Glossary

Glossary of Key Medical Terms

Adenocarcinoma - the most common type of non-small cell lung
cancer

Adjuvant therapy - the use of another form of treatment after
surgical removal of the cancer

Benign - not malignant or cancerous

Bilobectomy - surgery that removes more than one lobe of the lung

Biopsy - the removal of body tissue to test for cancer

Bronchioalveolar carcinoma - a subtype of adenocarcinoma that can
sometimes grow slowly

Bronchoscopy - examination of the major airways within the lung

Bronchi - the major branches leading from the trachea (wind pipe)
to the lungs, providing the passageway for air movement

Cancer - malignant tumour

Carcinogen - substance that is known to cause cancer

Chemotherapy - the treatment of cancer with drugs

CT scan - a computer-assisted x-ray that shows the location of
tumours. Also called a CAT scan (computed axial tomography).

Extensive stage - small cell lung cancer that has spread from one
lung to other areas in the body

Five-year survival rate - a statistic that describes the percentage of
people, all with the same cancer stage, who are alive and free
of cancer five years following its diagnosis.

Large cell carcinoma - an uncommon type of non-small cell lung
cancer

Limited stage - small cell lung cancer that is confined to one lung
and the area closely around that lung

Lobe - one of the compartments of the lung

Lymph nodes - fluid-filtering glands located throughout the body

Malignant tumour - a cancerous tumour which is capable of
invading surrounding tissue and spreading to other areas of the
body

Mediastinum - the middle area of the chest between the lungs that
contains structures such as the trachea, lymph nodes, heart and
esophagus

Medical oncologist - a doctor who specializes in treating cancer with
chemotherapy drugs

Mesothelioma - a cancer that develops in the pleura and is usually
related to asbestos exposure. It is not a lung cancer but is
treated by many of the same specialists that treat lung cancer

Metastasis - spread of cancer to other organs through the lymphatic
system and/or bloodstream

Metastatic tumour - refers to those tumours that have spread from
the primary lung cancer (also called secondary tumours)

Non-small cell lung cancer - one of the major classes of lung cancer.
It has three major subtypes: adenocarcinoma, squamous cell
carcinoma, and large cell carcinoma

Oncologist - a doctor who specializes in treating cancer. Some
oncologists specialize in chemotherapy (medical oncologists),
radiotherapy (radiation oncologists), or surgery (surgical
oncologists)

Palliative care - treatment aimed at the relief of pain and other
symptoms

Pathologist - a doctor who diagnoses lung cancer by studying fluid
or tissue under a microscope

Pleura - a thin membrane that covers the outer surface of the lung
and the inner surface of the chest wall

Pleural space - the area between the two pleural membranes

Primary cancer - the site in the body where the cancer first started

Prophylactic cranial radiation - radiation treatment given to the
brain to treat microscopic cancer cells that may have spread to
the brain, but so far are undetectable

Radiation - a treatment method that uses high-energy rays to
destroy cancer cells

Radiation oncologist - a doctor who specializes in treating cancer
with radiation

Radiologist - a doctor who reads x-rays, ct scans, and other medical
imaging. Some radiologists also perform diagnostic procedures,
such as needle biopsies, using medical imaging for guidance

Recurrence - the return of cancer after treatment

Remission - the absence of disease

Respirologist - a doctor who specializes in the treatment of nonmalignant
diseases of the lung, and performs bronchoscopies

Second-hand smoke - exposure to tobacco smoke from someone
else smoking

Small cell lung cancer - one of the major classes of lung cancer

Squamous cell carcinoma - a type of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Staging - a classification used to describe the size and extent of a
primary tumour and whether it shows evidence of metastasis

Targeted therapy
Traditionally, treatment options for lung cancer have included surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Recently another class of drugs called targeted drugs is being used for patients with advanced (metastatic) non small cell lung cancer. Targeted therapies are designed to “target” cancer cells and interfere with their ability to grow and spread. Since targeted therapies directly target cancer cells and not the normal healthy cells in the body, they do not have the same side effects as chemotherapy. Some of these targeted therapies are taken orally which offers the added convenience of being able to take treatment at home.

Thoracic surgical oncologist - a surgeon who specializes in
diagnosing and treating lung cancer and other tumours of the
chest

Tumour - an abnormal mass or clump of cells that can be benign
(non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous)

X-ray - a diagnostic image produced by the use of low dose
radiation