Archives: Glossary
A secondary (metastatic) cancer that is found in the body, but the type and origin of the cancer (the primary site) cannot be determined.
The presence of one or more diseases or conditions other than the main disease or condition under investigation. For example, a person with cancer may have additional co-morbidities such as diabetes or a chronic lung disease.
A type of test done through scans that makes detailed pictures of areas inside the body, and can be used to identify and visualise certain diseases including cancer. Scans may be used to help diagnose disease, plan treatment, or find out how well a treatment is working
The removal of a sample of cells or tissue from the body for examination, often to help diagnose a disease such as cancer.
Cachexia is a complex syndrome characterised by a significant loss of body weight and muscle mass, in a person who is not trying to lose weight. Cachexia is most common in people with advanced cancer or other chronic diseases.
The use of targeted radiation to kill or damage cancer cells so the tumour shrinks and cells can no longer grow, multiply and spread. The radiation is usually in the form of x-ray beams and is often combined with other treatments, such as chemotherapy or surgery. Also called radiotherapy.
Treatment that affects the whole body, as opposed to localised therapy, which is directed to a specific organ or limited area of the body. An example of systemic therapy is (most types of) chemotherapy, which circulate in the bloodstream and affect the whole body.
T-cell therapy is a type of immunotherapy that makes your immune cells, called T-cells, better able to attack cancer Doctors collect some of your T-cells, grow large numbers of them in a lab, and then give them back to you through a drip in your vein. There are two main types of T-cell transfer therapy: […]
A treatment given before the main treatment to help shrink the tumour and make the main treatment more successful. For example, chemotherapy or radiation therapy given to shrink the tumour before surgery.
A form of medicine that uses information about a person’s genes, proteins, environment, and lifestyle to prevent, diagnose, or treat disease. In cancer, precision medicine uses specific information about a person’s tumour to help make a diagnosis, plan treatment, find out how well treatment is working, or make a prognosis. Precision medicine may also be […]