THE CANCER TERMS; X

THE TERMS AND DEFINITIONS IN CANCER












The terms used to describe cancer in word list; X

Xenobiotic. Natural substances that are foreign to the body.
Xeroradiograph. A picture of the body recorded on paper rather than on film. Also called a xerogram.

X-ray: 1. High-energy radiation with waves shorter than those of visible light. X-rays possess the properties of penetrating most substances (to varying extents), of acting on a photographic film or plate (permitting radiography), and of causing a fluorescent screen to give off light (permitting fluoroscopy). In low doses X-rays are used for making images that help to diagnose disease, and in high doses to treat cancer. Formerly called a Roentgen ray. 2. An image obtained by means of X-rays.

X-ray, PA. An X-ray picture in which the beams pass from back-to-front (posteroanterior). By contrast an AP (anteroposterior) film is one in which the rays pass through the body from front-to-back.

THE CANCER TERMS; W

THE TERMS AND DEFINITIONS IN CANCER











The terms used to describe cancer in word list; W

Western blot hybridization, identifies and analyzes proteins or peptides.

Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen. A German Physics. In 1896, He used the term ‘X-ray’ during a lecture he gave (X is the algebraic symbol of an unknown). Within months, systems were being devised to use X-rays for diagnosis. Roentgen won the first Nobel Prize in Physics for his contribution.

William Coley; who in the late 1800s felt that the rate of cure after surgery had been higher before asepsis (and who injected bacteria into tumors with mixed results), cancer treatment became dependent on the individual art of the surgeon at removing a tumour.

William Stewart Halsted; In the 1880s and 1890s, He devised an extensive operation for breast cancer that entailed removal of the breast and underlying muscles, and lymph nodes under the arm. He eventually achieved an unprecedented 72 percent five-year cure rate for patients whose disease had not spread to adjoining glands.

THE CANCER TERMS; V

THE TERMS AND DEFINITIONS IN CANCER











The terms used to describe cancer in word list; V

Vacuum-assisted biopsy. Vacuum pressure (suction) is used to pull the sample tissue through a specially designed hollow needle in this biopsy method. This gives the doctor the ability to collect multiple or larger samples from the same biopsy site without having to insert the needle more than once.

Vascular invasion; means that cancer cells are found in the blood vessels.

Villous adenoma. An adenoma in which leaf-like or finger-like processes of lamina propria covered by dysplastic epithelium comprise at least 80% of the tumour.

THE CANCER TERMS; U

THE TERMS AND DEFINITIONS IN CANCER











The terms used to describe cancer in word list; U

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation; comes from the sun, sunlamps, and tanning booths. It causes early aging of the skin and skin damage that can lead to skin cancer.

Undifferentiated carcinoma. A malignant epithelial tumour with no glandular
structures or other features to indicate definite differentiation.

THE CANCER TERMS; T

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The terms used to describe cancer in word list; T


Tamoxifen. A medicine that stops estrogen from reaching hormone receptors on cancers.

Thomas Beatson; graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1874 and developed an interest in the relation of the ovaries to milk formation in the breasts, probably because he grew up near a large sheep farm in rural Scotland. In 1878 he discovered that the breasts of rabbits stopped producing milk after he removed the ovaries.

Tobacco smoking; is associated with many forms of cancer, and causes 90% of lung cancer.

Transformation: The concept that a low-grade tumor transforms to a high-grade tumor over time. Example: Richter's transformation.

Tubular adenoma. An adenoma in which branching tubules surrounded by lamina propria comprise at least 80% of the tumour.

Tubulovillous adenoma. An adenoma composed of both tubular and villous structures, each comprising more than 20% of the tumour.

Tumour (tumor). Literally, it means "a swelling"; an alternative definition is "a new growth of tissue in which the multiplication of cells is uncontrolled and progressive"; synonym: neoplasm.

Tumour margins. There are three possible findings when the biopsy sample is the entire tumour : Positive margins mean that cancer cells are found at the edge of the material removed, Negative; not involved, clear, or free margins mean that no cancer cells are found at the outer edge, Close margins are neither negative nor positive.

Tumours of the anal canal. Tumours that arise from or are predominantly located in the anal canal. The most frequent neoplams of this region are human papilloma virus (HPV-)associated squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas.

Tumour suppressor genes; are then inactivated in cancer cells, resulting in the loss of normal functions in those cells, such as accurate DNA replication, control over the cell cycle, orientation and adhesion within tissues, and interaction with protective cells of the immune system.

