final vocab

adenocarcinoma

type of cancer that develops from glandular tissue, glands that line your organs

beam modifiers

devices used to shape or alter the spatial distribution of a radiation beam

brachytherapy

cancer treatment where radioactive sources are placed inside or near the tumor, which allows high doses of radiation to be delivered right to the tumor.

carcinoma

a type of cancer that develops from epithelial cells

centigray

a unit of absorbed radiation dose

compensator

a technique used to deliver a more precise and tailored radiation dose to a tumor, compensating for variations in tissue thickness and shape.

en face

a technique where radiation beams are delivered parallel to the skin surface, often used for treating superficial skin cancers or lesions

fiducials

tiny, implanted objects (often gold seeds) used to precisely locate a tumor during treatment, particularly for prostate, lung, and liver cancers

glioma

a type of brain tumor that originates in the glial cells of the brain or spinal cord.

immunotherapy

a type of cancer treatment that utilizes the body's own immune system to combat cancer cells

localization

The process of precisely identifying the tumor's location and the surrounding healthy tissues to ensure accurate and effective treatment delivery

necrosis

The premature death of cells and living tissue

NED Neuroendocrine Differentiation

It's a process where cancer cells, particularly in prostate cancer, can change their characteristics and develop into neuroendocrine-like cells after radiation treatment. This shift can sometimes make the cancer cells more resistant to radiation and other therapies. 

ODI optical distance indicator

a device that projects a graded ruler onto the patient's skin to accurately measure the distance between the radiation source and the patient's skin (source-to-skin distance, or SSD).

oncogenes

mutated genes that can drive cell growth and division, potentially leading to cancer

penumbra

the region surrounding the intended radiation field where the dose of radiation decreases gradually

radiosensitizer

Radiosensitizers are substances that can make cancer cells more susceptible to the effects of radiation therapy. They are used to enhance the effectiveness of RT and potentially reduce the dose of radiation required to treat a tumor, thereby minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. 

sentinel node

the first lymph node to which cancer cells are likely to spread from a primary tumor

somatic cells

any biological cells forming the body of a multicellular organism other than gametes, germ cells, gametocytes, or undifferentiated stem cells