Medical Terms in the Field of Oncology

• Tumor: Any swelling, mass, or abnormal protrusion.
• Tumor: This is the medical term for cancer, meaning "new growth."
• Benign Tumor or Benign Tumors: A type of cancer that is unlikely to spread and is confined to one area of the body.
• Invasive or Metastatic Tumor: A tumor that has spread from one area of the body to another.
• Non-Invasive Tumor: A tumor that has not yet spread to another part of the body, but if left untreated, it has the potential to become aggressive and invade other organs.
• Dysplasia, In Situ Cancer: Non-invasive tumors where cells appear abnormal under the microscope.
• Carcinoma: Cancer that originates from skin cells and epithelial cells lining internal organs.
• Sarcoma: A type of cancer that begins in bones, cartilage, fat, muscles, blood vessels, and other supportive tissues.
• Leukemia: Blood cancer that originates in blood-forming tissues such as bone marrow, leading to excessive production of abnormal blood cells.
• Lymphoma and Myeloma: Cancers that arise in immune system cells.

Medical Terms/Definitions Related to Cancer Diagnosis and Disease:

• Screening: Any test performed routinely on healthy individuals to detect tumors before symptoms become evident. A good example of screening is mammography for breast cancer detection. These tests are usually non-invasive or minimally surgical to increase patient acceptance.
• Biopsy: A procedure in which a small sample is taken from an unknown growth, such as a mole, and analyzed in a laboratory under a microscope. There are several types of biopsy procedures, including fine needle aspiration, core biopsy, or excisional biopsy.
• Tumor Grade: Defined as how similar the tumor cells are to the surrounding tissue. Low-grade tumors closely resemble surrounding normal tissue, while high-grade tumors significantly differ. Intermediate grades fall between these extremes.
• Cancer Stage Classification: A number, usually between 0 and 4, that describes the aggressiveness of the tumor. Stage 4 cancer is advanced and has spread to distant organs, becoming resistant to treatment.
• Tumor Conversion: The progression of a tumor from a low-grade to a high-grade tumor.
• Aggressiveness: The likelihood of the cancer spreading to other organs. Less aggressive tumors spread slowly, while aggressive tumors tend to spread more rapidly.

Medical Terms/Definitions Related to Cancer Treatment:

• Remission: When a cancer patient shows no signs of cancer after treatment, it is said to be in remission. The patient is closely monitored with regular follow-ups to detect any recurrence.
• Cure: When 95% of treated patients remain alive within a specific period after diagnosis. For lymphoma, this period is 10 years.
• Protocol: The prescribed chemotherapy treatment regimen.
• Chemotherapy: The use of anti-cancer drugs to treat cancer.
• Treatment Cycle: Chemotherapy drugs are often given in a repeated schedule in the same order, known as treatment cycles.
• Radiotherapy: The use of high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells. Radiation damages the DNA of cancer cells in a way that cannot be repaired, causing cell death.
• Adjuvant Therapy: Any treatment given alongside chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
• Neoadjuvant Therapy: Similar to adjuvant therapy but given before surgery to reduce the cancer cell burden.
• Palliative Care: Symptom relief provided to patients with advanced cancers to improve their quality of life.