Jargon Buster

Why do we need a jargon buster?

This is a glossary of words and terms that may need some explanation. You might come across these words in your records or when talking to healthcare professionals. This is not an exhaustive list – some words will be missing. If you can't find the word that you're looking for, or you need some more help with some of these words then please email us at hi@braintumoursupport.org.nz You can also suggest a word that we may have missed and needs to be added to our list.

WORDS COMMONLY USED WHEN TALKING ABOUT BRAIN TUMOURS

Active monitoring or active surveillance This is regular clinical and radiological review of a person with a brain tumour or brain metastases who are not currently having treatment for their cancer.
Adjuvant treatment Adjuvant treatment is treatment applied after initial treatment for cancer, for example to prevent tumour recurrence.
Alopecia Hair loss, baldness.
Anaemia Having less than a normal amount of red cells in the blood.
Analgesic A drug that relieves or removes pain.
Antiemetic A drug that prevents or reduces nausea and vomiting.
Antifungal A drug to treat fungal infections.
Astrocytoma A brain tumour that starts in the glial cells known as astrocytes.
Avastin (bevacizumab) Avastin belongs to a class of targeted drugs known as anti-angiogenic agents. Avastin targets vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a protein found on the cells that line blood vessels. Brain tumours produce high levels of VEGF, which stimulates blood vessels to grow, thereby providing the tumour with nutrients and oxygen. When Avastin blocks VEGF it disrupts the blood supply to the tumour, stopping or slowing down its growth.
Benign Not cancerous or malignant. A benign brain tumour is a low-grade tumour that is usually slow growing. However it can still be life threatening and may need urgent treatment.
Biopsy The removal of a sample of tissue from the body for examination under a microscope, or for genetic analysis, to help diagnose a disease.
Blood count Examination of the blood to count the number of white and red blood cells and platelets.
Brain A soft spongy mass of nerve and supportive tissue that forms the upper end of the central nervous system. The brain controls our personality, sense and basic body functions.
Cancer Nurse Coordinator Cancer nurse coordinators provide a single point of contact for people with cancer and their families and whānau who need advocacy, advice and support at any stage of cancer treatment.
Cells The ‘building blocks” of the body. A human is made of millions of cells which have different functions. Cells are able to reproduce themselves exactly, unless they are abnormal or damaged, as are cancer cells.
Central Nervous System (CNS) The brain and the spinal cord.
Cerebrospinal fluid The clear, watery fluid that surrounds and protects the brain and the spinal cord.
Chemotherapy The use of medicines to kill or reduce the spread of cancer cells. Chemotherapy drugs can be given as a tablet (orally), as an intravenous injection over a short period of time or as an infusion over a longer period of time.
Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Registered nurses with a defined specialist area of practice and with specific skills related to management of disease and/or health issues. Ask if your DHB has a clinical nurse specialist that has the expertise and experience in dealing with brain tumour patients.
Community Oncology Nurse The community oncology nurse will contact you at home after your visit to the doctor and will provide information, education and support to you and your family.
Consultant The consultant is a specialist doctor responsible for your care. This doctor will discuss with you possible treatment options and direct your medical management.
Contrast agent Contrast agents such as gadolinium are given to the patient immediately before a scan, usually by injecting into the arm. The contrast agent helps highlight the tumour on the scan.
Corticosteroids A type of steroid (hormonal) medicine such as dexamethasone. Corticosteroids are commonly used by people with brain tumours to treat oedema (swelling) and a alleviate symptoms such as headaches.
Craniotomy The surgical removal of a portion of the skull
CT scan A computed tomography scan. This scan uses X-ray beams sent simultaneously from different angles to build a 2D picture of the body.
Debulk A surgical procedure to reduce the size of a brain tumour.
Dexamethasone A corticosteroid commonly prescribed to brain tumour patients to treat oedema and to alleviate symptoms such as headaches.
DHB (District Health Boards) District health boards (DHBs) are responsible for providing or funding the provision of health services in their district. There are 20 DHBs in New Zealand. Due to variances in population and resources, not all DHBs offer the same services. If your DHB does not offer a treatment that you need, you may be referred to another DHB which offers these services.
Excision The surgical removal of tissue from the body.
Fatigue Cancer-related fatigue is one of the most common side effects of cancer and its treatment. Fatigue is best described as an overwhelming tiredness (physical and emotional) which is not relieved by rest or sleep.
Gene The tiny factors that govern the way the body’s cells grow and behave. Each person has a set of many thousands of genes inherited from both parent. Genes are found in every cell of the body.
General Practitioner (GP) Your GP or family doctor assists you with treatment decisions and works with specialists to provide ongoing care.
Glial cells Cells that surround nerve cells and hold them in place. The common glial cells are astrocytes and oligodendrocytes
Glioma A type of brain tumour made of glial cells. Over half of all brain tumours are gliomas eg glioblastoma and oligodendroglioma.
