Acute - occurring suddenly, or over a short period of time.

 

Adjuvant therapy - treatment method used in addition to the primary therapy to improve the chances of curing cancer. It is often given when it is not known for certain whether or not any cancer cells may still remain in the body. Examples of adjuvant therapy include the use of chemotherapy or radiation therapy after surgery.

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Basic research - conducted to expand knowledge, understand basic principles or to answer a question. Generally, the end results have no commercial benefits.

 

Basic researchers - practicing basic research.

 

Best standard treatment - the best standard care available on the market.

 

Biomarkers - a substance (such as a protein or a gene) introduced into an organism and serving as an indicator of the progress of a disease or the effects of treatment.

 

Biopsy - removal of a small piece of tissue for examination under the microscope to help detect or rule out cancer.

 

Biospecimens - samples of material, such as urine, blood, tissue, cells, DNA, RNA, and protein from humans, animals, or plants. Biospecimens are stored in a biorepository and are used for laboratory research. If the samples are from people, medical information may also be stored along with a written consent to use the samples in laboratory studies. (Definition provided by The National Cancer Institute).

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Cancer - the general term for more than 200 diseases in which abnormal cells grow without control. Cancer cells can invade and destroy healthy tissues. Most cancers can also spread to other parts of the body.

• Colon cancer - cancer of the large bowel which can develop right in the bowel lining or, more often, from small growths that can occur anywhere along the inner lining of the colon.

 

Carcinogen - a cancer-causing substance.

 

Chemotherapy - the use of drugs to destroy cancer cell.

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Clinical research - performed in volunteered humans, they aim to improve health, by evaluating the effectiveness and safety of medications or medical devices. They are strictly regulated and follow a specific protocol.

 

Clinical trial - a research study that tests a new treatment or approach to detecting, reducing the risk for and managing cancer, which may prove to be better than current methods. Strict rules are followed to make sure participants are well informed about the purpose, risks and benefits of any study before they agree to join a clinical trial.

 

Clinician - doctor, physician.

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Colon - the large intestine. Also known as the lower intestine or large bowel.

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Complete remission - the disappearance of any clinical signs of cancer.

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Debulk - to surgically remove a portion of a tumor to help reduce pain, symptoms associated with the tumour, or to improve quality of life.

 

Declaration of Helsinki - developed by the World Medical Association, the Declaration of Helsinki is a set of ethical principles provided to the medical community with recommendations on medical research performed on humans.

 

Diagnosis - identification of a disease from signs, symptoms, laboratory results, radiological results, and physical examination findings.

 

Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma - most common variety of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A type of aggressive lymphoma whose appearance is essentially diffuse and is composed of large lymphoid B cells whose size can exceed twice the size of a normal cell.

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DNA - deoxyribonucleic acid, the basic structure of life. DNA is a long chain that provides the genetic instructions that control cell growth.

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Double blind - type of study in which an individual is randomly assigned to one of two groups (control group or an experimental group). Neither the individual nor the researchers are aware to which group the participant has been assigned until the end of the study.

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Experimental drug - drug that is under investigation to determine its safety and effectiveness. Experimental drugs are generally only available to individuals who are participating in a research study about the experimental drug.

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First line treatment - first care provided to patients and is generally recommended for the initial treatment of a disease. The choice of a first-line treatment is usually based on its efficacy.

 

Genetic material - any material (gene, part of a gene, DNA, fragment of DNA) that contains genetic information and transmitted from one generation to the next. The information determines, for example, behaviour and physical aspect.

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Health Canada - federal department responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health, while respecting individual choices and circumstances.

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Informed consent - written permission given before surgery, research or other kind of treatments and tests. The individual, or a parent or guardian, must understand the treatment and legally agree to any risks involved.

 

Infrastructure - basic facilities, services, and installations needed for the functioning of a community or society, such as public institutions.

 

Institutional review board (IRB) - their role is to approve and monitor all biomedical research on human beings and to ensure that the rights of subjects are protected, that adequate and informed consent for their participation is obtained and that any possible benefits of the research are commensurate with the risks involved.

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Liver - largest organ in the body. The liver removes waste products from the blood, releases substances that help blood to clot, and aids in digestion. It is found in the abdomen.

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Localized cancer - a cancerous growth that has not spread to other parts of the body.

 

Lymphoma - the type of cancer that begins in lymph nodes.

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Malignancy - a tumor consisting of cancer cells. Cells from a malignant growth can break away and start secondary tumours elsewhere in the body.

 

Malignant - means cancerous.

 

Medical oncologist - a doctor who specializes in chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer.

