Term
| Type of cancer: carcinoma |
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Definition
| malignant tumors derived from epithelial cells (lining of tissue, skin, mucosal surface, etc); most common cancer (include breat, prostate, lung, colorectal) |
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Term
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Definition
| malignant tumors derived from connective tissue, or mesenchymal cells (muscles, bones, ligaments) |
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Term
| Type of cancer: lymphomas and leukemia |
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Definition
| malignancies dervied from hematopoietic (blood forming) cells |
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Term
| Type of cancer: germ cell tumors |
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Definition
| tumors derived from totipotent cells; most often found in testicles and ovaries; found on body midline in fetuses, babies and young children |
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Term
| Definition of differentiation |
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Definition
| developmental process by which a less specialized cell becomes a more specialized cell type |
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Term
| Definition of proliferation |
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Definition
| increasing in cell number by cell division and growth |
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Term
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Definition
| abnormality in maturation of cells; often indicative of an early neoplastic process |
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Term
| Definition of hyperplasia |
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Definition
| proliferation of cells w/in an organ or tissue beyond that which is ordinarily seen (splenomegaly, hepatomegaly) |
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Term
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Definition
| abnormal replacement of cells of one type by cells of another |
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Term
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Definition
| spread of disease (cancer) from one body part to another |
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Term
| Definition of definitive therapy (aka radical therapy) |
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Definition
| treatment w/ curative intent (i.e. mastectomy for breast cancer) |
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Term
| Definition of palliative therapy |
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Definition
| intent of treatment is not to cure but to relieve symptoms |
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Term
| Definition of adjuvant therapy |
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Definition
| treatment that FOLLOWS definitive therapy to improve disease control (i.e. chemo or radiation) |
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Term
| Definition of neoadjuvant therapy |
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Definition
| treatment that PRECEDES definitive therapy to improve efficacy of definitive therapy (i.e. induction chemo, pre-op radiation) |
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Term
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Definition
| based on Tumor, Node, Metastasis states; most powerful predictor of survival and the basis of treatment |
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Term
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Definition
| carcinoma in situ (no invasion) |
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Term
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Definition
| cancers are LOCALIZED to ONE PART of the body |
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Term
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Definition
| cancers are EXTENDING outside of the organ but still localized |
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Term
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Definition
| cancers are LOCALLY ADVANCED (i.e. lymph node involvement) |
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Term
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Definition
| cancers have often METASTASIZED, or SPREAD to other organs or throughout the body |
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Term
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Definition
| over-growth of tissue but self-limited and do not invade or metastasize |
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Term
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Definition
| poor prognosis, will spread to and infiltrate other tissues and cause death |
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Term
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Definition
| tumor originated in the same organ, and has not metastasized to other organs |
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Term
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Definition
| cancerous tumors that are either metastatic offshoots of a primary tumor, or apparently unrelated tumors that increase in frequency following certain cancer treatments, including chemotherapy or radiotherapy |
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Term
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Definition
| risk of developing cancer increases with age |
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Term
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Definition
| abnormalities in DNA; environment exposure (tobacco, alcohol, radon, asbestos); radiation exposure (UV sun, atomic bomb, nuclear plant); random somatic mutations acquired through errors in DNA replication; inherited germ line mutations; infectious agents (viral: HPV for cervical CA, hepatitis for liver CA; bacterial: H. pylori for stomach CA) |
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Term
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Definition
| Primary prevention avoids the development of a disease. Most population-based health promotion activities are primary preventive measures |
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Term
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Definition
| Secondary prevention activities are aimed at early disease detection, thereby increasing opportunities for interventions to prevent progression of the disease and emergence of symptoms |
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Term
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Definition
| Tertiary prevention reduces the negative impact of an already established disease by restoring function and reducing disease-related complications |
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Term
| Surgery (local tx) side effects |
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Definition
| operative mortality/morbidity, wound healing problems, functional defect (lobectomy, amputation), nerve damage |
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Term
| Radiaton (local tx) side effects |
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Definition
| skin/mucosal toxicity, muscle/joint fibrosis (contractures), fatigue, second malignancy, other local effects (N/V, blindness, pneumonitis, nerve damage), skin tenderness (limited to area receiving RT) |
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Term
| Chemotherapy (systemic tx) side effects |
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Definition
| blood cell toxicity (anemia, neutropenia), compromised immunity, N/V, kidney/liver/cardiac toxicity, hair loss |
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Term
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Definition
| Damages DNA w/in cancer cells and destroys their ability to reproduce. When damaged cancer cells are destroyed by radiation, the body naturally eliminates them. Normals cells can be affected but able to self-repair. |
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Term
| How is radiation therapy (RT) used? |
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Definition
| To CURE CANCER: destroy tumors that haven't metastasized; reduce risk of cancer returning after surgery or chemo. To REDUCE SYMPTOMS: shrink tumors affecting QOL (i.e. lung mass causing SOB); alleviate pain. |
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Term
| Intensity Modulated Radiothearpy (IMRT) |
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Definition
| specialized form of 3D conformal radiotherapy; radiation is broken into many beamlets and the intensity of each can be adjusted individually |
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Term
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Definition
| places radioactive material into tumor or surrounding tissues so large doses can hit cancer cells; allows minimal radiation exposures to surrounding tissue |
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Term
| What happens if someone lacks the myostatin gene |
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Definition
| enhanced muscle development, no fat!, "superhuman," possible use in treating muscle dystrophy and cachexia |
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Term
| ankylating agents and nitrosourea |
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Definition
| inhibit cell growth and division by reacting with DNA |
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Term
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Definition
| prevent cell growth by competing with metabolites in production of nucleic acid |
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Term
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Definition
| inhibit cell growth by binding with DNA and interfering with DNA-dependent RNA synthesis |
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Term
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Definition
| prevent cellular reproduction by disrupting cell mitosis |
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Term
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Definition
| block growth of hormone-susceptible tumors by changing their chemical env't |
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