Chapter 19 Cancer Medicine

Vocabulary flashcards covering the definitions, causes, classifications, and treatments of cancer based on Chapter 19 lecture notes.

Cancer

A disease caused by excessive growth of cells in the body that may arise at any time in any tissue.

Malignant tumors

Accumulations of cancer cells that compress, invade, and destroy surrounding normal tissue, spreading through the body via the blood stream or lymph vessels.

Benign

Non-invasive, slow-growing, and encapsulated tumors that do not spread and resemble normal, mature tissue.

Carcinogenesis

The transformation from a normal cell to a cancer cell resulting from damage to genetic material known as DNA.

DNA

Genetic material that controls the production of new cells and protein; each contains the code for making a single protein.

Mitosis

The process of cell division.

Protein synthesis

The production of new protein.

Environmental agents

Agents from the environment, such as toxic chemicals, sunlight, tobacco smoking, and viruses, that can damage DNA and produce cancer.

Chemical carcinogens

Agents found in cigarettes, pipesmoke, automobile exhaust, insecticides, industrial chemicals, and asbestos in insulation.

Carcinomas

The largest group of solid tumors, making up approximately $90\%$ of malignancies, derived from epithelial tissue that lines internal and external surfaces.

Sarcomas

Malignant tumors that are less common than carcinomas, derived from tissues such as fat, bone, muscle, cartilage, and bone marrow.

Osteo-

A prefix referring to bone.

Chondro-

A prefix referring to cartilage.

Lipo-

A prefix referring to fat.

Radiation therapy

Treatment employing a high beam to destroy tumor cells by producing damage to DNA.

Palliative

Radiotherapy intended to relieve symptoms rather than produce a cure.

Curative

Radiotherapy intended to produce a cure, though it may result in undesirable side effects to normal body tissue.

Alopecia

Hair loss or baldness that can occurring as a side effect of cancer treatment.

Chemotherapy

The treatment of cancer using chemicals and drugs; it is the standard treatment for many types of cancer including testicular, acute leukemia, and Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Complete remission

The absence of all disease after drug therapy.

Adjuvant chemotherapy

The administration of drug treatment after surgery to kill any residual cancer.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy

The administration of drug treatment before surgery to reduce the size of a tumor.

Fungating

A mushrooming pattern of growth in which tumor cells pile on top of another and project from the tissue surface.

Medullary

A large, soft, fleshy tumor growth pattern.

Necrotic

A tumor containing dead tissue.

Polypoid

Growth that forms projections extending outward from a base.

Carcinoma in situ

Localized tumor cells that have not invaded adjacent structures.

Sarrhaus

Densely packed tumors.

Staging

The classification of cancerous tumors based on the extent of the spread of the tumor.

Cauterization

The destruction of tissue by burning.

Exenteration

Wide resection involving the removal of a tumor, its organ of origin, and surrounding tissue in the body space.

Fulguration

Destruction of tissue by electric sparks using a high frequency current.

Incisional biopsy

A procedure where a piece of a tumor is removed for examination to establish a diagnosis.

Metastasis

The spread of a malignant tumor to a distant site.

Morbidity

The condition of being diseased or unwell.

Mucinous

Containing mucus.

Relapse

The return of disease symptoms.

Pharmacokinetics

The study of the distribution and removal of drugs.

BX

Abbreviation for biopsy.

NHL

Abbreviation for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.