| Adjuvant
Chemotherapy |
(ad'ju-vant
kee-mo-ther'a-pee)
One or more anticancer drugs used in combination with surgery
or radiation therapy as part of the treatment of cancer. Adjuvant
usually means "in addition to" initial treatment. |
| Antibody |
(an'ti-bod-ee)
A protein produced by a plasma cell in the Iymphatic system or
bone marrow. An antibody binds to the specific antigen that has
stimulated the immune system. Once bound, the antigen can be destroyed
by other cells of the immune system. See Immune System. |
| Antigen |
(an'ti-jen)
A substance, foreign to the body, that stimulates the production
of antibodies by the immune system. Antigens include foreign proteins,
bacteria, viruses, pollen and other materials. |
| Biological
Therapy |
Use
of biologicals (substances produced by our own cells) or biological
response modifiers (substances that affect the patient's defense
systems) in the treatment of cancer. |
| Blood
Count |
Measurement
of the number of red cells, white cells, and platelets in a sample
of blood. |
| Bone
Marrow |
(mair'oh)
The inner, spongy core of bone that produces blood cells. |
| Cancer |
(kan'ser)
A general term for more than 100 diseases characterized by abnormal
and uncontrolled growth of cells. The resulting mass, or tumor,
can invade and destroy surrounding normal tissues. Cancer cells
from the tumor can spread through the blood or Iymph to start
new cancers in other parts of the body. |
CCOP
(Community Clinical Oncology Program)
|
This
new program links community physicians with NCI clinical research
programs, so that more cancer patients can participate in clinical
trials in their own communities. NCI has funded 62 CCOPs affiliated
with over 200 hospitals in 34 states.
|
Chemotherapy
|
(kee-mo-ther'a-pee)
Treatment with anticancer drugs.
|
Clinical
Trial
|
The
systematic investigation of the effects of materials or methods,
according to a formal study plan and generally in a human population
with a particular disease or class of diseases. In cancer research,
a clinical trial generally refers to the evaluation of treatment
methods such as surgery, drugs or radiation techniques, although
methods of prevention, detection or diagnosis also may be the
subject of such studies. |
| Combination
Chemotherapy |
(kee-mo-ther'apee)
Use of two or more anticancer drugs. |
| Combination
Therapy |
(ther'a-pee)
The use of two or more modes of treatment-surgery, radiotherapy,
chemotherapy, immunotherapy-in combination, alternately or together,
to achieve optimum results against cancer. |
| Control
Group |
In
clinical studies this is a group of patients which receives standard
treatment, a treatment or intervention currently being used and
considered to be of proved effectiveness on the basis of past
studies. Results in patients receiving newly developed treatments
may then be compared to the control group. In cases where no standard
treatment yet exists for a particular condition, the control group
would receive no treatment. No patient is placed in a control
group without treatment if there is any beneficial treatment known
for that patient. |
| Double-blind |
Characteristic
of a controlled experiment in which neither the patient nor the
attending physician knows whether the patient is getting one or
another drug or dose. In singleblind studies, patients do not
know which of several treatments they are receiving, thus preventing
personal bias from influencing their reactions and study results.
In either case, the treatment can be quickly identified, if necessary,
by a special code. |
| Hormone |
Chemical
product of the endocrine glands of the body, which, when secreted
into body fluids, has a specific effect on other organs. |
| Immune
System |
A
complex network of organs, cells and specialized substances distributed
throughout the body and defending it from foreign invaders that
cause infection or disease. |
| Immunotherapy |
(im-mew-no-ther'a-pee)
A form of biological therapy. An experimental method of treating
cancer, using substances which stimulate the body's immune defense
system. |
| Informed
Consent |
The
process in which a patient learns about and understands the purpose
and aspects of a clinical trial and then agrees to participate.
