Glossary of Sarcoma Terms


By Howard Rosenthal, M.D. on Aug 04, 2008

 

GLOSSARY

 

Adjuvant therapy

   Chemotherapy or hormone therapy undertaken after completion of the primary treatment to destroy cancer beyond reach of surgery

 

Amputation

   Surgery to remove all or part of a limb

 

Angiogram

   x-ray of blood vessels of an organ using a special contrast dye

 

Benign

   Non cancerous, will not spread disease to rest of body

 

Biopsy

   Removal of a sample of tissue for microscopic examination

 

Bone scan

   A technique to create images of bones on a computer screen or on film.  A small amount of radioactive material is injected into the bloodstream and eventually collects in the         bones. This material concentrates in abnormal bone areas and can be spotted by a scanner

 

Chemotherapy

   Administration of drugs, usually intravenously to combat cancer. These drugs kill health cells as well as cancerous ones and may cause hair loss and other side effects

 

Clinical trials

   Studies of new cancer treatments. Each study is tested in three phases. Patients may be eligible in different phases depending of their general condition and type and stage of cancer

 

Graft

   Removal of healthy skin bone or other tissue from one part of the body to replace damaged or diseased tissue to another location

 

Lymphatic system

   The tissue and organs, including bone marrow, spleen, thymus, lymph vessels and lymph nodes, where a group of specific cells that fight infection are produced and stored

 

Oncologist

   Physician specializing in cancer treatment

 

Radiation therapy

   Killing cancerous tissue with x-rays

 

Sarcoma

   Cancer originating in bone, muscle, fat or connective tissue

 

Staging

   A method of classifying the extent of a cancer.  The stage depends on both the size of the tumor as well as the spread, if any, to other parts of the body.  The least advanced dancer is designated Stage I and the most is Stage IV.

 

Tumor markers

   Substances in the bloodstream or bodily fluids that can signal the existence of cancerous tumors

  

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