Gliolan (aminolevulinic acid hydrochloride or 5-ALA) This is a medicine used for the visualisation of certain brain tumours during surgery. Gliolan accumulates in tumour cells where it is transformed into another similar substance. If the tumour is then exposed to blue light this new substance emits a red-violet light, which helps the surgeon to better see what is normal tissue and what is tumour tissue.
Holistic Approach A holistic approach to cancer treatment treats the whole patient not just the disease. For brain tumour patients that includes ways to ease stress and worry and encompasses your physical, emotional, spiritual and cognitive needs.
House Surgeon The house surgeon is a doctor who is yet to choose a specialty and who is primarily responsible for the day to day management of patients.
Linear accelerator A machine which produces high energy x-rays and electron beams to treat cancer.
Malignant A malignant brain tumour is a high-grade (cancerous) tumour which tends to grow quickly. It usually needs urgent treatment.
Medical Oncologist A doctor who treats cancer with drug therapies such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
Meninges The membranes that cover and protect the central nervous system.
Metastasis The spread of cancer to another organ, usually through the blood stream or lymph system
MGMT O6-methylguanine-methyltransferase. An enzyme which can be methylated (switched off) or unmethylated (switched on) and can influence prognosis after radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Multidisciplinary Meetings (MDMs) These are meetings when a range of health professionals such as neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, neurologists and clinical nurse specialists get together to review specific cases and discuss treatment options so that each patient’s care is personalised and aligned.
MRI scan Magnetic resonance imaging. MRIs use magnetic and radio waves (so there is no exposure to X-rays or damaging radiation) to create very clear pictures of internal body structures. Contrast agents (usually gadolinium) can be used to highlight the tumour on the scan.
Nausea Feeling Sick
Neurologist A doctor who specialises in the structure, functioning and diseases of the nervous system (including the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves).
Neurone A cell specialised to conduct electrical signals carrying information from on part of the body to the other.
Neurosurgeon A surgeon who specialises in operations on the nervous system.
Oedema Oedema is swelling caused by excess fluid trapped inside your body’s tissues. Oedema in the brain is usually caused by leaky blood vessels and leads to symptoms of headache, nausea and vomiting. Oedema is commonly treated with dexamethasone (a corticosteroid).
Palliative care (supportive care) The holistic care of people who have a life-limiting illness, their families and carers. It aims to maintain quality of life by addressing physical, practical, emotional, spiritual and social needs. Palliative treatment can include medicines to help manage pain, seizures and other physical and emotional symptoms of cancer. Palliative care is not the same as end-of-life care.
PCV This is a combination of three drugs – Procarbazine, CCNU (lomustine) and Vincristine. Procarbazine and CCNU are given as tablets and Vincristine is given as an intravenous injection.
PET scan (Positron Emission Tomography Scan) A PET scan uses a mildly radioactive drug to show up areas of your body where cells are more active than normal. A PET scan can help show up a brain tumour and it can help doctors work out whether tissue is active cancer or not. These scanners tend to be only in the major hospitals.
Prognosis The likely outlook of a person’s disease – whether it is likely to be cued or controlled by treatment.
Radiation Oncologist A doctor who treats cancer by prescribing and coordinating the course of radiotherapy.
Radiation therapist A health professional (not a medical doctor) trained to operate radiation therapy machines
Radiation Therapy (Radiotherapy) Radiation therapy uses special equipment to deliver high doses of radiation (beam of X-rays) to cancerous tumours, to kill or damage them so they cannot grow or spread.
Recurrence/relapse The return of cancer after a period of improvement or remission.
Remission Decrease or disappearance of signs or symptoms.
Registrar The registrar is a doctor who is specialising in medical or radiation oncology or haematology. Registrars are responsible for the day to day management of your care and all decisions made regarding your care are made in consultation with the consultant.
Resection A surgical procedure to remove a brain tumour.
Secondary cancer Spread of cancer from the primary site.
Seizure A disruption of the normal electrical impulses in the brain, causing fits (convulsions) or other symptoms.
Shunt A tube or other device which helps to drain fluid from one area of the body to another.
Spinal column The bone surrounding the spinal cord (also called the backbone).
Spinal cord The portion of the central nervous system enclosed in the spinal column, consisting of nerve cells and bundles of nerves connecting all parts of the body with the brain.
Staging Finding out how much cancer has grown or spread.
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) A type of radiotherapy that delivers a few high doses of radiation very precisely.
Steroids Hormones used in the treatment of disease.
Tissue A collection of similar cells.
Temozolomide Temozolomide is an oral chemotherapy used to treat brain tumours. It belongs to a group of drugs called alkylating agents. Temozolomide works by killing cancer cells and stopping cancer cells from growing and multiplying.
Tumour An abnormal growth; may be benign or malignant.