Were you recently diagnosed with cancer? Many new patients come into their initial appointment with loads of questions and concerns. To make your journey a little easier, check out this list of the top cancer terms to know before you start the first round of cancer treatment.
I Was Diagnosed with Cancer, Now What?
Your cancer care team will work to help you through your first round of cancer treatment and beyond, but it’s also helpful to do your own research about your cancer. Even loved ones of a new cancer patient can benefit from reading up on the disease. However, it’s important to utilize reliable sources when doing your research such as the National Cancer Institute, Cancer.net or American Cancer Society. Here’s a great resource to help determine if your resource is reliable: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/managing-care/using-trusted-resources
To help you get a better understanding of cancer in general, we’ve defined 20 of the most common cancer terms you can expect throughout treatment.
Terms to know as a new cancer patient
Acute refers to symptoms that start and develop quickly. Although these symptoms can often be severe, they often do not last a long time.
Benign means a tumor is not cancerous. It does not spread into surrounding tissue or other organs in the body.
Biopsy is a procedure that helps your doctor determine whether cancer cells are present. He or she will surgically remove a small piece of tissue to examine it closely under a microscope.
Cancer cells are ones that divide and reproduce abnormally. They have the potential to spread to other areas of the body, often crowding normal tissue and cells.
Carcinogens are substances that can cause cancer. For cancer prevention and to reduce the risk of cancer spreading, your cancer care team will advise you to avoid things like cigarettes and other dangerous chemicals.
Chemotherapy is a common cancer treatment. It uses drugs to remove cancer from the body and prevent cancer cells from growing.
Combination therapy is the use of multiple treatment types during cancer treatments. These could include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hematology, and others depending on your type and stage of cancer.
Diagnosis is your doctor’s identification of a disease. He or she will notate its signs and symptoms by using imaging procedures and/or lab results.
Drug resistance occurs when cancer cells are able to resist the effects of a specific drug. Your cancer care team may suggest a different treatment plan if they notice resistance.
Grading helps classify cancer cells. This provides information about a probable tumor growth rate and the possibility of it spreading. Grading plays a major role in determining a treatment plan.
Hematologists specialize in blood diseases and diseases of the bone marrow. They may work together with oncologists to treat certain cancers.
Immunotherapy uses substances that artificially stimulate the body’s immune system to better treat the disease.
Localized refers to cancer that is confined to the site where it started to develop. Localized tumors have not spread to other areas of the body.
Malignant means cancerous. This growth may have a tendency to spread to other areas of the body and destroy nearby tissue.
Medical oncologists are specially trained to diagnose and treat cancer. They use chemotherapy and other forms of treatment or therapy.
Oncology is the study and treatment of cancer. There are many types of oncologists, including medical, surgical, radiation, gynecologic and pediatric.
Primary tumor is the place where cancer starts to grow. If cancer grows and spreads, they are referred to as secondary tumors.
Prognosis states the likely outcome of a disease in a new cancer patient. Doctors will note the chance of recovery and a prediction of the disease’s outcome.
Radiation oncologist is specially trained to use radiation to treat cancer. He or she may work alongside other doctors in a cancer care team to treat cancer.
Staging determines how far cancer has spread. A cancer stage also notes where the cancer is located, whether or not it has spread, and whether it is affecting the function of nearby organs.
Consult Your Cancer Care Team for More Information
New cancer patients should bring any and all questions they have about cancer and its treatment to the first appointment. Your cancer care team will go in detail about what to expect from treatment and introduce the members of staff who will be working with you. To schedule an appointment, contact us today by calling (702) 952-3350.
