Cancer
Terms

What do these words mean?

Whether you're going in for a screening or you've received a cancer diagnosis, it's important you understand the information you're provided so you can navigate next steps. How can you make an informed medical decision without a clear understanding of the information you're provided? You may feel like you're getting a crash course in biology during a time when you might also be on an emotional roller coaster. Take the time to ask questions when you don't understand, look up terms when you need clarification, and do additional research to help fill in the gaps. We've provided a few resources to help you make sense of some of the words you might want to better understand in the meantime.

101 Useful Cancer Terms: We've curated some of the most useful terms based on feedback from many of the patients we've worked with to help you get started.

NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms: Provides a more extensive dictionary of ~10,000 terms related to cancer and medicine

NCI Drug Dictionary: Includes the technical definitions of drugs that are used in cancer treatment

Words Do Matter: What word(s) in healthcare have you found to be confusing? Tell us about it!