A glossary of terms for patients and caregivers - American Brain Tumor Association

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A glossary of terms for patients and caregivers - American Brain Tumor Association
a glossary of terms for patients
and caregivers
A glossary of terms for patients and caregivers - American Brain Tumor Association
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A glossary of terms for patients and caregivers - American Brain Tumor Association
TABLE OF CONTENTS

                                                                                                         Table of Contents
ABOUT THE AMERICAN BRAIN TUMOR ASSOCIATION

Founded in 1973, the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) was the first

national nonprofit organization dedicated solely to brain tumor research. For
over 40 years, the Chicago-based ABTA has been providing comprehensive
                                                                                                          1   Definitions .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 4-57
resources that support the complex needs of brain tumor patients and
caregivers, as well as the critical funding of research in the pursuit of
                                                                                                          2   Medical Abbreviations.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 58
breakthroughs in brain tumor diagnosis, treatment and care.
                                                                                                          3   Pertaining to Medicines.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 58
To learn more about the ABTA, visit www.abta.org.
                                                                                                          4   Medical Prefixes. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 58

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS                                                                                          5   Medical Roots .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 59
We extend our appreciation to Steven Brem, M.D., Director of Neurosurgical
Oncology; Co-Director, Brain Tumor Center, Hospital of the University of
                                                                                                          6   Medical Suffixes. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 59
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, for technical review. We also gratefully acknowledge the                      7   Measurement Tables .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 60–62
volunteer efforts of Gail Segal for writing the original version of this publication.

Printing of this publication is made possible through an educational grant from
                                                                                                          8   ABTA Publications & Services .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 63
Genentech, a Member of the Roche Group.
                                                                                                          9   Notes. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 64

This publication is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice and does not provide
advice on treatments or conditions for individual patients. All health and treatment decisions must be
made in consultation with your physician(s), utilizing your specific medical information. Inclusion in
this publication is not a recommendation of any product, treatment, physician or hospital.
ISBN 978-0-692-26796-7
COPYRIGHT © 2014 ABTA
REPRODUCTION WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED

                                                                                                                                                                                                            ABOUT BRAIN TUMORS                                  3
A glossary of terms for patients and caregivers - American Brain Tumor Association
BRAIN TUMOR DICTIONARY                                  A Glossary of terms for Patients and Caregivers                                                                                     3D-CRT to ANAPLASIA

