Brain and central nervous system cancer: clinical quality performance indicators - engagement document

Appendix 5: Glossary of Terms

• Active treatment - Treatment directed to cure the disease.
• Adjuvant therapy - Treatment given in addition to the primary therapy, or a secondary remedy assisting the action of another.
• Biopsy - Removal of a sample of tissue from the body to assist in diagnosis of a disease.
• Brain tumour - A tumour of part of the brain. There are many different types of brain tumour and they are named depending on which type of brain cells are affected.
• Central nervous system - The portion of the nervous system comprising the brain and spinal cord.
• Chemoradiotherapy - Treatment that combines chemotherapy with radiation therapy.
• Chemotherapy - The use of drugs that kill cancer cells, or prevent or slow their growth.
• Clinical trials - A type of research study that tests how well new medical approaches or medicines work. These studies test new methods of screening, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of a disease.
• Computed Tomography (CT) - An x-ray imaging technique, which allows detailed investigation of the internal organ of the body.
• Contraindication - A symptom or medical condition that makes a particular treatment or procedure inadvisable because a person is likely to have a bad reaction.
• Diagnosis - The process of identifying a disease, such as cancer, from its signs and symptoms.
• Glial - Specialised cells that surround neurones, supporting nerve cells.
• Glioblastoma The most common type of brain tumour found in adults. It is also called grade 4 astrocytoma
• Glioma - A type of brain tumour that grows from glial cells. Glial cells make up the supporting tissue of the brain. Types include astrocytoma, ependymoma and oligodendroglioma.
• Grading - The degree of malignancy of a tumour, i.e. how closely the cancer cells look like normal cells.
• Imaging - The production of a clinical image using radiology, for example, CT, MRI, x-ray or ultrasound.
• Intravenous contrast - A substance administered intra venously (directly into bloodstream) to enhance the visibility of structures on imaging.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - A procedure in which radio waves and a powerful magnet linked to a computer are used to create detailed pictures of areas inside the body. These pictures can show the difference between normal and diseased tissue.
• Metastases/Metastatic disease - Spread of cancer away from the primary site to somewhere else via the bloodstream or the lymphatic system. Metastatic disease can be local (close to the area where the cancer is) or distant (in another area of the body).
• MGMT - The O (6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) gene. Methyl Guanine Methyl Transferase is a 'suicide' enzyme found in many cells including glioma cells. It acts to reverse toxic damage caused by certain agents including some alkylating agents like Temozolomide making them more resistent
• MGMT promoter methylation - Translation of the MGMT gene is controlled by a promotor. In glioblastoma, methylation of the promoter can lead to reduced production of MGMT and increased sensitivity to Temozolomide. Estimation of the MGMT promoter methylation status can be used as a predictive biomarker
• MHRA - Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority.
• Morbidity - How much ill health a particular condition causes.
• Molecular Analysis - The process of testing tumours for genetic characteristics and biomarkers. Based on this information, targeted therapies can then be recommended for treatment.
• Multi-disciplinary team meeting (MDT) - A meeting which is held on a regular basis, which is made up of participants from various disciplines appropriate to the disease area, where diagnosis, management, and appropriate treatment of patients is discussed and decided.
• Neuroimaging - Production of images of the brain by non-invasive techniques, for CT, MRI or PET scan
• Neurological - Related to the nervous system.
• Neurologist - A doctor who diagnoses and treats disorders of the central nervous system.
• Neuro-oncology - Medical speciality dealing with tumours of the nervous system.
• Neuropathologist - A pathologist who specializes in the diagnosis of diseases of the brain and nervous system by means of microscopic examination of the tissue etc.
• Oligodendroglial - Cells found in the central nervous system and associated with the formation of myelin.
• Pathological/Pathology - The study of disease processes with the aim of understanding their nature and causes. This is achieved by observing samples of fluid and tissues obtained from the living patient by various methods, or at post mortem.
• Pathologist - A doctor who identifies diseases by studying cells and tissues under a microscope.
• Performance status - A measure of how well a patient is able to perform ordinary tasks and carry out daily activities.
• Post operative complication - A complication or problem experienced following a surgical procedure.
• Progression- In medicine, the course of a disease, such as cancer, as it becomes worse or spreads in the body.
• Radical treatment - Treatment that aims to get to completely get rid of a cancer.
• Radiology - The use of radiation (such as x-rays) or other imaging technologies (such as ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging) to diagnose or treat disease.
• Resection - Surgical removal of all or part of an organ, tissue, or structure.
• Resectable - When a tumour or part of a structure of organ is surgically removable.
• Seizure - An epileptic episode. It can also be known as a 'fit', 'funny turn' or 'attack'. A seizure occurs when there is excessive electrical activity in the brain. The brains electrical circuit is disrupted and the wrong messages are sent.
• Staging - Process of describing to what degree cancer has spread from its original site to another part of the body. Staging involves clinical, surgical and pathology assessments.
• Surgery / Surgical resection - Surgical removal of the tumour/lesion.
• Survival - The percentage of people in a study or treatment group who are alive for a certain period of time after they were diagnosed with or treated for a disease, such as cancer.
• Systemic therapies - Treatment, usually given by mouth or by injection, that reaches and affects tumour cells throughout the body rather than targeting one specific area.