Navigating Cancer Terminology: A Guide for Patients

A cancer diagnosis brings not only emotional and physical challenges but also a whole new vocabulary. Understanding the terms used by your healthcare team is crucial as you make important decisions about your treatment. Here’s a guide to some of the most common words and phrases you may encounter during your cancer journey. Don’t hesitate to ask your healthcare team for clarification whenever you hear a term you’re unfamiliar with.

 

Words Related to Diagnosis

 

Benign: Refers to a tumor or abnormal cells that are not cancerous. These cells do not invade nearby tissues.

 

Biopsy: A procedure where a sample of cells or tissue is taken from a suspicious area and examined under a microscope to determine if cancer or abnormal cells are present.

 

Differentiation: A measure of how much cancer cells differ from healthy cells. "Well-differentiated" cells look similar to healthy cells, while "poorly differentiated" or "undifferentiated" cells look very different, indicating a higher likelihood of aggressive growth.

 

Histopathology: The examination of cells and tissues under a microscope to detect and analyze changes caused by disease.

 

In Situ: Abnormal cells that are confined to one location and have not spread to surrounding tissues.

 

Invasive: Cancer that has spread to nearby tissues, organs, or lymph nodes.

 

Localized: Cancer that is confined to the area where it started (the primary site).

 

Malignant: Refers to a tumor or abnormal cells that are cancerous, with the potential to grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body.

 

Metastasis: The spread of cancer cells to distant parts of the body, forming new (secondary) tumors.

 

Pathology: The study of diseases, including how they begin and progress. A pathologist examines cells and tissues to diagnose diseases like cancer.

 

Prognosis: The expected outcome of your diagnosis, based on the type and stage of cancer, your overall health, and the treatments you receive.

 

Refractory: Describes cancer that does not respond to treatment.

 

Relapse/Recurrence: The return of cancer after a period of remission.

 

Remission: When no evidence of disease is found using current testing methods.

 

Staging: A system used to describe the extent of cancer, including its size and whether it has spread. Staging helps guide treatment decisions.

 

Tumor: A mass of abnormal cells.

 

Tumor Markers: Substances found in tissue, blood, or other body fluids that may indicate the presence of cancer or certain non-cancerous conditions.

 

Cysts: Fluid-filled sacs that can form in tissues, often benign but sometimes may require removal if symptomatic or suspicious.

 

Lesions: Abnormal tissue changes or damage in any part of the body, often due to injury or disease, and can be benign or malignant.

 

Masses: Lumps or abnormal growths of tissue, which can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous), and may require further testing to determine the cause.