Articles

Grade: How aggressive a cancer is can be predicted by its grade. To grade cancer, a pathologist examines a biopsied tumor under a high power microscope and notes special characteristics of the cancer cells, which can indicate how aggressively they may behave in future. Sometimes, veterinarians and oncologists use words such as “angry” or “hot,”…

Homeopathy: An alternative medical practice started in Germany in the late eighteenth century, homeopathy uses extremely diluted substances to stimulate symptoms similar to what the patient is already experiencing, according to the principle of “like cures like.” For example, if the patient is coughing, a remedy might be given that would cause coughing in a…

In Vitro: Means “in glass” and often refers to a treatment that is tested in a test tube, a petri dish, or in other equipment in a lab. Many promising cancer therapies work very well in vitro, but not in vivo.

Inflammation: This refers to a protective response of body tissues to injury or irritation. There are many factors involved in creating inflammation; the main characteristics are pain, warmth, swelling and redness. But if inflammation becomes chronic or excessive, it can become problematic; arthritis, asthma, allergies, and other diseases are associated with inflammation. Inflammation is also…

Lymphatic System: The lymphatic system is a type of circulatory system that runs throughout the body. A vast network of tubes that are connected to body organs and tissues, the lymphatics carry a clear fluid called lymph. The lymph carries white blood cells, making it a crucial component of the immune system. A map of…

Malignant: A tumor, which is dangerous and growing uncontrollably, is called malignant. This word is a synonym for cancerous. Another word used to refer to a malignant tumor or a cancer is malignancy.

Margin: This refers to the area of normal-seeming tissue surrounding a tumor that has been removed during a biopsy or other surgery. This area may contain microscopic cancer cells, so, a pathologist examines it during a comprehensive margin evaluation. If the margins are narrow (one or two millimeters), malignant tumors are more likely to recur.…

Maximum Tolerated Dose: In conventional treatment, this phrase is used to describe the highest dose of chemotherapy that can be given without the patient’s having unacceptable, severe side effects or dying from the treatment. The higher the chemotherapy dose is the more cancer cells are killed; therefore, the aim of chemotherapy is to give as…

Measurable Disease: This refers to a tumor that can be measured for size with calipers or imaging techniques; also called macroscopic disease. You can see these tumors with the eye, unlike microscopic tumors, which are too small to see without magnification.