Medical Terminology

Oncology Terminology

(provided by MD Anderson Language Assistance)

1) Adenocarcinoma

• A malignant tumor that begins in a gland

• Syn: A glandular carcinoma

2) Advanced Directives

• Legal documents that convey your decisions about end-of-life care (includes medical power of attorney, living will)

• Texas law requires that all patients be asked if they have advanced directives prior to admission

3) AIDS - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

4) Allogeneic - Transplanting from a donor to a different recipient

5) Anemia - A low red cell count

6) Antibiotic - A substance, derived from a mold or bacterium, that kills other microorganisms.

7) Antibody - Protein, produced by the body, to fight off harmful substances (antigen)

8) Aspiration

• Removal by suction or

• Inspiration of any material into the airway

9) Autologous - In transplantation, the donor and the recipient are the same person

10) Benign - Mild-natured; not cancerous

11) Blood counts

• A measurement of red cells, white cells and platelets

• Also called CBC – or complete blood count

• Commonly referred to as ‘blood work, lab work’

12) Bone marrow

• The spongy center of most bones

• It is where the white cells, red cells and platelets are produced

• It can be transplanted for systemic disease treatment.

13) Carcinoma

• Generalized terms indicating a malignancy

• (cancer)

14) Catheter

• A small tube allowing of infusion or drainage of fluid

• May also be called an IV line, port-a-cath, or Foley

15) Chemotherapy

• Chemical treatment of a disease

• Can be given orally or through an IV (intravenously) or directly into an organ.

16) Clinical trial

• A controlled research study/treatment, involving a defined set of patients

• Usually classified as phase I, II, or III

17) Constipation - Infrequent bowel movements

18) CT

• Computed tomography-also called a CAT scan

• A diagnostic test with cross-sectional images.

• (type of cross-sectional x-ray)

19) Diagnostic imaging

• Techniques used to look inside the body

• There are several Diagnostic Imaging areas at MDACC, including x-ray, MRI, CT

20) Differentiation

• The process by which cells become more specialized

• Cancers are frequently classified as

  • poorly differentiated

  • moderately differentiated

  • or well-differentiated

21) DNR - Do Not Resuscitate

22) EKG

• Electrocardiogram (same as ECG)

• Graphic record of the voltage changes in the heart

• NOT the same as an echocardiogram, which uses sound waves

23) Film

• An x-ray

• A thin coating of material

• Light sensitive material used in photography

24) Gamma Knife

• A minimally invasive procedure used in treating tumors of the head, using focused radiation

• Gamma rays are used to treat small lesions.

• Performed by a neurosurgeon

25) Hereditary - Diseases or characteristics that are transmitted from parent to the next generation.

26) Hospice

• A service that provides supportive care to families and patients near the end of their lives.

• Can be inpatient or provided at home

27) Lesion

• A wound or injury, pathological change in tissue

• Not necessarily a tumor

28) Leukemia

• A blood disease

• A cancer affecting the white blood cells

29) Living Will - A document that indicates the type of care a patient wants in the event they become incompetent to make decisions.

30) Localized/localization

• Limited to one area; restricted to a single site

• The opposite of metastasized

• Do not confuse with ‘located’

31) Lymph nodes

• Bean-shaped structure that line the lymph system

• Frequently examined for disease spread

32) Lymphoma - Cancer of the lymphatic and immune system

33) Malignant/malignancy

• Cancerous

• Destructive; having uncontrollable tumor growth

34) Mass

• A lump or cluster of material

• Not necessarily a tumor

35) Metastasis - The spreading of a tumor to other parts of the body

36) Mohs Surgery - State-of-the-art removal of skin cancers by microscopic layers down to the root

37) Monoclonal antibodies

• A lab-produced molecule designed to attack specific cancer cells

• They mimic antibodies produced by the body

• Used in target-specific treatments

38) MRI

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging

• A diagnostic radiology test, using magnetic fields to display an image

• It can show problems not seen via other imaging methods.

39) Multidisciplinary

• Combining several, separate branches of expertise

• ie. surgery, chemotherapy, radiation

40) Myeloma

• A cancer that begins in the plasma cells, which is the protein portion of the bloodstream

• Plasma cells are active in the formation of antibodies

41) Nausea

• An inclination to vomit

• Noun vs adjective: He has nausea; he feels nauseous.

42) Neoplasm

• An abnormal tissue growth, usually forming a mass

• Can be benign or malignant

43) Node

• Usually refers to a lymph node, but this may require clarification when interpreting.

