med term chpt 19 + 20, oncology + radiology

Inflammatory

having the features of inflammation - swelling, redness, heat

Necrotic

containing dead tissue

Diffuse

spreading evenly throughout the affected tissue

Cauterization

destruction of tissue by burning

Core needle biopsy

placement of a large-bore needle that extracts a core of tissue

Excisional biopsy

removal of tumor and a margin of normal tissue; provides a specimen for diagnosis and may be curative for small noninvasive tumors

Fine needle aspiration

placement of a very thin needle inside the tumor mass and extraction of cells for microscopic examination evaluation

Incisional biopsy

a piece of the tumor is removed for examination to establish a diagnosis

Brachytherapy

small, sealed containers or seeds of radioactive material are inserted directly into the tumor or into a cavity of the tumor; may be temporary or permanent

External beam irradiation (teletherapy)

radiation therapy applied to a tumor from a distant source (linear accelerator)

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS)

a single large dose of radiation is delivered under precise, stereotactic 3D guidance; performed at multiple angles to destroy vascular abnormalities and small tumors in the brain or other sites

Cancer chemotherapy

the treatment of cancer using chemicals; the standard treatment for many types of cancer and is curative in a number of them

Benign tumor

noncancerous growth or neoplasm

Carcinogens

agents that cause cancer: chemicals and drugs, radiation, and viruses

Carcinoma

a cancerous tumor made up of cells of epithelial origin

Chemotherapy

treatment with drugs that kill tumor cells

Immunotherapy

cancer treatment using immune cells and antibodies to kill tumor cells

Malignant tumor

a tumor having the characteristics of continuous growth, invasiveness, and metastasis

Metastasis

spread of a malignant tumor to a secondary site; beyond control 

Morbidity

condition of being unwell or deficient in normal function

Neoplasm

new growth; benign or malignant tumor

Palliative

relieving but not curing symptoms

Radiation

energy carried by a stream of particles

Radiation therapy

treatment of tumors using doses of radiation; radiation oncology or radiotherapy

Relapse

recurrence of the tumor after treatment

Remission

absence of signs and symptoms of disease

Sarcoma

cancerous tumor derived from connective or flesh tissue

Virus

an infectious agent that reproduces by entering a host cell and using the host's genetic material to make copies of itself

Mammography

 X-ray examination of the breast to detect breast cancer

Barium Sulfate

a radiopaque substance that is mixed in water and used for examination of the upper and lower GI tract

Upper GI Series (UGI)

involves oral ingestion of barium sulfate so that the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum can be visualized

Small bowel follow-through (SBFT)

traces the passage of barium in a sequential manner as it moves through the small intestine

Barium Enema (BE)

lower GI series that opacifies the lumen of the large intestine using an enema containing barium sulfate

Double-contrast study

uses both radiopaque and radiolucent contrast medium; walls of the stomach or intestine are coated with barium, and the lumen is filled with air

Iodine compounds

radiopaque fluids containing up to 50% iodine; used in angiography and cholangiography

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

injecting contrast directly into the common bile duct, x-ray imaging after injection

Intraoperative Cholangiography

x-ray imaging after injection of contrast during surgery of the gallbladder or biliary tract 

Digital subtraction angiography (DSA)

an X-ray image of contrast-injected blood vessels is produced by taking two X-ray pictures (first w/o contrast) and using a computer to subtract obscuring shadows from the second image

Hysterosalpingography

an x-ray record of the endometrial cavity and fallopian tubes is obtained after injection of contrast material through the vagina and into the endocervical canal

Myelography

x-ray imaging of the spinal cord after injection of a contrast agent into the subarachnoid space surrounding the spinal cord

Urography

the process of recording x-ray images of the urinary tract after the introduction of contrast

Fluoroscopy

the use of X-rays and a fluorescent screen to produce real-time video images

Sonogram

the record produced by ultrasound imaging

Echocardiography

ECHO; echoes generated by high-frequency sound waves produce images of the heart; shows structure and movement

Doppler ultrasound

sound waves detect blood flow in the carotid and intracranial arteries; detect occlusion in blood vessels

Gadolinium

the most commonly used contrast during MRI exams; enhances vessels and tissues, increases the sensitivity for lesion detection, and helps differentiate between normal and abnormal tissues and structures

Posteroanterior (PA) view

the most commonly requested chest x-ray view, x-rays travel from a posteriorly placed source to an anteriorly placed detector

Anteroposterior (AP) view

X-rays travel from an anteriorly placed source to a posteriorly placed detector

Lateral view

 in a left lateral view, X-rays travel from a source located to the right of the patient to a detector placed to the left of the patient

Oblique view

x-rays travel in a slanting direction at an angle from the perpendicular plane; shows regions or structures ordinarily hidden or superimposed in routine PA or AP views

Decubitus

lying down, lying on the side

Eversion

turning outward

Inversion

turning inward

Recumbent

lying down, may be prone or supine

PET-CT scan

combines PET and CT techniques to produce a more accurate image; used to detect cancer and metastases, especially to determine if the cancer is responding to treatment

PET-MRI scan

combines MRI with PET

Computed Tomography (CT)

a diagnostic x-ray produced whereby a cross-sectional image of a specific body segment is produced; newer scanners can create 3D images

Contrast studies

radiopaque materials are injected to obtain contrast between tissues that would be indistinguishable from one another

Gamma camera

a machine to detect gamma rays emitted from radiopharmaceuticals during scanning for diagnostic purposes

Half-life

time required for a radioactive substance to lose half of its radioactivity by disintegration

Interventional Radiology

therapeutic or diagnostic procedures performed by a radiologist

Ionization

transformation of electrically neutral substances into electrically charged particles; x-rays cause ionization of particles within tissues

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

magnetic field and radio waves produce sagittal, coronal, and axial images of the body

Nuclear Medicine

a medical specialty that uses radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment of disease

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

positron-emitting radioactive substances given intravenously create a cross-sectional image of cellular metabolism based on the local concentration of the radioactive substance; it gives information about metabolic activity

Radioisotope/radionuclide

radioactive form of an element or substance

Radiology

a medical specialty concerned with the study of X-rays and their uses in the diagnosis of disease; includes other forms of energy such as US and MRI

Radiolucent

permitting the passage of X-rays; appears black on X-ray images

Radiopaque

obstructing the passage of X-rays; appears white on X-ray images

Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)

a radioactive tracer is injected intravenously, and a computer reconstructs a 3D image based on a composite of many views

Ultrasonography (US, U/S)

a diagnostic technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of the body

Ultrasound transducer

a handheld device that sends and receives ultrasound signals

Uptake

rate of absorption of a radionuclide into an organ or tissue

Is/o

same

-graphy

process of recording

-lucent

to shine

-opaque

obscure

Ba

 BArium

DICOM

Digital image communication in medicine

a standard protocol for storage and transmission of images between imaging devices

PACS

picture archival and communications system

provides storage and access for images from multiple modalities