Learn the Language: Key Cancer Terms

Individualized Cancer Treatment – A personalized approach to cancer treatment that often involves using molecular-level information to help identify what therapies/medications are appropriate for a particular patient’s disease.

Advancements in the study of genetics and molecular biology have led to the creation of new diagnostic tests and drugs that may help your doctor to treat your cancer. Individualized cancer treatment involves customizing care by finding the approved treatment regimen or clinical trial that best matches your unique compliment of biological characteristics.

Biomarker – Biomarkers are specific biological, molecular or physical traits that can help doctors determine the effects or progress of a disease. Biomarkers are used in individualized cancer treatment to identify cancer in cells, determine its severity and help guide treatment decisions.

Biopsy – Biopsy is the process of taking a sample of living tissue for examination by a pathologist. Many different types of tissue can be biopsied, including skin, bone, organs and other soft tissues. These tissue samples can be critical because they are used in molecular-level testing that may identify the abnormalities that drive your cancer.

Diagnostics – Diagnostics include tests, or series of steps undertaken to identify cancer or other diseases/conditions. Blood tests and CT scans are examples of more common diagnostic procedures, but breakthroughs in science have led to more advanced molecular-level diagnostics that may more precisely characterize your cancer.

Molecular-Level Testing – Molecular diagnostic testing is a cutting-edge process that may characterize the unique genetic and molecular signature of your cancer cells in order to help your oncologist determine the most appropriate treatment. In this process, your tissue and/or blood sample is sent to a specialized lab where cancer cells are analyzed for genetic and biochemical abnormalities that help shed light on what therapies/medicines may best target your unique manifestation of the disease.

Oncologist – An oncologist is a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Clinical oncologists are usually trained in one of three primary disciplines: medical, surgical or radiation oncology. Oncologists are tasked with explaining your cancer diagnosis, explaining treatment options, and working with your to recommend the most appropriate treatment.

Pathologist – A pathologist is a doctor who specializes in identifying diseases by studying cells and tissues under a microscope. Pathologists work primarily in laboratories and consult with clinical for colleagues regarding your disease origin, nature and cause. In the case of cancer, a pathologist is responsible for examining biopsy results and helping to produce a diagnosis.

Pathology Report – A pathology report is a medical document that provides a diagnosis of a disease based on a microscopic analysis of tissue and blood samples. The report is usually created after a surgery or biopsy and provides your doctor or oncologist with specific information on the characteristics of a tumor. The report is used to help determine the most appropriate treatment for your disease.