Adjuvant Chemotherapy: Anticancer drugs or hormones given after surgery and/or radiation to help prevent the cancer from coming back.
Adjuvant Therapy: Therapy that supports or enhances an additional form of therapy in the treatment of disease, such as surgical therapy in addition to chemotherapy.
Alopecia: hair loss. Alopecia can occur anywhere on the body, including the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, face, and pubic area. Hair loss can be complete (all hair is lost) or partial (only some hair is lost).
Analgesic: A medication that relieves pain.
Anemia: a decrease in the number of red blood cells, the size of red blood cells, or the amount of hemoglobin in the blood. This lowers the amount of oxygen that the blood can carry. Patients with anemia may have fatigue, weakness and shortness of breath.
Anorexia: loss of appetite for food, lack of appetite for food, or a decrease in appetite for food.
Antiemetic: A medication that prevents or reduces nausea and vomiting, such as Kytril or granisetron.
Biological Therapy: Treatment to stimulate or restore the ability of the immune system to fight infection and disease. Also called immunotherapy.
Biopsy: The surgical removal of a small amount of tissue for microscopic examination in order to determine whether cancer cells or a disease is present.
Bleeding: loss of blood from an injury or cut.
Blood Cell Count: The number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in a blood sample. This may also be called a complete blood cell count (CBC).
Bone Marrow Aspiration or Bone Marrow Biopsy: The procedure where a needle is inserted into a bone (usually back of the hip) to take out a sample of marrow. By examining the marrow under a microscope, blood diseases can be diagnosed.
Cachexia: severe malnutrition that causes poor health, thinness, and weakness.
Constipation: passing fewer bowel movements than normal. “Normal” varies from person to person; it could mean 3 bowel movements every day or only 3 bowel movements a week. Stool may also be hard, dry, and difficult to pass.
Colony-Stimulating Factors (CSF): Medications that stimulate the production of blood cells. Treatment with CSFs can help the blood-forming tissue recover from the effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. These include granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSF) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factors (GM-CSF).
Diarrhea: passing more bowel movements than normal (usually more than 3 loose stools a day), passing very loose bowel movements or passing watery bowel movements.
Dysphagia: trouble swallowing food, liquid, or saliva; or painful swallowing.
Diuretics: Drugs that help the body get rid of excess water and salt.
Dyspnea: trouble breathing or shortness of breath.
Dysuria: trouble urinating or painful urination.
Edema: The swelling or accumulation of fluid in part of the body.
Erythema: Redness of skin.
Fatigue: tiredness that lasts longer than usual, is worse than usual, and does not go away with sleep. People with fatigue may feel more tired than usual, get tired more quickly from normal activities, or always feel tired.
Flu-like symptoms: fever, chills, muscle aches, headache, weakness or tiredness, and nausea or poor appetite. Usually, several of these symptoms occur at the same time.
Gastrointestinal: A term referring to the digestive tract, which includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, and intestines.
Genitourinary Tract: Organs and parts of the body concerned with the kidneys, urinary bladder and reproductive system.
Granulocyte: A type of white blood cell that kills bacteria.
Hematocrit (HCT): The percentage of red blood cells in the body. A low hematocrit may mean the patient has anemia.
Hematopoetic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT): May also be called a bone marrow transplant (BMT). This is a medical procedure where a solution of marrow (looks like a blood transfusion) or stem cells is infused into a patient whose bone marrow can no longer make normal, healthy cells. Patients may receive a transplant from a relative or from an unrelated donor.
Hematology: The science that studies the formation and the diseases of blood.
Hematuria: Blood in the urine.
Hormones: Substances produced by the endocrine glands of the body. Hormones are released directly into the bloodstream and have a specific effect on cells and organs in the body, stimulating or turning off their growth.
Immunity: The body’s ability to fight infections and disease.
Immunosuppression: When the immune system is weakened and less able to fight infections and disease. Chemotherapy and certain infections can weaken the immune system.
Immunotherapy: The artificial stimulation of the body’s immune system to treat or fight infections. May also be used to fight cancer.
Infection: when “germs” – bacteria, fungi, protozoa, viruses – live and reproduce inside the body. These germs can come from inside the body or from outside sources. Infections can affect the entire body or can be localized (stay in one part of the body). Infections can be very mild and cause almost no symptoms. Or, infections can be very serious.
Infertility: reduced or lost ability to have children. This means a man may be unable to father a child. A woman might be unable to conceive (get pregnant) and carry a baby. Infertility may last for a short time or forever.
Infusion: Slow and/or prolonged intravenous delivery of a drug or fluids.
Injection: Using a syringe and needle to push fluids or drugs into the body; often called a “shot.”
Insomnia: trouble sleeping. This could be having trouble falling asleep, waking up in the night, or waking up too early in the morning.
Intravenous (IV): Injection or infusion of something into a vein.
Leukemia: Cancer of the blood where white blood cells are produced in excessive amounts, but the white blood cells produced do not work properly.
Leukocyte: A white blood cell.
