Glossary
- Acupuncture
- a procedure used in or adapted from Chinese medical practice in which specific body areas are pierced with fine needles for therapeutic purposes or to relieve pain and open energy flow
- Alopecia
- hair loss
- Cancer
- a category of diseases involving the overgrowth or irregular growth of cells into lumps called tumors
- Cancer recurrence
- when cancer comes back after successful treatment
- Carcinoma in situ
- a stage of cancer in which the disease is confined to a tumor
- Caregiver
- a person who looks after and helps treat a patient with cancer, such as a healthcare provider, family member, or friend
- Chemotherapy
- medicine used to treat or control cancer cells by interfering with their growth or preventing their reproduction; although chemotherapy is significantly improving the survival rates of patients with cancer, side effects, such as fatigue, often accompany this treatment
- Chromosomes
- structures that make up DNA; human cells have 23 pairs of chromosomes
- Chronic
- a disease or side effect that may be mild or severe and is present for long periods of time
- Clinical trials
- studies conducted to test new methods for diagnosing, treating, and preventing diseases, such as cancer
- Complementary and integrative therapies
- nontraditional ways of treating cancer, such as massages, special diets, and acupuncture
- Cognitive dysfunction
- difficulty concentrating
- End-of-life care
- treatment that helps a patient enjoy the rest of his or her life when the disease is no longer manageable
- Genetic testing
- studying a patient's DNA and disease history to determine whether his or her family members also are at risk
- Hereditary
- passed down from a parent to a child through DNA
- Inflammation
- a basic way in which the body reacts to infection, irritation, or other injury; key features are redness, warmth, swelling, and pain
- Late effects
- side effects that can occur five years or more after cancer treatments
- Liquid tumors
- cancer cells that do not form solid lumps, such as in blood cancer (leukemia)
- Locally advanced
- cancer that has spread from its original location to nearby organs or tissues
- Malignant
- cancerous
- Managed
- controlling or reducing a disease or side effect, even if it cannot be cured completely
- Metastasize
- spreading to other parts of the body
- Oncogene
- a gene that causes cancer
- Osteoporosis
- problems or weakness in the bones and joints
- Palliative care
- treatment with the goal of relieving the side effects of an illness rather than curing it
- Prognosis
- the likely outcome of an illness as determined by a healthcare provider
- Quality of life
- a patient's ability to enjoy normal life activities
- Radiation therapy
- the use of high-energy radiation from x-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, and other sources to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors
- Reconstructive surgery
- medical procedures that restore a part of the body to a healthy appearance and function, such as repairing a breast after breast cancer treatment
- Side effect or symptom
- an unwanted and often painful result of cancer or cancer treatment, including fatigue, depression, nausea, and many others
- Solid tumors
- growths of cancer cells that form lumps, such as in breast, lung, prostate, and skin cancer
- Surgery
- medical procedures that involve cutting the body open to remove a tumor or repair an injury
- Surveillance
- watching a patient to see if disease recurs or progresses
- Tumors
- abnormal growths of cells that appear as lumps that may be malignant (cancerous) or benign (not cancerous)
- Watchful waiting
- when a healthcare provider monitors a patient's condition over time before deciding how to treat the illness
