Medical Terms Explained

Simple explanations of the words you might hear from your medical team

Try: "HER2", "metastatic", "chemotherapy", or "prognosis"

Most Searched Terms

Metastatic

Cancer that has spread from where it started (the primary site) to other parts...

HER2

Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2. A protein on the surface of cells...

Prognosis

The likely outcome or expected course of a disease; the chance of recovery or...

Palliative Care

Specialised medical care focused on providing relief from symptoms and improving...

A

Adjuvant Therapy Additional treatment given after the primary treatment (usually surgery) to lower the risk of cancer...

Alopecia Hair loss, which can be a side effect of some cancer treatments like chemotherapy.

Angiogenesis The formation of new blood vessels. Tumours need new blood vessels to grow, so some treatments work...

B

Biomarker A biological molecule found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that can indicate cancer...

Biopsy A procedure to remove a small sample of tissue or cells so it can be examined under a microscope to...

Bone Scan An imaging test that uses a small amount of radioactive material to check if cancer has spread to...

C

Chemotherapy Treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or...

Clinical Trial A research study that tests new treatments or new ways of using existing treatments to see if they...

CT Scan Computed tomography scan. A type of imaging that uses X-rays taken from different angles to create...

E

Endocrine Therapy Treatment that blocks or lowers the amount of hormones in the body to slow or stop the growth of...

Estrogen Receptor (ER) A protein found on some breast cancer cells that binds to the hormone estrogen. Cancers with these...

H

HER2 Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2. A protein on the surface of cells that, when present in...

Hormone Therapy Treatment that blocks or removes hormones to slow or stop the growth of cancers that use hormones to...

Hospice A type of care focused on comfort and quality of life for people with a life-limiting illness. It...

I

Immunotherapy Treatment that helps your immune system fight cancer. It can boost or change how the immune system...

Infusion A method of giving fluids or medication directly into the bloodstream through a vein (IV). Many...

M

Metastasis The spread of cancer cells from where they first formed (the primary site) to another part of the...

Metastatic Cancer that has spread from where it started (the primary site) to other parts of the body. Also...

MRI Magnetic Resonance Imaging. A type of scan that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create...

O

Oncologist A doctor who specialises in diagnosing and treating cancer. There are medical oncologists, surgical...

Oncology The branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.

P

Palliative Care Specialised medical care focused on providing relief from symptoms and improving quality of life....

PET Scan Positron Emission Tomography scan. An imaging test that uses a small amount of radioactive sugar to...

Prognosis The likely outcome or expected course of a disease; the chance of recovery or how the disease might...

Progression When cancer grows, spreads, or gets worse. Often means the current treatment may need to be changed.

R

Radiation Therapy Treatment that uses high-energy rays or particles to destroy cancer cells or slow their growth. Also...

Recurrence When cancer comes back after a period of time during which it could not be detected. It can come...

Remission A decrease or disappearance of signs and symptoms of cancer. Can be partial (some improvement) or...

S

Stage IV The most advanced stage of cancer, where it has spread from the original site to distant organs or...

Systemic Treatment Treatment that travels through the bloodstream to reach cancer cells throughout the body, rather...

T

Targeted Therapy Treatment using drugs that specifically target certain features of cancer cells, often causing less...

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Breast cancer that doesn't have estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, or excess HER2 protein....

Tumour Marker A substance found in blood, urine, or body tissues that can be elevated when cancer is present. Used...