Cancer Terms Glossary

Abdominoperineal Resection: The surgical removal of the anus, rectum, and sigmoid colon, resulting in the need for a permanent colostomy.

Acupuncture: A Traditional Chinese Medicine technique involving the insertion of small needles into specific points on the skin to alleviate pain and treat various physical, mental, and emotional conditions.

Acute: Abrupt onset that is usually severe and short-term, contrasting with “chronic.”

Adenoma: A non-cancerous polyp considered the first step toward colon and rectal cancer.

Adjuvant Therapy: Treatment used after primary treatment (like surgery or radiation) to reduce the risk of cancer returning.

Adolescent and Young Adults (AYA): People between the ages of 15 and 39 diagnosed with cancer.

Advance Directive: A legal document stating the treatment or care a person wishes to receive or not receive if they become unable to make medical decisions.

Adverse Effect: A negative or harmful effect.

Antigens: Substances that provoke an immune response in the body, leading to the production of antibodies to fight them.

Anus: The opening of the rectum located between the buttocks where waste is expelled.

Asymptomatic: Having no symptoms or clear evidence that disease is present.

Benign Tumor: A noncancerous tumor that does not invade nearby tissue or spread to other parts of the body like cancer can.

Biological Therapy: A treatment made of substances from living organisms to treat disease. It includes immunotherapy, gene therapy, and some targeted therapies.

Biomarkers: Biological molecules found in blood, body fluids, or tissues that can indicate normal or abnormal processes in the body. Testing for biomarkers helps understand specific cancer types.

Biomarker Testing: The process of examining biological molecules, such as genes, proteins, and other substances, to provide information about a person’s cancer and help guide treatment decisions.

Biopsy: The removal of cells or tissues for examination by a pathologist to determine if cancer is present.

Biosimilar: A biologic medical product highly similar to an already approved biological medicine, with no clinically meaningful differences in terms of safety and effectiveness.

Cancer: A term for diseases where abnormal cells divide uncontrollably and can invade nearby tissues.

Cancer Survivor: Anyone diagnosed with cancer, from the time of diagnosis and throughout their life.

Carcinoma In Situ: A group of abnormal cells that remain in the place where they first formed, also called stage 0 disease.

Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA): A substance in the blood that may indicate colon cancer or other conditions, used to monitor treatment effectiveness or cancer recurrence.

Chemoradiation: Treatment combining chemotherapy with radiation therapy.

Chemotherapy: Treatment using drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells by killing them or stopping them from dividing.

Circulating Tumor Cell (CTC): Cancer cells that have shed into the bloodstream from a primary tumor and circulate through the body.

Clinical Trial: A research study testing the safety and effectiveness of new medical approaches and treatments.

Colectomy: Surgical removal of all or part of the colon.

Colonoscopy: Examination of the inside of the colon using a colonoscope inserted into the rectum.

Colorectal Cancer (CRC): Cancer located in the colon or rectum.

Colostomy: A surgical operation diverting a piece of the colon to an artificial opening in the abdominal wall.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM): Treatments used in addition to (complementary) or instead of (alternative) standard treatments.

CT Scan (Computed Tomography Scan): A medical imaging procedure that uses computer-processed combinations of X-ray measurements taken from different angles to produce cross-sectional images of specific areas of the body.