Cutting through all the medical jargon

Treatment, usually chemotherapy or radiotherapy, given after surgery.

Alopecia

Hair loss.

Benign

Non-cancerous tumours growing slowly in one place.

Biopsy

Examination of a sample of tissue from an area of the body where cancer is suspected. Sometimes a small sample is taken with a needle.

Bone marrow

The spongy inner part of large bones where blood cells are made.

Bronchoscopy

A test used to examine the inside of the lung.

Carcinogen

A substance that can cause, or help to cause, cancer.

Carcinoma

A cancer that arises from the lining of an organ or system, the most common cancers.

Chemotherapy

The treatment of disease with chemicals, such as cancer destroying (cytoxic) drugs. They can be given as tablets, by injection or by a drip .

Cytology

Microscopic study of individual body cells.

CT (Computed tomography) scan

Produces a cross-section image of the head and body.

Diagnosis

Identification of a disease in a person's body.

Endoscopy

Small fibre-optic tube passed into the lungs or the digestive system to look inside.

Histology

The study of tissues, used in diagnosis.

Hormone therapy

Treatment with hormones to control cancer growth, usually for cancer of the breast, prostate, thyroid and uterus (womb).

Isotope scan

A scan involving the injection of a very weak radioactive substance, which collects in the organ so it can be viewed more easily with a special camera.

Laryngectomy

Surgical removal of the larynx (voice box).

Lesion

Damage or change to the tissue, may or may not be cancer.

Lumpectomy

Removal of a lump.

Lymphangiogram

A special x-ray to display the lymphatic system.

Lymphatic system

The system of lymph nodes and the vessels or small tubes which connect them. Malignant Cancerous. Malignant tumours can invade and destroy surrounding tissue, and spread to other parts of the body.

Mammogram

X-ray of breast tissue which can detect breast cancer.

Mastectomy

The removal by surgery of all or part of the breast.

Metastasis

The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another through the lymphatic system or bloodstream.

Neoplasm A

nother name for a tumour; usually a cancer.

Oncology

A type of medicine dealing with the study of tumours that may or may not be malignant.

Palliative care

Palliative care concentrates on quality of life for the terminally-ill patient and their family. It focuses on the provision of pain relief and symptom control during illness.

Primary cancer

The place where cancer originally developed.

Prognosis

The predicted future course of an illness.

Radiographer

The person in the health care team who takes x-rays and scans.

Radiotherapy

The treatment of cancer by x-rays or gamma rays to destroy cancer. A dose of radiation is directed at a particular area of the body and may be carried out internally, under anaesthetic.

Secondaries

A site to which a cancer has spread, often through the blood stream.

Staging

Determining the extent of cancer in a person, using strict measures. It helps doctors to decide on best treatment.

Syringe drivers

A way of administering continuous small amounts of pain-killers or chemotherapy drugs under the skin, so avoiding frequent injections.

Systemic therapy

Use of treatments, like chemotherapy, which affect the whole body.

Terminal care

Care of a person in the last days or weeks before they die. The emphasis is on making the person free of pain as possible.

Terminal illness

Active and progressive illness which cannot be cured. Patient receives palliative care.

Tumour

A growth, formed out of a mass of cells, which can be either benign or malignant.

Ulcer

A sore that doesn't heal. Cancerous or non-cancerous.

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