THE CANCER TERMS; S

THE TERMS AND DEFINITIONS IN CANCER











The terms used to describe cancer in word list; S

Screening. A test done on healthy people to detect tumors before they become apparent. A mammogram is a screening test.

Sarcoma. "A tumour made up of a substance like the embryonic connective tissue"; sarcomas are malignant tumors of connective tissue origin (such as cartilage, bone and muscle).

Secondary tumours of the liver. Malignant neoplasms metastasized to the liver from extrahepatic primary tumours.

Serous cystadenocarcinoma. A malignant cystic epithelial neoplasm composed of glycogen-rich cells.

Serous cystic pancreatic tumours. Are cystic epithelial neoplasms composed of glycogen-rich, ductular-type epithelial cells that produce a watery fluid similar to serum. Most are benign (serous cystadenomas), either serous microcystic adenoma or serous oligocystic adenoma. Only very rare cases exhibit signs of malignancy (serous cystadenocarcinoma).

Serous microcystic adenoma. A benign neoplasm composed of numerous small cysts lined by uniform glycogen-rich cuboidal epithelial cells, disposed around a central stellate scar.

Serous oligocystic adenoma. A benign neoplasm composed of few, relatively large cysts, lined by uniform glycogen-rich cuboidal epithelial cells.

Serrated adenoma. An adenoma composed of saw-toothed glands

Signet-ring cell carcinoma. An adenocarcinoma in which the predominant component (more than 50%) is composed of isolated malignant cells containing intracytoplasmic mucin.

Solid-pseudopapillary neoplasm. A usually benign neoplasm with predominant
manifestation in young women, composed of monomorphic cells forming solid and pseudopapillary structures, frequently showing haemorrhagic-cystic changes and variably expressing epithelial, mesenchymal and endocrine markers.

Southern blot hybridization, detects specific DNA fragments.

Staging. This term refers to the process of determining how advanced a cancer is and if it has spread; we "stage" an animal through the use of tests such as x-rays, ultrasound, blood work, lymph nodes aspirates and bone marrow aspirates; this is helpful because it allows us to determine the best treatment options and to predict the outcome of treatment.

Stephen Paget (An English surgeon); devised a theory on cancer growth referred to as the "seed and soil theory". He theorized that metastatic tumor cells are like seeds, evenly distributed throughout the body through the bloodstream, but only grow in the organ (‘soil’) they find compatible. This laid the groundwork for a true understanding of metastasis.

Surgery; is the removal of a visible tumor and is the most frequently used cancer treatment. It is most effective when a cancer is small and confined to one area of the body.

Surgical biopsy. Unlike the needle methods described above, in a surgical biopsy, a surgeon makes an incision in the skin and removes some or all of the suspicious tissue. It is often used after a needle biopsy shows cancer cells, or it can be used as the first method to obtain tissue for diagnosis. There are two main categories of surgical biopsies.

Surgical excision. The removal of a tumour by a surgeon.

Surgical margins. The evaluation by a pathologist of the edges of the tissue removed by the surgeon to determine if the tumor was removed completely ("negative margins") or if tumor was left behind ("positive margins").

Small cell carcinoma. A malignant epithelial tumour similar in morphology,immunophenotype and behaviour to small cell carcinoma of the lung.

Stage. A number (usually on a scale of 4) established by the oncologist to describe the degree of invasion of the body by the tumor.

THE CANCER TERMS; R

THE TERMS AND DEFINITIONS IN CANCER











The terms used to describe cancer in word list; R

Radiosensitizers; or chemical modifiers are substances that make cancer more sensitive to radiation. The goal of research into these types of substances is to develop agents that will make the tumor more sensitive without affecting normal tissues. Research is also ongoing to find substances that may protect normal cells from radiation.

Radon; is a radioactive gas that you cannot see, smell, or taste. It forms in soil and rocks. People who work in mines may be exposed to radon. In some parts of the country, radon is found in houses. People exposed to radon are at increased risk of lung cancer.

Recurrence. New tumors that appear at the site of the original tumor after surgery.

Retinoblastoma; when occurring in young children, is due to a hereditary mutation in the retinoblastoma gene.

Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR); is a method of making many copies of a specific RNA sequence.

Robotoic surgery. This term refers to manipulation of surgical instruments remotely by robotic arms and other devices controlled by a surgeon. Robotic systems have been used for several types of cancer surgery; radical prostatectomy is among the most common application in surgical oncology.

Rudolf Virchow; often called the “founder of cellular pathology”, provided the scientific basis for the modern pathologic study of cancer. The 19th century saw the birth of scientific oncology with the discovery and use of the modern microscope.