Glossary

When working as a Lipstick Angel, certain cancer related terms may be regularly used in your presence. Below is brief list of helpful terms that a patient or medical professional may use.

• Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of essential oils from plants (flowers, herbs, or trees) for the improvement of physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.

• Benign means that a tumor is non-cancerous.

• Biopsy is the removal of cells or tissues for examination.

• Cancer is defined as a disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body.

• Chemotherapy is a treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing.

• “Chemo Brain” is a nonmedical term often used to describe mental fogginess and memory issues as a result of chemotherapy treatment.

• Dermatitis can be used to describe any irritation of the skin.

• Immunotherapy is a type of treatment that uses substances to stimulate or suppress the immune system to help the body fight cancer, infection, and other diseases.

• Infusion is a method of putting fluids, including drugs, into the bloodstream.

• Lumpectomy is an operation to remove the cancer and some normal tissue around it, but not the breast itself.

• Malignant means that a tumor is cancerous.

• Mastectomy is surgery to remove part or all of the breast.

• Metastasize means to spread from one part of the body to another.

• Neuropathy is a nerve problem that causes pain, numbness, tingling, swelling, or muscle weakness in different parts of the body. Common locations are the hands and feet.

• Oncology is defined as a branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.

• Oncology Esthetics is the study and modification of skin care practices specifically for people who have been diagnosed with cancer.

• PICC Line or a “peripherally inserted central catheter” is a tube that is inserted into a vein in the upper arm and guided into a large vein above the right side of the heart. A PICC may stay in place for weeks or months and helps avoid the need for repeated needle sticks.

• Port-a-Cath also referred to as a port, is an implanted device which allows easy access to a patient’s veins. A port-a-cath is surgically inserted beneath the skin, and is usually located on the chest.

• Radiation is a targeted treatment that kills cancer cells and shrinks tumors, it is administered externally and can cause reddening of the skin similar to a sunburn.

• Stress can be defined as a physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension.

• Surgery often refers to the removal of a tumor and surrounding tissue. People can undergo surgery for a number of other reasons, including the placement of medical devices and reconstruction of the afflicted area.