We have listed a number of common definitions and terms below.
| Definition | Term |
|---|---|
| Benign | A tumor or growth that is not cancerous |
| Biopsy | A tissue sample that is taken and analyzed to determine if cancerous cells are present. |
| Carcinoma | A cancerous growth starting on the surface tissue. Also related to the word “carcinogenic”, meaning a cancer-causing substance. |
| Complimentary Therapy | A type of therapy used to compliment conventional medical treatment, focusing on improving wellbeing. There are numerous complimentary therapies, such as massage, reflexology, and aromatherapy. |
| Hospice | A care service for people who are at the end stages of terminal illness, focussing on pain relief and symptom relief. |
| In situ | Literally it means to be in place. Medically, it refers to a cancer that has not begun to spread. |
| Invasive | A cancer which is spreading to other parts of the body. |
| Metastasis | The bit of cancer which has spread to other areas of the body. |
| Nausea | The feeling or sensation that you will be sick to your stomach. |
| Oedema | An excessive accumulation of fluid in the body. |
| Oncology | The study and treatment of cancer. Your cancer consultant may also be called an oncologist. |
| Palliative Care | Treatment that is for comfort and not cure, concentrating on the person’s quality of life and that of those close to the person, and controlling unwanted symptoms connected with the illness. |
| Pathologist | A doctor who studies diseases and their causes, development and consequences. Pathologists study tissue samples to determine if they are cancerous. |
| Primary cancer | The location where the cancer first started. |
| Primary care | Health services provided in the community (such as GP and district nursing services), as opposed to hospitals. |
| Prognosis | The predicted course or outcome of the cancer. |
| Public involvement | Public Involvement is a major policy for the whole of the Scottish public services, including the NHS (where it is known as PFPI – Patient Focus Public Involvement).It is led by the Scottish Government, and aims to ensure that all public services in Scotland are responsive to the needs of the people who use them, and that they meet the standards people are entitled to expect of 21st century practice.The way for patients or their carers to ensure that their views are heard is to talk to the key professionals providing care and support. This may be the GP, Community Nurse, Macmillan Nurse, or a specialist practitioner in the hospital. Patients and their carers can also get involved via the Managed Clinical Network, a range of groups which design, plan and supervise delivery of healthcare, working with colleagues in other health boards to ensure that clinical practice is of a high standard. |
| Remission | When a cancer has stopped growing and there are no more symptoms |
| Secondary care | Health service(s) provided in the hospital for when you are struggling with more severe or complex health conditions (such as a consultant or specialist). |
| Tumour | A lump of abnormal cells which do not grow at the same rate or in the same fashion as the existing cells in that area. A tumour can be cancerous or benign. |
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