Oncology (Cancer Medicine) Flashcards
adjuvant
a substance, especially a drug, added to a prescription to assist in the action of the main ingredient.
adjuvant therapy
treatment of a disease with a substance, especially a drug, that enhances the main ingredient. For example, chemotherapy may be used as adjuvant therapy to radiation
anaplasia
a change in the structure and orientation of cells characterized by a loss of specialization and reversion to a more primitive form
antimetabolite
a class of antineoplastic drugs to treat cancer. These drugs are most effective against rapidly growing tumors.
antineoplastic
of or pertaining to a substance, procedure, or measure that prevents the proliferation of malignant cells.
benign
noncancerous and therefore not an immediate threat, even though treatment eventually may be required for health or cosmetic reasons; not life threatening.
cancer
a neoplasm characterized by the uncontrolled growth of anaplastic cells that tend to invade surrounding tissue and to metastasize to distant body sites
carcinogen
a substance or agent that causes the development or increases the incidence of cancer.
carcinoma
a malignant neoplasm
carcinoma in situ (CIS)
a premalignant neoplasm that has not invaded the basement membrane but shows cytologic characteristic of cancer
chemotherapy
the use of chemical agents to destroy cancer cells on a selective basis
cytotoxic
pertaining to being destructive to cells
dedifferentiation
a change in the structure and orientation of cells characterized by a loss of specialization and reversion to a more primitive form
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
a large nucleic acid molecule found principally in the chromosomes of the nucleus of a cell that is the carrier of genetic information
differentiation
a process in development in which unspecialized cells or tissues are systemically modified and altered to achieve specific and characteristic physical forms, physiologic functions, and chemical properties.
encapsulated
enclosed in fibrous or membranous sheaths
fractionation
in radiology, the division of the total dose of radiation into small doses administered at intervals in an effort to minimize tissue damage.
hyperplasia
an increase in the number of cells of a body part (“excessive formation”).
infiltrative
possessing the ability to invade or penetrate adjacent tissue
invasive
characterized by a tendency to spread, infiltrate, and intrude.
ionizing radiation
high-energy X-rays that can kill cells or retard their growth
linear accelerator
an apparatus for accelerating charged subatomic particles used in radiotherapy, physics research , and the production of radionuclides.
lumpectomy
surgical removal of only tumor and the immediate adjacent breast tissue; a method of treatment for breast cancer when detected in the early stage of the disease.
malignant
tending to become worse and cause death
metastasis
the process by which tumor cells spread to distant parts of the body.
mitosis
a type of cell division that results in the formation of two genetically identical daughter cells
mixed-tissue tumor
a growth of more than one type of neoplastic tissue.
modality
a method of application (i.e., a treatment method)
morbidity
an illness or abnormal condition or quality.
mutation
a change or transformation in a gene
neoplasm
any abnormal growth of new tissue, benign or malignant
oncogene
a gene in a virus that can cause a cell to become malignant
oncogenesis
the formation of a tumor
oncologist
the physician who specializes in the study and treatment of neoplastic diseases, particularly cancer
oncology
the medical specialty concerned with the study of malignancy.
papillary
of or pertaining to a papilla (nipplelike projection)
papilloma
a benign epithelial neoplasm characterized by a branching or lobular tumor
pedunculated
pertaining to a structure with a stalk