 

Metastasis - the spread of cancer cells from the original tumor to other parts of the body by way of the lymph system or bloodstream.

 

Multidisciplinary - regrouping several disciplines.

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Neoadjuvant therapy - preliminary therapy, such as chemotherapy, given to reduce the size of a cancerous (malignant) tumor before surgery or radiation therapy.

 

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - a group of related cancers that start in the cells of the lymphatic system. Each type is characterized by the appearance, structure and genetic features of the lymphocytes.

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Oestrogen - female hormone mostly produced by the ovaries. It influences female sexual characteristics such as breast development, and it is necessary for reproduction. A small amount is produced by the adrenal glands.

 

Oncologist - doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer.

 

Oncology - the study and treatment of cancer.

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Partial remission - occurs when a tumor has been reduced to less than half of its original size and when continued treatment may lead to a full remission.

 

Pathologist - doctor who specializes in the study of diseases processes. Pathologists examine biopsies and assess the results of other laboratory tests.

 

Personalized medicine - emphasizing the use of information about an individual patient to select or optimize its therapeutic care. With personalized medicine, it will be possible to predict patient response to treatment, before starting it.

 

Phase I clinical trial - a research study that evaluates a drug's safety and administration. Phase I clinical trials are generally offered to individuals with cancer who are no longer responding to standard treatment or to those for whom no effective treatment exists.

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Phase II clinical trial - a research study that evaluates the ability of an experimental treatment to kill or destroy cancer cells. Participants in Phase II clinical trials include those who are no longer responding to standard treatment, those for whom standard therapy has had limited effect, or those likely to benefit more from the experimental treatment than they are from standard treatment.

 

Phase III clinical trial - a research study that compares standard cancer treatments with new treatments to evaluate their effectiveness and side effects. Phase III studies compare new treatments with standard treatments to determine whether they improve quality of life, prolong life, have fewer side effects or decrease the chance of cancer recurring.

 

Phase IV clinical trial - phase IV trials are also called "pharmacovigilance or post-marketing" trials because the drug is usually already on the market. During this phase, the Sponsor of the trial collects long-term or rare side effects and complications and assesses the drug outside the strict parameters of the previous clinical trials.

 

Placebo - a pill or medication that looks real but actually contains no active ingredient.

 

Pre-operative - before surgery.

 

Preclinical study - study to test a drug, procedure or a treatment in animals. The main goals of pre-clinical studies are to determine a product's safety profile. Preclinical studies are required before starting any clinical trials in human.

 

Protocol - standardized procedures established for treating or preventing different diseases.

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Radiologist - doctor trained to diagnose disease by using such procedures as x-ray, ultrasound, radioisotope scans, CT scans, and magnetic resonance imaging.

 

Randomized - chosen at random. During randomized clinical trials, participants are randomly assigned to one of two or more groups in order to objectively assess experimental cancer treatments.

 

Recurrence - the return of a cancerous growth or condition after treatment.

 

Refractory - cancer that does not respond to treatment.

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Regression - a decrease in the size of a tumor or the extent of cancer spread in the body.

 

Remission - the time when a disease is under control and the person is free from its signs and symptoms. May be complete or partial.

 

RNA - ribonucleic acid. Part of the human cell that helps transfer genetic information from DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) to proteins.

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Sample - Refers to a small amount of material (e.g., blood, tumor, liver) : specimen

 

Side effect - an unwanted or undesirable symptom caused by medical treatment. For example, fatigue is a common side effect of radiation therapy.

 

Sponsor - who is sponsoring a clinical study.

 

Standard care - the accepted and commonly used treatment for a medical condition, usually in comparison to a new treatment that is still being researched.

 

Study arm - patients in clinical trials are assigned to part of a study called "arm." One arm receives a different treatment or dose from another.

 

Surgeon - a doctor who performs surgery.

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Therapeutic resistance - the reduction in effectiveness of a drug in curing a disease or condition.

 

Toxicity - the undesirable side effects of treatment.

 

Translational research - exchange, synthesis and ethically-sound application of knowledge - within a complex system of interactions among researchers and users - to accelerate the capture of the benefits of research for Canadians through improved health, more effective services and products, and a strengthened health care system (definition provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research - CIHR).

 

Tumor or tumour - abnormal growth of cells. Tumours can be non-cancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). Also called neoplasm, mass or growth.

 

Tumor marker - a naturally occurring chemical substance in the body. If found in increased amounts, it may indicate the presence of cancer. Usually used to help detect the presence of cancer or to monitor a person’s response to treatment. Examples of tumor markers include CA125, CA19-9, or Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA).

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