A Lung Cancer Glossary - D -

A diagnosis of lung cancer - or even the possibility of it - can plunge someone into a world of unfamiliar words and terms for tests, conditions, medicines and treatments. Knowing the words that your health care provider is using can help you make good decisions about treatment options and choices. Below are definitions of many of the terms that you'll encounter when discussing lung cancer with your treatment providers.

> Dysphagia (dis-FAY-jee-yuh) - Trouble swallowing. > Dyspnea (DISP-nee-yuh) - Shortness of breath. > EGFR inhibitors - Epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors. A class of anti-cancer drugs that block cancer cells from reproducing and growing. > Emphysema (em-fuh-ZEE-muh) - A disease that affects the tiny air sacs in the lungs. > Extensive stage SCLC - the latter stage of small cell lung cancer. Extensive SCLC is cancer that has spread beyond the lungs and into other parts of the body. > First line therapy - the first course of treatment used against a disease. > Gene therapy - A treatment that changes the structure of the genes. It may be used to help the body fight cancer, or to alter cancer cells to make them more susceptible to treatment > Large cell cancer - A type of cancer where the cells are large and abnormal. > Larynx - the voice box. It is often affected in cases of lung cancer. > Limited stage SCLC - Early stage small cell lung cancer. Limited stage SCLC is cancer that is still confined to the lung where it started. It offers the best chance for treatment. > Lobe - a part of an organ, particularly a lung. > Lobectomy - surgery to remove a lobe of an organ. In lung cancer, if the cancer is confined to a single lobe of one lung, a lobectomy may be performed to remove the cancer. > Lymph nodes - Small glands located throughout the body. Lymph glands filter a fluid called lymph that contains white blood cells. They're a vital part of the body's immune system. One aspect of determining the stage of a cancer is to determine whether the lymph nodes have been invaded by cancerous cells. > Mediastinum (mee-dee-uh-STYE-nim) - The area between the lungs where the heart, esophagus, bronchi and windpipe are located. > Mesothelioma (mez-uh-thee-lee-YOH-muh) - A tumor in the lining of the lungs. Mesothelioma is linked almost exclusively to asbestos exposure. > Metastasis (muh-TASS-tuh-sis) -the process by which cancer spreads to other parts of the body > Metastasized - cancer that has spread beyond its original site. Once cancer has metastasized, it is in the later stages and difficult to control or treat. > MRI - Magnetic resonance imaging. MRIs may be used to locate and view tumors. > Neoadjuvant therapy (NEE-oh-ADD-joo-vent THAIR-uh-pee) - Treatment given before the primary or main treatment. For instance, giving a course of medicine to sensitize cancer cells to radiation is neoadjuvant therapy to the radiation therapy, which is the main treatment. > Nutritionist (noo-TRISH -uhn-ist) - a medical professional who studies nutrition and diet. A nutritionist can help develop a healthy diet, and recommend particular foods and supplement that may help reduce side effects of cancer treatment, and prevent recurrence of cancer after treatment > Oat cell cancer - another name for small cell lung cancer. It's a descriptive name used because the small cells look like grains of oat. > Oncologist (ahn-KAH-luh-jist) - A cancer specialist