#38706 06-23-2005 12:37 PM | Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,384 Likes: 1 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | OP  Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,384 Likes: 1 | Abbreviations and definitions for common terms. We all use abbreviations here and new-comers sometimes have a hard time understanding them. SCC - Squamous Cell Carcinoma Dx - Diagnosis Rx - Prescription Tx - Therapy? Treatment? BOT - Base of tongue PEG - Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy aka feeding tube NED - No Evidence of Disease http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/nutrition/HPV - Human papillomavirus rad - radiation ENT - Ear, nose, throat Doctor aka Otolaryngologist Glossectomy - Removal of tongue Metastasis - Spreading of the cancer XRT - Conventional external beam radiation therapy aka EBT IMRT - Intensity modulated radiation therapy http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/treatment/radiation.phpPET - Positron emission tomography scan CT/CAT - Co-axial tomography scan EBT - External beam radiation therapy aka XRT OCF - Oral Cancer Foundation NCI - National Cancer Institute, a sub division of the National Institutes of Health CCC - Comprehensive cancer center or clinic; A tumor board at a cancer center will include doctors trained in different disciplines. Having your case presented and evaluated by this type of multidisciplinary team will give you the best options for treatment, considering all possibilities from their different areas of expertise. http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/resources/#centersHBO - Hyper-baric oxygen Patient given oxygen under pressure prior to dental surgery. Stage - Development of the cancer http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/discovery-diagnosis/stages-of-cancer.phpTNM - System for describing the cancer http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/discovery-diagnosis/stages-of-cancer.phpNCCN - National Comprehensive Cancer Network (an alliance of 20 leading comprehensive cancer centers). http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/treatment/Margins - Refers to the margins of biopsied tissue; clean margins indicate that all the visible cancerous cells were removed. Biopsy - Removal of sample or whole of suspect tissue http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/discovery-diagnosis/detailed-brush-cytology.phpXerostomia - Dry mouth resulting from reduced or absent saliva flow RO - Radiological oncologist MO - Medical oncologist DO - Dental oncologist TORS - TransOral Robotic Surgery http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/pennorl/research/tors
Last edited by ChristineB; 12-09-2016 08:17 AM.
Mark, 21 Year survivor, SCC right tonsil, 3 nodes positive, one with extra-capsular spread. I never asked what stage (would have scared me anyway) Right side tonsillectomy, radical neck dissection right side, maximum radiation to both sides, no chemo, no PEG, age 40 when diagnosed.
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#38707 06-23-2005 11:25 PM | Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 |
Gary Allsebrook
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Dx 11/22/02, SCC, 6 x 3 cm Polypoid tumor, rt tonsil, Stage III/IVA, T3N0M0 G1/2
Tx 1/28/03 - 3/19/03, Cisplatin ct x2, IMRT, bilateral, with boost, x35(69.96Gy)
________________________________________________________
"You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14 NIV)
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#38708 06-24-2005 01:12 AM | Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 108 Gold Member (100+ posts) | | Gold Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 108 | Thanks for the glossary post...very helpful. I have a question about terminology for either Gary or Mark.
What is the unit of measurement called for our rads. The RO said I had 7000 ???'s, which was a max life time dose,beyond which irreparable tissue damage begins. I wish I had asked more at the time but I think it was not IMRT because the cancer was poorly differentiated and the saliva glands are now fried.
I'll watch for your post, Thanks, Fran B.
SCC Base of tongue diag. April 04 Stage IV, mets to rt. neck multiple nodes 35 rads+8 boosts First recurrence Jan05. Rt.rad neck dissection Feb02/05. Recurred with bone mets in neck July 05.
Committed to survival with dignity.
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#38709 06-24-2005 02:11 AM | Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,384 Likes: 1 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | OP Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,384 Likes: 1 | Hello Fran, The basic unit of radiation absorbed dose is the amount of energy (joules)absorbed per unit mass (kg). This unit, known as the Gray (Gy), has replaced the unit of rad used in the past (100 rads = 1 Gy; 1 rad = 1 cGy).
The amount of radiation absorbed by the tissues is called the radiation dose (or dosage). Before 1985, dose was measured in a unit called a "rad" (radiation absorbed dose). Now the unit is called a gray (abbreviated as Gy). One Gy is equal to 100 rads; one centigray (abbreviated as cGy) is the same as 1 rad.
70Gy or 7000 RAD (7000 cGy)is generally considered to be the "lifetime" dose for head and neck. This may not be exactly true because of advances with IMRT, where retreatment may still be possible.
I think I got that right, Gary might add more or correct me.
Mark, 21 Year survivor, SCC right tonsil, 3 nodes positive, one with extra-capsular spread. I never asked what stage (would have scared me anyway) Right side tonsillectomy, radical neck dissection right side, maximum radiation to both sides, no chemo, no PEG, age 40 when diagnosed.
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#38710 06-24-2005 12:20 PM | Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 108 Gold Member (100+ posts) | | Gold Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 108 | Thanks Mark for the very good explanation. Much appreciated.
Fran B.
SCC Base of tongue diag. April 04 Stage IV, mets to rt. neck multiple nodes 35 rads+8 boosts First recurrence Jan05. Rt.rad neck dissection Feb02/05. Recurred with bone mets in neck July 05.
Committed to survival with dignity.
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#38711 08-05-2005 09:04 AM | Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,384 Likes: 1 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | OP Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,384 Likes: 1 | Abbreviations and definitions for common terms.
We all use abbreviations here and new-comers sometimes have a hard time understanding them. I
Last edited by Brian Hill; 03-08-2008 05:07 PM.
Mark, 21 Year survivor, SCC right tonsil, 3 nodes positive, one with extra-capsular spread. I never asked what stage (would have scared me anyway) Right side tonsillectomy, radical neck dissection right side, maximum radiation to both sides, no chemo, no PEG, age 40 when diagnosed.
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#38712 08-05-2005 02:11 PM | Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,916 Likes: 63 OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,916 Likes: 63 | A valient effort, and a posting that should be put in the frequently asked questions. I had to laugh, being an ex-military person at FUBAR, with the substitution of the first word from the more common F word, and the omision of SNAFU which almost always accompanied FUBAR in military jargon... Situation normal, all F*#$%d up.
Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.
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#38713 08-05-2005 02:58 PM | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 497 "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts)
Joined: May 2005 Posts: 497 | NIATC: Now I am totally confused. 
[i]"The artist, a traveler on this earth, leaves behind imperishable traces of his being." -Fran
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#38714 08-05-2005 03:36 PM | Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,384 Likes: 1 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | OP Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,384 Likes: 1 | SNAFU is there and many of us know how to properly pronounce it.
NIATC???....OIC!
Mark, 21 Year survivor, SCC right tonsil, 3 nodes positive, one with extra-capsular spread. I never asked what stage (would have scared me anyway) Right side tonsillectomy, radical neck dissection right side, maximum radiation to both sides, no chemo, no PEG, age 40 when diagnosed.
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#38715 08-06-2005 12:12 PM | Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,916 Likes: 63 OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,916 Likes: 63 | I stand corrected. (ISC) I should have RTFM/list better. We should start our own acronyms, as you can see (AUCS) from my addition here. I vote for GTBOTSOTG (Glad to be on this side of the grass) as the first new bastardization of the King's English that we should add here at OCF. After all, they put the word bling in the dictionary this year, what is becoming of our language!!!
Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.
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