The terms listed in this glossary have been taken from the canadian Cancer Society’s online glossary:
Alopecia
The loss of hair from the body and/or the scalp.
Benign Tumour
A non-cancerous growth that does not spread to surrounding tissues and rarely recurs after it has been completely removed.
Biopsy
Removal of a small piece of tissue for examination under the microscope to help detect or rule out cancer.
Breast Self-Examination (BSE)
An easy-to-learn procedure for examining one’s own breasts to detect changes in the way they look, or the way they feel.
Cancer
Cancer is a general term for more than 200 diseases. It is the uncontrolled, abnormal growth of cells that can invade and destroy healthy tissues. Most cancers can also spread to other parts of the body.
Chemotherapy
The use of cytotoxic drugs to treat cancer.
Lumpectomy
Surgical removal of a breast tumour along with a small amount of nearby normal tissue.
Malignant
The term malignant means cancerous.
Mammography
Mammography uses small amounts of x-rays to get a clear picture of the soft tissue inside the breast. This x-ray picture is called a mammogram.
Mastectomy
Surgical removal of a breast.
Metastasis
The medical term that is used when cancer spreads from one part of the body to another by way of the lymph system or bloodstream.
Oncologist
An oncologist is a doctor who is a specialist in the understanding and treatment of cancer
Radiation Therapy
The use of high-energy penetrating rays to treat disease. Radiation therapy can be internal or external.
Remission
The time when a disease is under control and the person is free from its signs and symptoms.
Side Effect
An unwanted or undesirable symptom caused by cancer treatment.
Tumour
A tumour is a lump, mass or swelling of tissue. A tumour can be benign
