{a}

adenocarcinoma: Cancer that begins in cells that line certain internal organs and that have glandular (secretory) properties.

anesthetics: Substances that cause loss of feeling or awareness. Local anesthetics cause loss of feeling in a part of the body. General anesthetics put the person to sleep.

anterior mediastinotomy: A procedure in which a tube is inserted into the chest to view the tissues and organs in the area between the lungs and between the breastbone and spine. The tube is inserted through an incision next to the breastbone. This procedure is usually used to get a tissue sample from the lymph nodes on the left side of the chest. Also called the Chamberlain procedure.

asbestos: A natural material that is made up of tiny fibers. The fibers can cause cancer.

aspiration: Removal of fluid from a lump, often a cyst, with a needle and a syringe.

{b}

benign: Not cancerous; does not invade nearby tissue or spread to other parts of the body.

biopsy: A procedure used to remove cells or tissues to look at them under a microscope and check for signs of disease. When an entire tumor or lesion is removed, the procedure is called an excisional biopsy. When only a sample of tissue is removed, the procedure is called an incisional biopsy or core biopsy. When a sample of tissue or fluid is removed with a needle, the procedure is called a needle biopsy or fine-needle aspiration.

bone scan: A technique to create images of bones on a computer screen or on film. A small amount of radioactive material is injected into a blood vessel and travels through the bloodstream; it collects in the bones and is detected by a scanner.

bronchitis: Inflammation (swelling and reddening) of the bronchi.

bronchoscope: A thin, lighted tube used to examine the inside of the trachea and bronchi, the air passages that lead into the lungs.

bronchoscopy: A procedure in which a thin, lighted tube is inserted through the nose or mouth. This allows examination of the inside of the trachea and bronchi (air passages that lead to the lung), as well as the lung. Bronchoscopy may be used to detect cancer or to perform some treatment procedures.

{c}

cancer: A term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control. Cancer cells can invade nearby tissues and can spread through the bloodstream and lymphatic system to other parts of the body.

carcinogen: Any substance that causes cancer.

catheter: A flexible tube used to deliver fluids into or withdraw fluids from the body.

chemotherapy: Treatment with anticancer drugs.

clinical trial: A research study that tests how well new medical treatments or other interventions work in people. Each study is designed to test new methods of screening, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of a disease.

cryosurgery: Treatment performed with an instrument that freezes and destroys abnormal tissues. This procedure is a form of cryotherapy.

CT scan: Computed tomography scan. A series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body; the pictures are created by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. Also called computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan.

{e}

epidermoid carcinoma: A type of cancer in which the cells are flat and look like fish scales. Also called squamous cell carcinoma.

external radiation: Radiation therapy that uses a machine to aim high-energy rays at the cancer. Also called external-beam radiation.

{i}

internal radiation: A procedure in which radioactive material sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters is placed directly into or near the tumor. Also called brachytherapy, implant radiation, or interstitial radiation therapy.

IV: Intravenous (in-tra-VEE-nus). Injected into a blood vessel.

{l}

large cell carcinomas: A group of lung cancers in which the cells are large and look abnormal when viewed under a microscope.

laser: A device that concentrates light into an intense, narrow beam used to cut or destroy tissue. It is used in microsurgery, photodynamic therapy, and for a variety of diagnostic purposes.

lobe: A portion of an organ such as the liver, lung, breast, or brain.

lobectomy: The removal of a lobe.

lymphatic system: The tissues and organs that produce, store, and carry white blood cells that fight infection and other diseases. This system includes the bone marrow, spleen, thymus, and lymph nodes and a network of thin tubes that carry lymph and white blood cells. These tubes branch, like blood vessels, into all the tissues of the body.

{m}

malignant: Cancerous; a growth with a tendency to invade and destroy nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body.

mediastinoscopy: A procedure in which a tube is inserted into the chest to view the organs in the area between the lungs and nearby lymph nodes. The tube is inserted through an incision above the breastbone. This procedure is usually performed to get a tissue sample from the lymph nodes on the right side of the chest.

mediastinum: The area between the lungs. The organs in this area include the heart and its large blood vessels, the trachea, the esophagus, the bronchi, and lymph nodes.

metastasis: The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another. Tumors formed from cells that have spread are called "secondary tumors" and contain cells that are like those in the original (primary) tumor. The plural is metastases.

MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging (mag-NET-ik REZ-o- nans IM-a-jing). A procedure in which a magnet linked to a computer is used to create detailed pictures of areas inside the body.

{n}

non-small cell lung cancer: A group of lung cancers that includes squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and large cell carcinoma.

{o}

oat cell cancer: A type of lung cancer in which the cells look like oats when viewed under a microscope. Also called small cell lung cancer.

{p}

pathologist: A doctor who identifies diseases by studying cells and tissues under a microscope.

photodynamic therapy: Treatment with drugs that become active when exposed to light and kill cancer cells.

pneumonectomy: An operation to remove an entire lung.

pneumonia: An inflammatory infection that occurs in the lung.

prophylactic cranial irradiation: Radiation therapy to the head to reduce the risk that cancer will spread to the brain.

{r}

radiation therapy: The use of high-energy radiation from x-rays, neutrons, and other sources to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may come from a machine outside the body (external-beam radiation therapy) or from material called radioisotopes. Radioisotopes produce radiation and can be placed in or near a tumor or near cancer cells. This type of radiation treatment is called internal radiation therapy, implant radiation, or brachytherapy. Systemic radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance such as a radiolabeled monoclonal antibody that circulates throughout the body. Also called radiotherapy.

radioactive: Giving off radiation.

radionuclide scanning: A test that produces pictures (scans) of internal parts of the body. The person is given an injection or swallows a small amount of radioactive material; a machine called a scanner then measures the radioactivity in certain organs.

radon: A radioactive gas that is released by uranium, a substance found in soil and rock. When too much radon is breathed in, it can damage lung cells and lead to lung cancer.

resection: Removal of tissue or part or all of an organ by surgery.

respiratory system: The organs that are involved in breathing. These include the nose, throat, larynx, trachea, bronchi and lungs.

{s}

side effects: Problems that occur when treatment affects healthy cells. Common side effects of cancer treatment are fatigue, nausea, vomiting, decreased blood cell counts, hair loss, and mouth sores.

small cell lung cancer: A type of lung cancer in which the cells appear small and round when viewed under the microscope. Also called oat cell lung cancer.

sputum: Mucus coughed up from the lungs.

squamous cell carcinoma: Cancer that begins in squamous cells, which are thin, flat cells resembling fish scales. Squamous cells are found in the tissue that forms the surface of the skin, the lining of the hollow organs of the body, and the passages of the respiratory and digestive tracts. Also called epidermoid carcinoma.

surgery: A procedure to remove or repair a part of the body or to find out whether disease is present.

{t}

thoracentesis: Removal of fluid from the pleural cavity through a needle inserted between the ribs.

thoracotomy: An operation to open the chest.

tissue: A group or layer of cells that are alike in type and work together to perform a specific function.

tumor: An abnormal mass of tissue that results from excessive cell division. Tumors perform no useful body function. They may be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

{x}

x-ray: High-energy radiation used in low doses to diagnose diseases and in high doses to treat cancer.