Antigen- Anything that the immune system can target. Almost always a protein.
Atrial- To do with the top 2 (left and right) chambers of the heart
Biological behaviour – The term used which describes the way the tumour is actually seen to behave. This may differ from the behaviour that is expected, based on the pathology result.
Benign- Not cancerous. Benign tumours can grow but do not spread to other parts of the body.
Carcinoma- A malignant tumour made up of epithelial cells which tend to invade the surrounding tissues and spread to other organs.
Needle Core Biopsy- Using a needle-shaped device to remove core samples of tissue from the tumour
Cytology-The study of cells spread out in a single layer using a microscope
Dermal- The skin
Diffuse- Spread out through an organ
Disseminated -Spread throughout the body
Excisional biopsy – Removal of the entire visible portion of the tumour
Fine Needle Aspirate- Otherwise called FNA is the use of a hypodermic needle to remove cells from the tumour
Grading – estimating how aggressive the tumour is
Histiocytes- Cells within the tissues created in the bone marrow and part of the immune system.
Histopathology - The study of diseased tissues using a microscope
Holistic - treatment that focusses on the "whole" patient
Hypodermal - Tissue under the skin
Immunology - The study of the immune system
Incisional biopsy – Removal of a small area of the tumour, usually to get a diagnosis
Integrative - The combination of various methods of treatment to get the best outcome for the patient. Used properly, the approach should still rely on evidence-based medicine.
Leukocytes – White blood cells that form in the bone marrow as part of the immune system
Margins - measurement between the edge of the tumour and the surrounding tissue. Gross margins are those visible to the surgeon. Microscopic margins are the ‘true’ margins measured by the pathologist when the tumour is submitted to the lab.
Mitotic index - the rate at which cells divide, usually measured as the number that the pathologist can see actually caught dividing under the microscope, as cells dividing PER HIGH POWER FIELD (meaning a single visible portion of the slide under the microscope or as PER 10 HIGH POWER FIELDS or /10hpf)
Macrophages- White blood cells within the tissues created in the bone marrow.
Malignant- Malignant tumours are capable of killing the patient, usually by spreading through the body
Metastasize - Spread from one part of the body to another
Neoplasm - An abnormal mass otherwise known as a tumour
Neutrophils - A type of white blood cell made by the bone marrow that is most important in fighting bacteria
Oncologist – A cancer specialist. There are medical oncologists, surgical oncologists and radiation oncologists.
Primary Site - The site where the original tumour started
Sarcoma- A malignant tumour originating from connective tissue
Staging - Determines where in the body the cancer can be found
Systemic – Affecting the whole body or multiple organs
Tumour- An abnormal mass of tissue which occurs when cells divide more than they should or they don't die when they should. They can be either benign or malignant and are often referred to as a neoplasm.
Vaccine -Treats a cancer with the hope of an immune response
Visceral – Internal organs of the body
Wide local excision - Surgical procedure to remove tumour and surrounding tissue. Because the full extent of a cancer is not visible to the surgeon, normal appearing tissue is also removed to increase the chance of getting all the tumour.
