Glossary of Lung Cancer Terms
Lymph nodes
Small kidney bean-shaped immune system organs distributed all over the body.
Malignant
A term used to refer to cancerous cells or tumors. Malignant cells are abnormal and grow uncontrollably. They may invade and destroy other parts of the body.
Mediastinoscopy and mediastinotomy
Both of these tests let the surgeon look at and take samples of lymph nodes in the area between the lungs (this area is called the mediastinum).
Metastasis
The spread of cancer from its primary site to other places in the body.
Monoclonal antibodies
Proteins made in a laboratory that can attach to tumor cells and tell the cell what to do. There are many types of monoclonal antibodies, each made to find one substance. They can be used alone or they can destroy the cell by carrying toxins to the tumor.
MRI scan (magnetic resonance imaging)
MRI scans give detailed pictures of soft tissues in the body using radio waves and strong magnets. MRI scans are useful in finding lung cancer that has spread to the brain or spinal cord.
Mucus
A thick, slippery fluid made by the membranes that line certain organs of the body, including the lungs. It collects unwanted matter like dust and germs.
Multi-modality or combined modality
Treatment using a combination of therapies.
Mutation
A permanent change in the DNA sequence of a gene.
Neoadjuvant therapy
Treatment given before the main type of treatment to increase the chances of successful response.
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
About 85 to 90 percent of lung cancers are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). There are three main subtypes of NSCLC, which look different under a microscope but are treated similarly. The subtypes are adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and large cell carcinoma.
Occult stage non-small cell lung cancer
Cancer cells are found in sputum (mucus coughed up from the lungs), but no tumor can be found in the lung by imaging tests or bronchoscopy, or the tumor is too small to be biopsied.
Palliative care
Care aimed at making the patient more comfortable and improving quality of life. Hospice care always includes palliative care, but palliative care can be administered at any stage of a disease.
Palliative therapy
Treatment to relieve symptoms, but not treat the disease.
Partial response
The tumor has shrunk in size by at least 30 percent.
Pathologist
A doctor who identifies diseases by studying cells and tissues under a microscope.
PET scan (positron emission tomography)
For a PET scan, a form of radioactive sugar is injected into the blood. Cancer cells in the body absorb large amounts of the sugar. A special camera can then spot the radioactivity. This test can help show whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
Photodynamic therapy (PDT)
A special chemical is injected into the blood stream that stays in cancer cells longer than regular cells. A laser activates the chemical in the cancer cells and kills them.
Pleura
The pleura are the two membranes that surround each lobe of the lungs and separate the lungs from the chest wall.
Pneumonectomy
The removal of the entire lung affected by cancer.