    3D-CRT Three Dimensional Conformal Radiation           ACR American College of Radiology, a                     adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma [ad                   and Human Services, is “to improve the quality,
    Therapy. Radiation beams are shaped to match           professional society.                                    ah man tih no´ ma tus • kray´ nee o fah rin jee o´       safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care
    the tumor. Shaping is accomplished by special                                                                   ma] One of the two types of craniopharyngioma,           for all Americans.”
                                                           ACRIN American College of Radiology Imaging
    equipment and special computer programs. Also                                                                   a benign tumor arising from small nests of cells
                                                           Network, a clinical cooperative group funded                                                                      alkylating agents [al´ kih lay ting] A family of
    called CRT.                                                                                                     located near the pituitary stalk. This type of tumor
                                                           by the National Cancer Institute, charged with                                                                    anticancer drugs that interfere with a cell’s DNA
                                                                                                                    occurs most commonly in children and tends to be
    AA Anaplastic Astrocytoma.                             developing and conducting multi-institutional                                                                     thus inhibiting its ability to grow.
                                                                                                                    cystic.
                                                           trials of imaging techniques. Its objectives are
    AACR American Association for Cancer Research,                                                                                                                           alleles [ah leelz´] The genes that occupy the
                                                           to evaluate outcomes and cost, quality of life           adenoma [ad in ome´ ah] A usually benign
    a professional society.                                                                                                                                                  same relative location on both chromosomes of a
                                                           implications, develop new evaluation methods             tumor arising from a gland, such as a pituitary
                                                                                                                                                                             pair.
    AAN American Academy of Neurology, a                   and increase availability of the most valuable           adenoma.
    professional society.                                  technology.                                                                                                       allogenic transplant [al o jen´ ik] Material
                                                                                                                    adjuvant therapy, treatment [ad´ ju vant] “In
                                                                                                                                                                             such as blood, bone marrow or stem cells that
    AANN American Association of Neuroscience              acromegaly [ak row meg´ ah lee] A disorder               addition to.” Therapy given at the same time or
                                                                                                                                                                             comes from a donor with genetically different but
    Nurses, a professional society.                        due to an excessive amount of growth hormone in          immediately following another treatment. The
                                                                                                                                                                             compatible genes.
                                                           adults who have achieved their full height. Growth       treatments work together to make each more
    AANS American Association of Neurological
                                                           hormone, also called somatotropin, is secreted by        effective.                                               alopecia [al o pee´ she ah] Loss of hair; baldness
    Surgeons, a professional society.
                                                           the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. Symptoms                                                                in areas where hair is usually present. Hair loss
                                                                                                                    ADL Activities of Daily Life. For example,
    abducens nerve [ab doo´ sens] 6th cranial              of acromegaly include an enlarged lower jaw,                                                                      often occurs over the area of the head receiving
                                                                                                                    preparing a meal, doing laundry, brushing your
    nerve.                                                 hands and feet. A hormone secreting pituitary                                                                     radiation therapy or as a side effect of some forms
                                                                                                                    teeth. A term used in a rehabilitation setting or in
                                                           adenoma (a benign brain tumor), can cause this                                                                    of chemotherapy.
    abscess [ab´ sess] An accumulation of pus, often                                                                assessing quality of life.
                                                           condition. In children, excessive growth hormone
    with swelling, due to an infection.                                                                                                                                      alpha-fetoprotein [al´ fah fee toe pro´ teen] A
                                                           causes gigantism.                                        adoptive immunotherapy [uh dop´ tiv • ih
                                                                                                                                                                             germ cell tumor marker found in the cerebrospinal
    Absence seizure A type of generalized seizure                                                                   myoo noh thayr´ uh pee] A treatment used to
                                                           acronym [ack´ roe nim] An invented word or an                                                                     fluid and blood. Commonly abbreviated AFP.
    (also called petit mal) that causes an impairment of                                                            help the immune system fight cancer. A cancer
                                                           abbreviation, made up of the first letters of other
    consciousness.                                                                                                  patient’s T cells (a type of white blood cell) are       alternative medicine Used instead of
                                                           words. Examples: Laser; DNA.
                                                                                                                    collected and grown in the laboratory to increase        conventional medicine to treat illness by helping
    accessible [ak ses´ sah bul] Refers to tumors
                                                           ACRP Association of Clinical Research                    their number, and are then returned to the patient.      the body heal itself or to treat the “source” of the
    that can be reached by a surgeon without severe
                                                           Professionals, a professional society.                   This therapy circumvents some of the limitations         disease.
    consequences; tumors that are not deep in the
                                                                                                                    of active immunotherapy.
    brain or beneath vital structures.                     ACSW Academy of Certified Social Workers.                                                                         amplification [am pli fi kay ´ shun] Making
                                                                                                                    AFP Alpha-FetoProtein.  A germ cell tumor                multiple copies of a gene or any sequence of DNA,
    accessory nerve 11th cranial nerve.                    ACTH adrenocorticotropic hormone. Produced by
                                                                                                                    marker found in the cerebrospinal fluid and blood.       either in the human body or in the laboratory. The
                                                           the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland, it regulates
    acetaminophen [as et ah mih´ no fen] The                                                                                                                                 term is most often used to describe malignancy
                                                           the activity of the adrenal gland.                       age range In clinical trials, refers to the ages of
    generic name for a drug that temporarily relieves                                                                                                                        (cancer). A tumor cell repeatedly copies (amplifies)
                                                                                                                    patients who are eligible for a particular treatment.
    mild to moderate pain and reduces fever. Unlike        acuity [ah ku´ ih tee] Refers to clarity or                                                                       DNA segments as a result of unusual cell signals or
    aspirin, it does not cause bleeding problems.          distinctness of hearing or sight.                        agnosia [ag no´ zee ah] Loss of ability to               environmental stress.
    Examples: Tylenol, Excedrin (a combination drug                                                                 recognize objects, people, sounds, shapes, or
                                                           acupressure [ak´ you presh yur] Pressure or                                                                       amygdala [a mig´ da lah] Part of the limbic
    which contains aspirin and caffeine in addition to                                                              smells. Usually classified according to the sense or
                                                           massage to specific sites on the body to control                                                                  system, it is located in the temporal lobe of the
    acetaminophen).                                                                                                 senses affected (hearing, sight, smell, taste, touch).
                                                           pain or nausea.                                                                                                   cerebral hemisphere.
                                                                                                                    Symptom common to tumors of the parietal lobe
    acoustic nerve [a kous´ tik] 8th cranial nerve.
                                                           acupuncture [ak´ you punk shur] The insertion            of the cerebral hemispheres.                             analgesic [an al gee´ zik] A medicine used to
    acoustic neuroma [a kous´ tik • new row´               of thin needles through the skin at specific points                                                               reduce pain.
                                                                                                                    agraphia [ah graf´ e ah] Loss of ability to write.
    ma] A benign tumor of the nerve of hearing (the        on the body to control pain and other symptoms.
                                                                                                                    Symptom common to tumors of the parietal lobe            analog or analogue [an´ ah log] In biochemistry,
    8th cranial nerve) located in the angle between
                                                           acustimulation [ak´ you stim you lay´                    of the dominant cerebral hemisphere.                     a substance related in chemical structure to
    the cerebellum and the pons. May be associated
                                                           shun] Mild electrical stimulation of acupuncture                                                                  another substance, but not identical to it.
    with neurofibromatosis 2. Also called vestibular                                                                AHRQ Agency for Heathcare Research and
                                                           points to control nausea and vomiting.
    schwannoma [ves tib´ you lar • shwah no´ ma],                                                                   Quality. The mission of this US government               anaplasia [an ah play´ zee ah] Cells that have
    acoustic neurilemmoma [nur´ ih le mow´ ma].            acute [ah kute´] Having severe symptoms and a            agency, which is part of the Department of Health        returned to a more primitive or undifferentiated
                                                           short course; not chronic.                                                                                        form. Malignant cells.
    AcPhys Acupuncture Physician.

