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Tri-State Regional
Cancer Center
706 23rd St.
Ashland, KY 41101
(606)-329-0060
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Glossary
These are the
words that appear in bold print in Radiation
Therapy and You. You also may hear members of your
health team use them. Don't be afraid to ask your
health care staff to explain any terms you don't
understand.
Adjuvant therapy
Treatment added to the primary treatment to
enhance the effectiveness of the primary
treatment. Radiation therapy often is used as an
adjuvant to surgery.
Alopecia (al-oh-PEE-she-ah)
Hair loss.
Anesthesia
Loss of feeling or sensation to prevent pain.
Certain drugs or gases called 'anesthetics' are
used to achieve anesthesia so that medical
procedures may be performed without pain. A local
anesthetic causes loss of feeling in part of the
body. A general anesthetic puts the patient to
sleep.
Antiemetic (an-tee-eh-MET-ik)
A medicine that prevents or relieves nausea and
vomiting.
Biological therapy
Treatment to stimulate or restore the ability of
the immune system to fight infection and disease;
also called immunotherapy.
Brachytherapy (BRAK-ee-THER-ah-pee)
Internal radiation therapy using an implant of
radioactive material placed directly into or near
the tumor; also called "internal radiation
therapy."
Cancer
A term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide
without control. Cancer cells can invade nearby
tissues and can spread through the bloodstream and
lymphatic system to other parts of the body.
Catheter
A thin, flexible, hollow tube through which fluids
enter or leave the body. Radioactive materials may
be placed in catheters which are placed near the
cancer.
Chemotherapy
Treatment with anticancer drugs.
Cobalt
60
A radioactive substance used as a radiation source
to treat cancer.
CT
(computed tomography) scan
An x-ray procedure that uses a computer to produce
a series of detailed pictures of a cross section
of the body; also called a CAT scan.
Dietitian (also "registered dietitian")
A professional who plans diet programs for proper
nutrition.
Dosimetrist (do-SIM-uh-trist)
A person who plans and calculates the proper
radiation dose for treatment.
Electron beam
A stream of electrons (small negatively charged
particles found in atoms) that can be used for
radiation therapy.
External radiation
The use of radiation from a machine located
outside of the body to aim high-energy rays at
cancer cells.
Fluoride
A chemical applied to the teeth to prevent tooth
decay.
Gamma
knife
Radiation therapy in which high energy rays are
aimed at a brain tumor from many angles in a
single treatment session.
Gamma
rays
High-energy rays that come from a radioactive
source such as cobalt-60.
High
dose-rate remote brachytherapy
A type of internal radiation treatment in which
the radioactive source is removed between
treatments; also known as 'high dose-rate remote
radiation therapy.'
Hyperfractionated radiation
Radiation treatment that is given in
smaller-than-usual doses two or three times a day.
Implant
A radioactive source in a small holder that is
placed in the body in or near a cancer.
Internal radiation
Radiation therapy that uses the technique of
placing a radioactive source in or near a cancer.
Interstitial radiation
A radioactive source (implant) placed directly
into the cancerous tissue such as the head and
neck region or the breast.
Intracavitary radiation
A radioactive source (implant) placed in a body
cavity such as the chest cavity or the vagina.
Intraoperative radiation
External radiation treatment given during surgery
to deliver a large dose of radiation to the tumor
bed and surrounding tissue; also called IORT.
Linear
accelerator
A machine that creates high-energy radiation to
treat cancers, using electricity to form a stream
of fast-moving subatomic particles; also called
'mega-voltage (MeV) linear accelerator' or a "linac."
Lumen
The cavity or channel within a tube or tubular
organ such as a blood vessel or the intestine.
Medical oncologist
A doctor who specializes in treating cancer with
chemotherapy.
Neutron
A small, uncharged particle of matter found in the
atoms of all elements except hydrogen. Streams of
neutrons generated by special equipment can be
used for radiation treatment.
Oncologist
A doctor who specializes in treating cancer.
Palliative care, palliation
Treatment that relieves symptoms but does not cure
disease. Palliative care can help people with
cancer live more comfortably.
Physical therapist
A health professional trained in the use of
treatments such as exercise and massage.
Platelets
Blood cells that help stop bleeding by
contributing to the formation of clots.
Prosthesis
An artificial replacement for a body part.
Proton
A small, positively charged particle of matter
found in the atoms of all elements. Streams of
protons generated by special equipment can be used
for radiation treatment.
Radiation
Energy carried by waves or a stream of particles.
Radiation nurse
A nurse who specializes in caring for people who
are undergoing radiation therapy.
Radiation oncologist
A doctor who specializes in treating cancer with
radiation.
Radiation physicist
The person who makes sure that the radiation
machine delivers the right amount of radiation to
the treatment site. In consultation with the
radiation oncologist, the physicist also
determines the treatment schedule that will have
the best chance of killing the most cancer cells.
Radiation therapist
The person who runs the equipment that delivers
the radiation.
Radiation therapy
Treatment with high-energy rays (such as x-rays)
to kill cancer cells. The radiation may come from
outside of the body (external radiation) or from
radioactive materials placed directly in the tumor
(internal or implant radiation). Types of
radiation include x-rays, electron beams, gamma
rays, neutron beams, and proton beams. Radioactive
substances include cobalt, iridium, and cesium.
(See also gamma rays, brachytherapy, and x-ray.)
Radioactive
Capable of emitting high-energy rays or particles.
Radiologist
A doctor with special training in creating and
interpreting pictures of areas inside the body.
The pictures are produced with x-rays, sound
waves, or other types of energy.
Reconstructive surgery
Surgical procedure done to restore the shape of an
area of the body altered by cancer surgery.
Recurrent
Reappearance of cancer cells at the same site or
in another location after a disease-free period.
Red
blood cells
Cells that carry oxygen to all parts of the body.
Also called "erythrocytes."
Remote
brachytherapy
See "high dose-rate remote brachytherapy."
Simulation
The process used to plan radiation therapy so that
the target area is precisely located and marked.
Telangiectasia
A skin lesion that results from dilation of a
group of small blood vessels.
Treatment port or treatment field
The place on the body at which the radiation beam
is aimed.
Tumor
An abnormal mass of excess tissue that results
from excessive cell division. Tumors perform no
useful body function and may be either benign (not
cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
Unsealed internal radiation therapy
Internal radiation therapy given by injecting a
radioactive substance into the bloodstream or a
body cavity. This substance is not sealed in a
container.
White
blood cells
Cells that help the body fight infection and
disease.
X-rays
High-energy radiation that is used in low doses to
diagnose disease and in high doses to treat
cancer.
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