
Glossary of Terms
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
A
Adjuvant therapy – usually refers to chemotherapy or radiation treatment used after initial main treatment
Advanced cancer – describes stages of cancer when it has spread from the primary site to other parts of the body
Alveoli – air sacs in the lungs that enable blood/ oxygen exchange
Anaemia – shortage of red blood cells in the bloodstream, resulting in lack of oxygen reaching tissues and organs
Analysis – detailed examination in order to interpret or explain
Anaesthetic – a substance that induces insensitivity to pain
Asbestos – highly heat resistant fibrous silicate minerals used in the insulation, construction and textile industries
Asbestosis – A non-cancerous condition due to asbestos exposure, this results in severe fibrosis and break down of lung tissue
Ascites – fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity
Aspiration – fluid or discharge in a wound removed by using some form of drainage device(needle, syringe etc.)
B
Benign – a non cancerous tumour that will not spread through the body
Biopsy – sample of tissue removed to test for the presence of cancer cells
Bronchoscopy – a flexible lighted tube put down the trachea and into the bronchi to detect masses in the airways, at this point tissue can be removed to test for abnormal cells
C
Carcinogenic – a cancer causing substance
Carcinoma – malignant tissue
Chemotherapy – treatment using certain drugs to destroy cancer cells
Chronic bronchitis – increased mucus secretions caused by viral infections due to prolonged exposure to bronchial irritants
Complementary therapy – treatments or therapies used in addition to the standard treatment
Computed tomography(CT scan) – multiple x-ray images combined to form two dimensional cross-sectional images
Cordotomy – operation in the spinal cord
Cytoreductive – therapy for reducing the number of cells in a malignancy
D
Diaphragm – the muscle that separates the heart and lungs in the chest cavity from the abdomen
Dyspnea – shortness of breath
E
Edema – excessive accumulation of fluid causing swelling in organs and body tissue
Emphysema – chronic disease of the lungs in which alveoli (air sacs) have been destroyed by disease
Epidural – on or around the spinal cord
F, G, H
Fibrosis – thickening and scarring of connective tissue tissue
Gene therapy – normal genes used to replace defective genes
Hemoptysis – blood being coughed up that has been secreted into the respiratory tract due to bleeding
Hypertension – high blood pressure
I, J, K
Imaging – methods used to take pictures inside the body (CT scans, x-rays, MRI scans)
Immunotherapy – stimulation of the bodies own immune system to treat diseases such as cancer
Infusion – fluid introduced into a vein
Intraperitoneally – chemotherapy treatments or medicines administered directly into the abdominal cavity
Intrapleurally – chemotherapy treatments or medicines administered directly into the chest cavity
Intravenous – into or within a vein
Invasive cancer – cancer that has spread from its original point into other organs and tissues
L
Laparoscopy – procedure for inspecting the abdominal cavity using a laparoscope
Latency period – time from exposure to asbestos or other foreign substances to development and onset of disease
Lymph nodes – rounded mass of lymphoid tissue that occur all along the lymphatic vessels (neck, groin, armpits etc.) they filter bacteria and foreign materials out and expose them to lymphocytes that engulf them and in most destroy them. sometimes cancer cells are trapped in lymph nodes and can cause secondary tumours which have to be removed by the removal of the lymph node
M, N
Malignant – cancerous growth or tumour that will damage tissue /organs if not diagnosed and treated
Mediastinoscopy – a procedure to examine or remove samples of the lymph nodes found in the space between the lungs in the base of the neck
Mediastinum – space in the chest cavity behind the sternum and between the two pleural sacs containing the lungs
Membrane – a layer of tissue covering a surface, lining a cavity or dividing a space or organ
Mesothelioma – a terminal cancer of the cell membranes surrounding the lungs, abdomen and heart, that is caused by the exposure and ingestion of asbestos particles
Mesothelium – a thin membrane of cells covering several internal organs and cavities that secretes fluid in order to lubricate and aid movement
Metastasize – when cancerous cells invade healthy organs or tissue from other unrelated diseased parts of the body by way of the blood stream or lymphatics
MRI – magnetic resonance imaging, a scan using magnetic fields, radio waves and a computer to form images of areas of the body
O
Oncologist – specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer
P, Q
Palliative treatment – treatments and therapies that relieves pain, but does not expect to cure the cancer, only improve the quality of life for the patient
Paracentesis – surgical procedure to puncture the abdominal cavity to release peritoneal fluid
Pericardium – membrane sac containing the heart Pericardial effusion – fluid or blood in the pericardial sac Peritoneal mesothelioma – cancer of the lining of the abdomen
Peritoneum – membrane that surrounds abdominal cavity and some abdominal organs which lubricates the area
PET scan – positron emission tomography - after an injection of a very low dose of radioactive form of substance(glucose) the computer scans and computes the rate the tumour uses the sugar, this determines the size of the tumour
Pleura – membrane that surrounds the lungs and chest cavity
Pleura effusion – fluid accumulation in the lungs
Pleura mesothelioma – cancer of the membrane that lines the chest cavity and lungs
Pleura tap – small amount of fluid withdrawn for examination
Pluerectomy – operation to remove part of the abdomen or chest lining
Pneumoconiosis – fibrosis and scarring of the lungs due to the exposure and breathing in of irritants such as asbestos
Pneumonectomy – operation to remove all the infected lung
Prognosis – a forecast or probable course of the disease being diagnosed
R
Radiotherapy – treatment using high energy rays such as x-rays to shrink or kill the cancer cells
Resection – removal of part or all of organ or tissue
S
Sputum - combination of saliva and mucus coughed up from the respiratory tract
Staging – the process to gauge the spread of the cancer and how far
T
Thoracocentesis – a procedure to remove fluid from the chest cavity using a hollow needle for diagnosis or to relieve pain
Thoracotomy – a procedure to open the chest cavity by making an incision
Tumour – abnormal growth of tissue that can be benign or malignant
Ultrasound – exposing part of the body to high frequency sound waves to produce pictures of the inside of the body