A Lung Cancer Glossary - P - Z
A diagnosis of lung cancer - or even the possibility of it - can plunge someone into a world of unfamiliar words and terms for tests, conditions, medicines and treatments. Knowing the words that your health care provider is using can help you make good decisions about treatment options and choices. Below are definitions of many of the terms that you'll encounter when discussing lung cancer with your treatment providers.
- peripheral neuropathy (puh-RIF-uh-rul noo-RAH-puh-thee)
- A side effect of some anti-cancer drugs. Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet.
- PET scan
- Positron emission tomography scan. An imaging technique that may be used to find cancer in the body, or to determine how active the cancer is.
- phlegm (flem)
- Thick mucus from the airways of the body.
- pleura (PLOO-ruh)
- The thin lining that covers the lungs and the inside of the chest wall that cushions the lungs. Mesothelioma is cancer of the pleura.
- pleural effusion (PLOO-rul eh-FYOO-zhin)
- When too much fluid collects between the lining of the lung and the lining of the inside wall of the chest. A doctor may collect the pleural fluid and examine it for the presence of cancerous cells.
- pneumonectomy (noo-muh-NEK-tuh-mee)
- removal of a lung. Pneumonectomy is one of the surgeries that may be used to remove a cancer from the body.
- primary cancer
- The first or original cancer.
- prognosis (prahg-NOH-sis)
- The course a disease is likely to follow and its projected outcome.
- pulmonologist (pull-min-AH-luh-jist)
- A doctor who specializes in studying and treating diseases of the lungs.
- Quercetin (KWUR-suh-tin)
- A flavonoid found in apples, green tea and a number of other foods. In at least one study, people who had diets high in quercetin had a 58% lower chance of developing lung cancer than those with lower quercetin intakes. A nutritionist may suggest quercetin supplements or adding more foods containing quercetin to the diet to help prevent recurrence of cancer.
- Radiation therapy (ray-dee-AY-shin THAIR-a-pee)
- Cancer treatment that kills cancer cells by exposing them to radiation.
- radiation oncologist (RAY-dee-YAY-shun ahn-KAH-luh-jist)
- A doctor who has special training to treat cancer patients with radiation.
- radon (RAY-dahn)
- An odorless, colorless gas known to increase risk of lung cancer. The EPA estimates that up to 15% of all homes have dangerous levels of radon.
- recurrence
- Cancer that returns after a period of time when there was no cancer.
- resection
- Surgery to remove tissue, an organ, or part of an organ. A lung resection is one form of surgery used to treat early stage lung cancer.
- Selenium (suh-LEN-ee-um)
- A mineral that is required in small amounts by the body. The National Cancer Institute is in third stage of clinical trials to study the effects of selenium supplements on preventing recurrence of cancer. Some doctors and nutritionists recommend adding selenium to the diet of patients who've undergone treatment for lung cancer based on the early results from the trials.
- small cell lung cancer
- A type of lung cancer made up of small, round cells. SCLC is rarer than non-small cell lung cancer, spreads more rapidly and is harder to treat.
- sputum (SPYOO-tim)
- Mucus brought up from the lungs when you cough.
- sputum cytology (SPEW-tim sie-TAH-luh-jee)
- A screening test for lung cancer in which doctors study the sputum to see if it contains any cancerous cells.
- squamous cell carcinoma (SQUAY-mus SEL kar-sin-OH-muh)
- A type of non-small cell lung cancer that begins in the squamous cells of the lungs.
- stage
- How far the cancer has advanced. Treatment options and prognoses are based on the stage of the diagnosed cancer.
- Thoracic surgeon
- a surgeon who specializes in treating diseases of the lungs, chest and heart.
- TNM
- A system for describing stages of cancer. T describes the size of the tumor and whether it has grown into nearby tissues. N describes any lymph nodes involved. M describes metastasis.
- trachea (TRAY-kee-yuh)
- The airway connecting the larynx to the lungs; windpipe.
Related Articles
Lung Cancer - Overview
Lung Cancer is a type of cancer that forms in tissues of the lung, usually in the cells lining air passages. Many lung cancers begin in the bronchi though others can start in other parts of the lungs. Lung cancer also has a tendency to form in the glands below the bronchi.
Lung Cancer - Probabilities
Lung cancer causes up to 30% of all cancer related deaths, and it is the 2nd leading cause of death among both men and women in western society. 85% of all lung cancers are caused by a person's smoking habit or just by breathing in the second-hand smoke of others.
Lung Cancer - Screening
At this moment in time, there is no particularly useful single test that can be considered 100% reliable for the early detection of lung cancer. Unfortunately unless someone is undergoing a health screen for something completely unrelated, lung cancer is very often only discovered in the later stages of the disease when it is often too late to do anything but offer palliative treatment.
Lung Cancer - Symptoms
The most common indicators and symptoms of lung cancer include the following: Fatigue Shortness of breath and wheezing (dyspnoea) A cough that doesn't go away and gets worse over time Repeated problems with pneumonia or bronchitis Constant chest pain Coughing up blood (bloody sputum) (haemoptysis) Swelling of the neck and face Fever Loss of appetite and Weight loss (anorexia) Hoarse voice
Lung Cancer Treatment Options - Radiation
In many cases of lung cancer, surgery is not an option. This may be because of the advanced stage of the cancer, the location of the tumor or tumors, or because of the overall general health of the patient. In those cases, the oncologist may suggest radiation therapy to treat lung cancer. Even if surgery is an option, the doctor may suggest irradiation either before therapy to shrink the tumor or after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells.
Lung Cancer - Trends by Ethnicity, Sex and Race
In the USA and many other western countries, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death. Lung cancer has been found to be the leading cancer killer among Caucasians, African-Americans, Asians and Hispanic males.
Lung Cancer - Overview
Lung Cancer is a type of cancer that forms in tissues of the lung, usually in the cells lining air passages. Many lung cancers begin in the bronchi though others can start in other parts of the lungs. Lung cancer also has a tendency to form in the glands below the bronchi.
Lung Cancer - Probabilities
Lung cancer causes up to 30% of all cancer related deaths, and it is the 2nd leading cause of death among both men and women in western society. 85% of all lung cancers are caused by a person's smoking habit or just by breathing in the second-hand smoke of others.
Lung Cancer - Screening
At this moment in time, there is no particularly useful single test that can be considered 100% reliable for the early detection of lung cancer. Unfortunately unless someone is undergoing a health screen for something completely unrelated, lung cancer is very often only discovered in the later stages of the disease when it is often too late to do anything but offer palliative treatment.
Lung Cancer - Symptoms
The most common indicators and symptoms of lung cancer include the following: Fatigue Shortness of breath and wheezing (dyspnoea) A cough that doesn't go away and gets worse over time Repeated problems with pneumonia or bronchitis Constant chest pain Coughing up blood (bloody sputum) (haemoptysis) Swelling of the neck and face Fever Loss of appetite and Weight loss (anorexia) Hoarse voice
Lung Cancer Treatment Options - Radiation
In many cases of lung cancer, surgery is not an option. This may be because of the advanced stage of the cancer, the location of the tumor or tumors, or because of the overall general health of the patient. In those cases, the oncologist may suggest radiation therapy to treat lung cancer. Even if surgery is an option, the doctor may suggest irradiation either before therapy to shrink the tumor or after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells.
Lung Cancer - Trends by Ethnicity, Sex and Race
In the USA and many other western countries, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death. Lung cancer has been found to be the leading cancer killer among Caucasians, African-Americans, Asians and Hispanic males.