Glossary

The uptake of a drug into or across tissues.

Therapy used to help reduce the risk of breast cancer returning after surgery. Adjuvant therapy may include chemotherapy, radiation, and/or hormone therapy.

One of a group of hormones found in both men and women.

Having activity against cancer.

Drug that blocks the action of estrogen.

Swelling of the arm, caused by an abnormal collection of too much lymph fluid (clear fluid that contains white blood cells and antibodies and is circulated throughout the body by the lymphatic system).

Enzyme that converts androgen into estrogen.

A category of drug that inhibits aromatase, an enzyme used in the formation of estrogens.

Lymph nodes located under the arms.

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

Procedure by which an image of the bones is produced by injection of a radioisotope; used to determine if the cancer has spread to the bones.

The surgical removal of a small piece of breast tissue for microscopic examination to determine if cancer cells are present.

A tubular instrument that allows passage of fluid from or into a body cavity or blood vessel.

Inflammation under the skin or loose connective tissue.

The use of drugs to treat disease; when used to treat cancer, the goal is to kill cancer cells.

A scientific study conducted in people to determine the safety and effectiveness of a treatment.

Special type of x-ray that produces detailed images of the human body.

Breast cancer consisting of tumors in the ducts of the breast.

Breast cancer, consisting of tumors of the milk ducts, that has not yet spread.

Cancer that has not progressed beyond the breast tissue and local axillary lymph nodes.

The ability of a drug to produce a desired effect.

Relating to or composed of the mucous membrane that lines the uterus.

Protein produced by a living cell that enables the body to carry out necessary chemical reactions.

Generic term for any substance, natural or synthetic (formed by the ovary, placenta, testes, and possibly the adrenal cortex, as well as by certain plants), that exerts biologic effects characteristic of estrogenic hormones. Estrogen controls the course of the menstrual cycle.

Breast cancers that grow because of estrogen.

Protein inside certain cells that binds to estrogen.

Cancer cells that do not contain estrogen receptors.

Cancer cells that contain estrogen receptors.

Removal of part or all of the breast and surrounding breast tissue.

Organs of digestion, including the stomach and intestines.

Any substance that promotes the growth of cells within the body.

Substance produced by living cells that circulates in the bloodstream and affects cells and tissues far from where it originates.

Cells that require the action of hormones for their growth.

Cancer cells that do not contain estrogen receptors.

Cancer cells that contain estrogen receptors.

Estrogen given in pill form to replace the estrogen lost after menopause; may or may not be given in conjunction with progesterone.

Any therapy that blocks hormonal stimulation of the growth of cancer cells.

In the natural or original position or place.

Multiplication of parasitic organisms within the body.

Cancer that has spread beyond the layer of tissue in which it started, growing into surrounding, normal tissues.

Breast cancer that begins in the lobules of the breast.

Surgical removal of a tumor from the breast without removing much of the surrounding tissue or lymph nodes.

A liquid that contains cells that help the body fight infection.

Small, bean-shaped organs that make and store the cells that fight infection; they are found in many places in the body, including under the arms, behind the ears, and more.

Composed of cancer cells; not benign.

An x-ray picture of the breast.

The area of tissue surrounding a tumor when it is removed through surgery.

Surgery that removes the entire breast. Types of mastectomy include simple, radical, modified radical, and extended radical.

Cessation of menstruation (usually between the ages of 45 and 55).

The spread of a disease from the original site to another part of the body.

The use of chemotherapy, radiation, and/or hormone therapy to reduce tumor bulk or size before surgery.

Whether the cancer has spread from the original site to the lymph nodes. Cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes is referred to as lymph node-positive. Cancer that has not spread to the lymph nodes is referred to as lymph node-negative.

Cancer cells that remain within the borders of a duct or lobule and have not grown into the surrounding tissues. These tumors are also known as in situ tumors (tumors that remain in the site of origin).

A doctor who specializes in treating people with cancer. Some oncologists specialize in one type of cancer treatment. For example, a radiation oncologist treats cancer with radiation, and a medical oncologist treats cancer with medications. Some oncologists also specialize in one kind of cancer. For example, a breast cancer oncologist diagnoses and treats patients with breast cancer.

The weakening of bone, wherein bone mass reaches the low end of a normal range.

The pair of female reproductive organs on either side of the uterus that produce eggs and hormones.

Removal of the tumor, along with varying amounts of surrounding normal tissue. See also lumpectomy and quadrantectomy.

A sensation of residual breast tissue after mastectomy.

A medical treatment administered to the control group of a clinical trial.

The time after menopause when menstruation has stopped.

The years when menstruation is still occurring.

The probable outcome or course of a disease; the chance of recovery.

A specially made replacement for a part of the body that has been removed, such as a breast or a limb.

A form of partial mastectomy involving excision of tumor in one quadrant of breast tissue.

High-energy emissions from x-rays, gamma-rays, neutrons, and other sources.

The use of electromagnetic radiation for the local treatment of cancer.

An organ having nerve endings that respond to stimulation.

Surgery to rebuild a breast's shape after a mastectomy.

When cancer returns after treatment, either at the original site or in another part of the body.

Complete or partial disappearance of the signs and symptoms of disease. A remission, however, is not necessarily a cure.

The result of therapy as it applies to shrinking tumors.

A small, cylindrical shell of gold or other suitable materials used to apply radiation therapy.

A tumor caused by the accumulation of serum within the body.

A way to describe the extent of the cancer, based on such factors as tumor size, whether lymph nodes have been affected, and whether cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

A way to describe the extent of the cancer, based on such factors as tumor size, whether lymph nodes have been affected, and whether cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

When related to the treatment of cancer, any operative procedure in which the cancer is manually removed.

An oral antiestrogen used in the treatment of patients with breast cancer.

A specific harmful effect associated with therapy.

A group of cancerous cells.

Characteristics of the tumor, including size and if it is hormone receptor positive.