CANCER GLOSSARY

ANEMIA: Low red blood cell count, which can cause such symptoms as fatigue, weakness and dizziness

BIOMARKER: Substance made by cancerous and sometimes normal cells that can evaluate the effectiveness of treatment or check for reoccurring cancer

IMMUNE SYSTEM: Helps the body resist infection from bacteria or viruses, and may also help the body fight some cancers

LESION: Abnormal body tissue, which may be a lump, mass, tumor, spot or change in the way the skin looks or feels

LYMPH NODE: Removes cell waste, germs and other harmful substances from the body. Cancers often spread first to nearby lymph nodes.

METASTASIS: Cancer cells spread to other parts of the body.

NODULE: A small, solid lump that can be felt or seen on an imaging test

NEUTROPENIA: A drop in white blood cells and increase in infection risk

POLYP: A growth commonly found in such organs as the rectum, uterus, and nose that can be cancerous or noncancerous

RESECTION: Surgery to remove part or all of an organ or other structure

TUMOR: An abnormal lump or collection of cells that can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous)

WHITE BLOOD CELLS: Defends the body against infections and can be reduced by certain cancer treatments

For an extensive glossary, visit American Cancer Society’s website at cancer.org.

Source: American Cancer Society