Chapter 19: Cancer Medicine (Oncology): Vocabulary Flashcards
adjuvant chemotherapy
Drugs are given after primary therapy (surgery or radiation)
alkylating agents
Chemotherapeutic synthetic drugs that cause crosslinks and breaks in DNA to stop cells from dividing
anaplasia
Loss of differentiation of cells; reversion to a more primitive cell type
antibiotics
Chemotherapeutic drugs found in bacteria and fungi, which cause breaks in DNA strands to inhibit cell division
antimetabolites
Chemotherapeutic agents that block the synthesis of DNA components (nucleotides) and prevent cells from dividing
antimitotics
Chemotherapeutic chemicals that block the function of a protein necessary for mitosis
apoptosis
Programmed cell death
Normal cells undergo apoptosis when damaged or aging. Some cancer cells have lost the ability to undergo apoptosis, and they live forever
benign tumor
Noncancerous growth (neoplasm)
brachytherapy
Radiotherapy that uses insertion of sealed containers into body cavities or radioactive seeds directly into the tumor
carcinogens
Agents that cause cancer: chemicals and drugs, radiation, and viruses
chemotherapy
Treatment with drugs
combination chemotherapy
Use of several chemotherapeutic agents together for the treatment of tumors
dedifferentiation
Loss of differentiation of cells; reversion to a more primitive, embryonic cell type; anaplasia or undifferentiation
deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
Genetic material within the nucleus of a cell; controls cell division and protein synthesis
differentiatino
Specialization of cells
electron beams
Low-energy beams of radiation for treatment of skin or surface tumors
encapsulated
Surrounded by a capsule; benign tumors are encapsulated
external beam irradiation
Radiation is applied to a tumor from a source outside the body
fields
Dimensions of the area of the body undergoing radiation
fractionation
Giving radiation in small, repeated doses
genetic screening
Patients and family members are tested to determine whether they have inherited a cancer-causing gene
grading of tumors
Evaluating the degree of maturity of tumor cells or degree of differentiation
gray
Unit of absorbed radiation dose
gross description of tumors
Visual appearance of tumors to the naked eye
- cystic
- fungating
- inflammatory
- medullary
- necrotic
- polypoid
- ulcerating
- verrucous
immunotherapy
Cancer treatment using immune cells and antibodies to kill tumor cells
infiltrative
Having the ability to enter and destroy surrounding tissue
invasive
Having the ability to enter and destroy surrounding tissue
irradiation
Exposure to any form of radiant energy such as light, heat, or x-rays
linear accelerator
Large electronic device that produces high-energy x-ray beams for treatment of deep-seated tumors
malignant tumor
Tumor having the characteristics of continuous growth, invasiveness, and metastasis
mesenchymal
Embryonic connective tissue
This is the tissue from which connective tissues (bone, muscle, fat, cartilage, and blood cells) arise
metastasis
Spread of a malignant tumor to a secondary site
microscopic description of tumors
Appearance of tumors when viewed under a microscope
- alveolar
- carcinoma in situ
- diffuse
- dysplastic
- epidermoid
- follicular
- papillary
- pleomorphic
- scirrhous
- undifferentiated
mitosis
Replication of cells; a stage in a cell’s life cycle involving production of two identical cells from a parent cell
mixed-tissue tumors
Tumors composed of different types of tissue (epithelial as well as connective tissue)
modality
Method of treatment, such as surgery, chemotherapy, or irradiation
molecularly targeted therapy
Use of drugs to attack specific targets (mutations) that drive cancer cell growth
morbidity
Condition of being unwell or deficient in normal function
mucinous
Containing mucus (a thick whitish secretion)
mutation
Change in the genetic material (DNA) of a cell; may be caused by chemicals, radiation, or viruses or may occur spontaneously
neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Drugs are given before primary therapy (surgery or radiation) to reduce the size of a tumor
neoplasm
New growth; benign or malignant tumor
nucleotide
Unit of DNA (gene) composed of a sugar, phosphate, and a base. The sequence or arrangement of nucleotides on a gene is the genetic code
oncogene
Region of DNA in tumor cells (cellular oncogene) or in viruses that cause cancer (viral oncogene)
palliative
Relieving but not curing symptoms
pedunculated
Possessing a stem or stalk (peduncle); characteristic of some polypoid tumors
photon therapy
Radiation therapy using energy in the form of x-rays or gamma rays
protocol
Detailed plan for treatment of an illness
proton therapy
Subatomic positively charged particles (protons) produced by a cyclotron deposit a dose of radiation at a tightly focused point in the body
radiation
Energy carried by a stream of particles
radiocurable tumor
Tumor that is completely destroyed by radiation therapy
radioresistant tumor
Tumor that survives large doses of radiation
radiosensitive tumor
Tumor in which radiation can cause the death of cells without serious damage to the surrounding tissue
radiosensitizers
Drugs that increase the sensitivity of tumors to x-rays
radiotherapy
Treatment of tumors using doses of radiation; radiation oncology
relapse
Recurrence of tumor after treatment
remission
Partial or complete disappearance of symptoms of disease
ribonucleic acid (RNA)
Cellular substance that represents a copy of DNA and directs the formation of new protein inside cells
sarcoma
Cancerous tumor derived from connective or flesh tissue
serous
Having the appearance of a thing, watery fluid (serum)
sessile
Having no stem; characteristic of some polypoid tumors
solid tumor
Tumor composed of a mass of cells
staging of tumors
System of evaluating the extent of spread of tumors
stereotactic radiosurgery
Technique in which a single large dose of radiation is delivered under precise 3D guidance to destroy vascular abnormalities and small brain tumors
surgical procedures to treat cancer
Methods of removing cancerous tissue
- cryosurgery
- cauterization
- en bloc resection
- excisional biopsy
- exenteration
- fulguration
- incisional biopsy
viral oncogenes
Pieces of DNA from viruses that infect a normal cell and cause it to become malignant
virus
Infectious agent that reproduces by entering a host cell and using the host’s genetic material to make copies of itself