Leukopenia: a decrease in the number of white blood cells in the blood below a certain level, usually below 5,000 cells/mm3. White blood cells help fight infection. ALSO SEE neutropenia.
Lumbar Puncture (LP): A diagnostic procedure to sample the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord (cerebrospinal fluid). A needle is inserted into the spinal canal at the lower end of the back and cerebrospinal fluid then flows out.
Lymphatic System: A general term that includes lymph, lymph nodes, and lymph vessels.
Lymph Nodes: Hundreds of small oval bodies scattered throughout the body. They act as the first line of defense against infections and cancer.
Lymphoblast (also called blast): Poorly-differentiated (immature) blood cells. When blasts are present in excess, this may indicate the patient has leukemia.
Lymphocytes: White blood cells that kill viruses and defend against the invasion of foreign material.
Malignant Tumor: Cancer cells of the type that would spread to other parts of the body. This type of tumor needs treatment to halt the spread of tumor.
Metastasis: Tumor that has spread from the first (primary) cancer site to other sites in the body.
Mucositis: painful sores or swelling in the mouth and throat. ALSO SEE stomatitis.
Nausea: a sick or uncomfortable feeling in the stomach; often, the patient believes that they will vomit or that they need to vomit.
Neoplasm: A new growth of tissue or cells; a tumor that is usually malignant.
Neuropathy: a nerve problem where the nerves do not work properly.
Neutropenia: a decrease in the number of neutrophils in the blood. Neutrophils are special white blood cells that help fight infection. ALSO SEE leukopenia.
Oncology: The study of the treatment of cancer.
Palliative Care: Treatment and care that relieves pain and symptoms of disease but does not cure the disease or stop its progression. Palliative care can help people live more comfortably.
Palmar plantar erythrodysesthesia (also called hand-foot syndrome): an unpleasant or painful feeling in the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. The skin of the palms and soles turns red at the same time as these symptoms occur.
Paresthesia: a mild nerve problem where the patient feels tingling, prickling, or burning, even when they are not touching anything. ALSO SEE neuropathy.
Pathologic Fracture: A break in a bone usually caused by cancer or another disease.
Pathology: The study of disease by examination of tissues and body fluids.
PER OS (PO): Administration of a medication or substance by mouth; orally.
Peripheral neuropathy: a neuropathy that affects several nerves at the same time, usually in the fingers, hands, toes, or feet. Symptoms of tingling, burning, weakness, or numbness are common. Also, feeling may be lost in these areas; the patient may not be able to feel heat, cold, or pain.
Photosensitivity: being more sensitive than normal to light, including sunlight, sun lamps, tanning beds, or artificial lights. Skin may sunburn more easily or react to other types of radiation.
Phototoxicity: a severe reaction to light, including sunlight, sun lamps, tanning beds, or artificial lights. Patients may have symptoms of itching, blistering, or skin rashes.
Platelet (PLT): Small cells in the blood that are involved in clotting. Prognosis: The predicted outcome of the disease.
Prophylaxis: Prevention of disease.
Prosthesis: Artificial replacement of a missing body part.
Radiation Enhancement: a sunburn-type reaction that can occur when chemotherapy is given after radiation therapy, even if the patient does not go out into the sun. This reaction may occur when chemotherapy is given with radiation therapy or within 1 week after radiation therapy. ALSO SEE radiation recall.
Radiation Recall: a sunburn-type reaction that can occur when chemotherapy is given after radiation therapy, even if the patient does not go out into the sun. This reaction may occur when chemotherapy is given, weeks, or years after radiation therapy. ALSO SEE radiation enhancement.
Radiation Therapy: X-ray therapy that damages or kills cancer cells. Cancer treatment with radiation (high-energy rays).
Recurrence: The reappearance of a disease that had disappeared with earlier treatment.
Red Blood Cell: A small cell in the blood that brings oxygen to tissues and carries away carbon dioxide.
Regression: Shrinkage of cancer growth.
Relapse: The return of cancer after it had been controlled by treatment.
Remission: Complete or partial disappearance of a disease; the time when disease is under control.
Sarcoma: A malignant tumor of muscles or connective tissues such as bone and cartilage.
Staging: Determining the location and spread of cancer.
Sterility: permanent loss of the ability to have children. This means that a man can never father a child; a woman is not able to conceive (get pregnant) and carry a child.
Stomatitis: painful sores or swelling in the mouth and throat. Any area of the mouth or throat can be involved, including the lips, palate, gums, and tongue. ALSO SEE mucositis.
Systemic Disease: A disease that affects the whole body instead of one area only.
Thrombocytopenia: a decrease in the number of platelets in the blood. Platelets help stop bleeding.
Tumor: an abnormal growth of cells or tissues. Tumors may be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
Vomiting: a strong contraction of the stomach and trunk muscles that forces the stomach contents out through the mouth. Vomiting usually occurs without conscious thought and cannot be controlled by the patient.
White Blood Cell (WBC): A cell that is responsible for fighting infection or allergy-causing agents.
Xerostomia: very dry mouth or a decrease in the amount of saliva.