Of course, a patient may decline to participate. This process
includes a document defining how much a patient must know about
the potential benefits and risks of therapy before being able
to agree to undergo it knowledgeably. (Informed consent is required
in federally conducted, funded or regulated studies as well as
by many state laws.) If a patient signs an informed consent form
and enters a trial, he or she is still free to leave the trial
at any time, and can receive other available medical care. |
| Interferon |
(in-tur-feer'on)
A protein substance produced by white blood cells and other types
of cells that have been exposed to certain viruses. In test animals,
interferon has shown some activity against tumors. Studies of
its usefulness in treating some types of human cancer are under
way. One of a number of new agents available as biological therapy.
|
| Investigational
New Drug |
A
drug allowed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be used
in clinical trials but not approved by the FDA for commercial
marketing. |
| Investigator |
An
investigator is the experienced clinical researcher who prepares
a protocol or treatment plan and implements it with patients.
|
| Metastasis |
(me-tas'ta-sis)
The transfer of disease from one part of the body to another.
In cancer, metastasis is the migration of cancer cells from the
original tumor site through the blood and Iymph vessels to produce
cancers in other tissues. Metastasis also is the term used for
a secondary cancer growing at a distant site. |
| Metastatic
Cancer |
(met-a-stat'ik)
Cancer that has spread from its original site to one or more additional
body sites. |
| Monoclonal
Antibodies |
(mon-o-klone'al
an'tibod-eez)
One of several new substances used in biological therapy. These
antibodies, all exactly alike, are mass-produced and designed
to home in on target cancer cells. Monoclonal antibodies are products
of new scientific techniques and may prove useful in both cancer
diagnosis and treatment . |
| Multimodality
Therapy |
(mul'ti-mo-dal'i-tee
ther' a-pee)
The combined use of more than one method of treatment, for example,
surgery and chemotherapy. |
| Oncologist
|
(on-kol'o-jist)
A physician who is a cancer specialist. |
| PDQ |
PDQ,
supported by NCI, is a computerized database available to physicians
nationwide. Geographically matrixed, it offers the latest information
on standard treatments and ongoing clinical trials for each type
and stage of cancer. The information is easily accessible for
physicians via libraries and personal computers. |
| Placebo |
(pla-see'bo)
An inactive substance resembling a medication, given for psychological
effect or as a control in evaluating a medicine believed to be
active. It is usually a tablet, capsule, or injection that contains
a harmless substance but appears to be the same as the medicine
being tested. A placebo may be compared with a new drug when no
one knows if any drug or treatment will be effective. |
| Protocol |
(pro'to-kol)
The outline or plan for use of an experimental procedure or experimental
treatment. |
| Radiation
Therapy |
also
called Radiotherapy
Treatment using X-rays, cobalt-60, radium, neutrons, or other
types of cell- destroying radiation. |
| Radiosensitizers |
(ray'dee-o-sen-si-ty'zers)
Drugs being studied to try to boost the effect of radiation therapy.
|
| Randomized
Clinical Trials |
(ran-duh'mized)
A study in which patients with similar traits, such as extent
of disease, are chosen or selected by chance to be placed in separate
groups that are comparing different treatments. Because irrelevant
factors or preferences do not influence the distribution of patients,
the treatment groups can be considered comparable and results
of the different treatments used in different groups can be compared.
(There is no way at the time for the researchers to know which
of the treatments is best.) See also Clinical Trials. (It is the
patient's choice to be in a randomized trial or not.) |
| Regression |
(ree-gresh'un)
The state of growing smaller or disappearing; used to describe
the shrinkage or disappearance of a cancer. |
| Remission |
(ree-mish'un)
The decrease or disappearance of evidence of a disease; also the
period during which this occurs. |
| Risk/Benefit
Ratio |
The
relation between the risks and benefits of a given treatment or
procedure. Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) (located where the
study is to take place) determine that the risks in a study are
reasonable with respect to the potential benefits. It is also
up to the patient to decide if it is reasonable for him or her
to take part in a study. |
| Side
Effect |
A
secondary and usually adverse effect, as from a drug or other
treatment. For example, nausea is a side effect of some anticancer
drugs. |
| Single
Blind |
See
Double Blind |
| Staging |
Methods
used to establish the extent of a patient's disease. |
| Standard
Treatment |
A
treatment or other intervention currently being used and considered
to be of proved effectiveness on the basis of past studies . |
| Study
Arm |
Patients
in clinical trials are assigned to one part or segment of a study-a
study "arm." One arm receives a different treatment
from another. |
| Therapeutic |
(ther'a-pew'tik)
Pertaining to treatment. |
