Cancer terms

Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by out-of-control cell growth. There are over 100 different types of cancer, and each is classified by the type of cell that is initially affected. This overview aims to introduce the fundamental concepts of oncology, the study of cancer, and its various manifestations within the human body.

Introduction to oncology

Oncology is the branch of medicine that specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and research of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an oncologist. The field encompasses medical oncology (the use of chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and other drugs to treat cancer), radiation oncology (the use of radiation therapy to treat cancer), and surgical oncology (the use of surgery and other procedures to treat cancer).

Cancer pathophysiology

The underlying pathophysiology of cancer involves a series of genetic mutations that lead to uncontrolled cellular proliferation and tumor formation. These mutations may be inherited or acquired, and they disrupt normal cell processes like apoptosis (programmed cell death), repair mechanisms, and cellular growth.

Classification of cancers

Cancers are classified into five main groups:

• Carcinomas: cancer that arises from epithelial cells.
• Sarcomas: cancer that arises from connective tissue.
• Lymphomas and leukemias: cancers that arise from hematopoietic (blood-forming) cells.
• Germ cell tumors: cancers that arise from pluripotent cells.
• Blastomas: cancers that arise from immature "Precursor" cells or embryonic tissue.

Cancer treatment

The treatment of cancer involves various modalities including Surgery, Chemotherapy, Radiation therapy, Immunotherapy, and more advanced personalized medicine approaches like Targeted therapy and Hormone therapy.

glossary of common cancer terms

This glossary contains definitions for the most common terms used in the field of oncology.

A

• Adenocarcinoma

a type of Carcinoma that originates in glandular tissue.

B

• Biopsy

a diagnostic procedure that involves the extraction of sample cells or tissues for examination to determine the presence or extent of a disease.

C

• Chemotherapy

treatment with drugs that kill cancer cells or inhibit their growth.

• Cytotoxic

agents that are toxic to cells, preventing their replication or growth, and often used in cancer treatment.

D

• Dna mutation

a change to the dna sequence within a cell's genome.

E

• Epigenetics

the study of heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve changes to the underlying dna sequence.

F

• Fibrosarcoma

a malignant tumor derived from fibrous connective tissue.

G

• Genome

the complete set of genes or genetic material present in a cell or organism.

H

• Hematology

the branch of medicine concerned with the study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to blood.

• Hyperplasia

an increase in the number of cells in an organ or tissue, which may lead to cancer.

I

• Immunotherapy

treatment that uses certain parts of a person’s immune system to fight diseases such as cancer.

L

• Lymphoma

a group of blood cell tumors that develop from lymphatic cells.

M

• Metastasis

the spread of cancer cells from the place where they first formed to another part of the body.

N

• Neoadjuvant therapy

treatment given as a first step to shrink a tumor before the main treatment.

O

• Oncogene

a gene that has the potential to cause cancer.

P

• Palliative care

specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses, focused on providing relief from symptoms and stress.

R

• Radiation therapy

treatment with high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.

S

• Stem cell transplant

a procedure that restores blood-forming stem cells in patients who have had theirs destroyed by the very high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy that are used to treat certain cancers.

T

• Tumor marker

substances often found in higher than normal amounts in the blood, urine, or body tissues of some people with cancer.

External links

• NCI dictionary of cancer terms

Cancer Terms A - Z

Cancer encompasses a broad spectrum of diseases with varied manifestations, terminologies, and implications for treatment. The terminology associated with oncology is extensive, reflecting the complexity and specificity of the field. Below is a curated list of terms that are pivotal to the understanding of cancer. This compilation is by no means comprehensive, as the lexicon of cancer terms is vast, encompassing thousands of specialized items. To explore specific cancer-related terms, please select from the alphabetized list below.

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 | #

• Also see cancer drugs