the microscopic appearance of tumor cells to determine their degree of differentiation or maturity and thus malignant transformation.
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Gray
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Unit of absorbed radiation dose.
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Gross description of tumors
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Visual appearance of tumors, such as cystic, fungating, inflammatory, medullary, necrotic, polypoid, ulcerating and verrucous.
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Hyperplasia
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Increased growth in numbers of normal cells.
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Incisional biopsy
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Piece of tumor is removed for examination to establish a diagnosis.
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Infiltrative
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Pertaining to extending beyond normal tissue boundaries.
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Invasive
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Having the ability to enter and destroy surrounding tissue.
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Irradiation
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Exposure to any form of radiant energy such as light, heat or x-rays.
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Laparoscopy
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Visual examination of the abdominal cavity using small incisions and a laparoscope (endoscope).
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Linear accelerator
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Device that produces high-energy x-ray (photon) beams for treatment of deep-seated tumors.
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Malignant tumor
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Cancerous tumor.
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Mammography
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X-ray examination of the breast.
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Medullary tumor
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Large, fleshy tumors.
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Mesenchymal
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Pertaining to embryonic connective tissue from which all connective tissues arise. Sarcomas are tumors of connective tissues that arise originally from mesenchymal cells.
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Metaplasia
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Conversion of normal cells into a less differentiated type in response to chronic stress or injury.
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Metastasis
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Spread of a cancerous tumor to another site (change of place) or secondary location (meta- = change, -stasis = place or control).
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Microscopic description of tumors
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Appearance of tumors as viewed under the microscope. Examples are alveolar, carcinoma in situ, dysplastic, epidermoid, follicular tumors.
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Mitosis
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Cell division or replication of cells; creation of two identical daughter cells from a parent cell.
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Mixed tissue tumors
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Tumors composed of different types of tissue (epithelial as well as connective tissues).
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Modality
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Method of treatment.
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Molecularly targeted drugs
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Anticancer drugs designed to block the function of growth factors, their receptors, and signaling pathways in specific tumor cells.
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Morbidity
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Damage to normal tissue or the state of being diseased.
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Mucinous
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Pertaining to cystic tumors filled with mucus.
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Mucositis
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Inflammation of mucous membranes; often a side effect of radiation therapy or chemotherapy.
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Mutagenic
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Pertaining to producing a mutation.
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Mutation
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Change in genetic material (DNA) of a cell.
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Myelosuppression
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Bone marrow depression or formation of blood cells (leukopenia, anemia and thrombocytopenia).
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Necrotic tumor
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Tumor that contains dead cells.
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Needle (core) biopsy
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Insertion of a needle into tissue to remove a core of cells to examine under a microscope; needle aspiration.
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Neoplasm
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New growth (tumor); benign or malignant tumor.
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Neuroblastoma
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Malignant childhood tumor originating in cells of the nervous system.
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Nucleotide
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Unit of DNA (gene) composed of a sugar, phosphate, and a base. The sequence of nucleotides composing a gene is the genetic code.
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Oncogene
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Region of DNA in tumor cells (cellular oncogene) or in viruses (viral oncogene) that cause cancer.
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Oncology
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Study of tumors (malignant tumors).
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Osteosarcoma
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Malignant tumor of bone.
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Palliative
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Relieving, but not curing symptoms.
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Papillary
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Pertaining to nipple-like projections. A papillary tumor forms microscopic nipple-like or finger-like projections of cells.
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Pedunculated
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Possessing a stem or stalk (peduncle).
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Pharmacokinetics
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Study of the distribution and removal of drugs in the body over a period of time.
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Photon therapy
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Radiation treatment using x-rays and gamma rays delivered to tumor tissue via a linear accelerator.
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Pleomorphic
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Pertaining to a variety of shapes or cell types.
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Pneumonitis
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Inflammation of the lungs.
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Polypoid tumor
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Resembling a polyp (benign growth that protrudes from a base.
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Protein marker tests
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Measurements of the level of specific proteins in the blood or on the surface of tumor cells; PSA, CA-125, alpha-fetoprotein are examples.
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Protocol
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Detailed plan for treatment of an illness.
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Proton therapy
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Subatomic particles (protons) produced by a cyclotron deposit absorbed dose of radiation at a finite, focused point in the body.
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Radiation
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Energy carried by a stream of particles.
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Radiocurable tumor
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Tumor cells that are destroyed with radiotherapy.
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Radionuclide scans
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Radioactive substances (radionuclides) are injected intravenously and scans (images) are taken of organs.
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Radioresistant tumor
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Tumor cells that require large doses of radiation to be destroyed.
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Radiosensitive tumor
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Tumor in which radiation can cause death of cells without damage to surrounding tissue.
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Radiosensitizers
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Drugs that increase the sensitivity of tumor cells to x-rays.
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Radiotherapy
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Treatment of tumors using radiation; radiation oncology.
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Relapse
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Return of symptoms of disease.
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Remission
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Partial or complete disappearance of symptoms of disease.
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Retinoblastoma
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Malignant tumor of the retina of the eye; childhood malignancy.
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Ribonucleic acid
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Cellular substance that, along with DNA, plays a role in protein synthesis.
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Sarcoma
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Cancerous tumor derived from connective or flesh tissue.
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Scirrhous
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Pertaining to hard, densely packed tumors, overgrown with fibrous tissue.
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Serous
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Pertaining to a clear fluid (serum) that remains after blood has clotted. Serous tumors are cystic tumors filled with a thin, water fluid, resembling serum.
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Sessile
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Type of polyp that extends from a broad base as opposed to growing on a stalk.
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Simulation
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Study prior to radiation therapy using CT scan or MRI to map treatment. It is required for all patients undergoing radiation therapy.
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Solid tumor
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Tumor composed of a mass of cells.
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Staging of tumors
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System of evaluating the extent of spread of tumors.
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Stem cell transplant
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Stem cells (immature blood cells) are harvested from the bloodstream of a patient and then reinfused after the patient has received chemotherapy.
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Stereotactic radiosurgery
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A single large dose of radiation delivered under stereotactic (highly precise) guidance to destroy a vascular abnormality or treat small intracranial tumors.
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Steroids
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Complex, naturally occurring chemicals, such as hormones, that are used in cancer chemotherapy.
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Teletherapy
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Radiation delivered to a tumor from a distant source, such as a linear accelerator or cyclotron.
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Ulcerating tumor
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Growth that has open, exposed surfaces resulting from death of overlying tissue.
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Verrucous tumor
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Tumor, whose growth pattern, resembles a wart.
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Viral oncogenes
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Pieces of DNA from viruses that infect a normal cell and cause it to become malignant.
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Virus
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Infectious agent that reproduces by entering a host cell and using the host’s genetic material to make copies of itself.
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Xerostomia
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Dryness of the mouth.
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