• This is not the same as a nodule

44) Numbness

• Reduced or absent sensory perception

• Loss of feeling

• Frequently used with the word ‘tingling’

45) Oncology/oncologist

• The science dealing with physical, chemical and biological properties of tumors

• A specialist in the medical treatment of tumors

46) Palliative

• Helping with symptoms without curing the underlying disease

• Supportive care

47) Pass Out

• To faint

• Loss of consciousness

48) PET

• Positron Emission Tomography

• An imaging study that uses a radioactive tracer to look for disease

• Uptake = highlighting= absorption

49) Platelets

• A component of the blood, responsible for clotting

• Synonym: thrombocyte

50) Prescription - A written formula for a medical remedy

51) Prognosis - The probable course and/or outcome of a disease

52) Proton therapy - An advanced type of radiation treatment that doesn’t damage healthy tissue

53) Radiotherapy - The use of a radiant beam(s) to treat disease

54) Randomized

• The selection by chance

• i.e. the toss of a coin

• Computer-chosen, with no patient ID

• Used frequently in clinical trials

55) Remission

• There are no signs or symptoms of the disease

• Can be partial or complete

56) Risk factors

• Features associated with increasing probability of disease complications

• ie .. Smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer

57) Sarcoma

• A malignant tumor arising in the connective tissue

• This is not a common cancer

• It is frequently seen in the limbs

58) Scan

• To take an image, usually with a device

• This term may require clarification when interpreting… CT scan? MRI?

59) Screening

• To examine for indication of disease

• ie. screening mammography

60) Seizure

• Convulsion

• An attack

61) Shortness of breath

• Feeling of not getting enough air

• Difficulty breathing

• Synonym: dyspnea

62) Sonogram

• A diagnostic imaging test, using sound waves

• Synonym. Ultrasound

63) Squamous Cells - Flat, scaly cells of the epithelium (which covers internal body surfaces)

64) Staging

• Determining the distinct phase of a disease

• Imaging tests, biopsies and clinical observation are used to stage a disease

• Usually staged I, II, III, IV, early detection to advanced.

65) Stool

• The discharge from the bowel

• Feces

66) Stroke

• Noun: an event that impairs brain circulation, causes damage

• Verb: to gently pass your hand over a surface

67) Swallow study - A diagnostic test (a virtual x-ray) for showing the path of liquid/solid food intake

68) Syndrome - A group of symptoms associated with a specific disease process

69) Tingling

• A prickling sensation

• Medical term: paresthesia

70) Tumor

• Any swelling

• Does not necessarily mean a cancer

71) Tumor Markers

• A substance released found in the body (usually in the blood or urine) when cancer is present

• The detection of tumor markers (via blood work) can indicate the presence of a tumor

72) Ureter vs. Urethra

• Two different parts of the body!

• Urete(s) – tubes that move urine from the kidney to the bladder [there are 2]

• Urethra – canal that discharges urine from the bladder to outside the body [there is 1]

Major Organ Systems

Main article: Biological system

Circulatory system: pumping and channeling blood to and from the body and lungs with heart, blood, and blood vessels

Digestive System: digestion and processing food with salivary glands, esophagus, stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, intestines, rectum, and anus

Endocannabinoid system: neuromodulatory lipids and receptors involved in a variety of physiological processes including appetite, pain sensation, mood, motor learning, synaptic plasticity, and memory

Endocrine system: communication within the body using hormones made by endocrine glands such as the hypothalamus, pituitary or pituitary gland, pineal body or pineal gland, thyroid, parathyroids, and adrenals or adrenal glands

Immune system: the system that fights off disease; composed of leukocytes, tonsils, adenoids, thymus, and spleen

Integumentary system: skin, hair and nails

Lymphatic system: structures involved in the transfer of lymph between tissues and the bloodstream, the lymph and the nodes and vessels that transport it

Musculoskeletal system: muscles provide movement and a skeleton provides structural support and protection with bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.

Nervous system: collecting, transferring and processing information with brain, spinal cord and nerves

Reproductive system: the sex organs; in the female; ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, vagina, mammary glands, and in the male; testicles, vas deferens, seminal vesicles, prostate, and penis

Respiratory system: the organs used for breathing, the pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs, and diaphragm

Urinary system: kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra involved in fluid balance, electrolyte balance, and excretion of urine

Vestibular system: contributes to our balance and our sense of spatial orientation

Other Medical Terminology

This is a self-serve section. Many interpreters find it very useful to translate these terms into the non-English language(s) they work with. Please feel free to do the same!