4                                      AMERICAN BRAIN TUMOR ASSOCIATION                     WWW.ABTA.ORG                                                                                            ABOUT BRAIN TUMORS              5
A glossary of terms for patients and caregivers - American Brain Tumor Association
BRAIN TUMOR DICTIONARY                                 A Glossary of terms for Patients and Caregivers                                                                                    ANAPLASTIC to ASCO

    anaplastic [an ah plas´ tik] Malignant.                angiogenesis inhibition                                 anticonvulsant [an tie kon vul’ sant] A drug           APN-NP Advanced Practice Nurse-Nurse
                                                           [an jee oh jen´ eh sis] Purposeful blocking or          that prevents, reduces or stops convulsions or         Practitioner.
    anaplastic astrocytoma [an ah plas´ tik • as
                                                           interference with the formation of new blood            seizures. Example: Tegretol (a proprietary name
    tro sigh toe´ ma] In the WHO classification                                                                                                                           APON Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses,
                                                           vessels, for example to a tumor.                        for carbamazepine), Phenobarbitol. Also called
    system, this is a grade III, malignant astrocytoma.                                                                                                                   a professional society.
                                                                                                                   antiepileptic.
    Astrocytomas are tumors that arise from the            angiogenesis inhibitor [an gee o jen´ ih
                                                                                                                                                                          aphagia [uh fay´ jia] Loss of the ability to
    supportive tissue of the brain. Abbreviated AA.        sis] Angiogenesis inhibitors block the formation        antiemetic [an´ tie eh met ik] A drug that helps
                                                                                                                                                                          swallow or the refusal to swallow.
                                                           of new blood vessels around a tumor. It is believed     control nausea and vomiting.
    anaplastic choroid plexus papilloma [an ah
                                                           that without an adequate supply of blood and the                                                               apoptosis [ay pop to´sis] or [ah-po-
    plas´ tik • ko´ royd • pleks´ sus • pap ih low´                                                                antiepileptic [an´ tie ep i lep´ tik] A drug
                                                           nutrients it carries, a tumor is unable to grow. Also                                                          to´sis] Normal, timely cell death. Healthy cells
    ma] Occurring primarily in children, this is the                                                               that prevents, reduces or stops convulsions or
                                                           called anti-angiogenesis therapy. [angio = blood                                                               live and die in a predictable pattern. This pattern
    malignant form of the choroid plexus papilloma. It                                                             seizures. Example: Tegretol (a proprietary name
                                                           vessel; genesis = birth].                                                                                      keeps the number of cells in our body balanced.
    comprises about ten percent of all choroid plexus                                                              for carbamazepine), Phenobarbitol. Also called
                                                                                                                                                                          Abnormal cells lose the ability to sense these
    tumors and typically occurs in one of the lateral      angiogenic [an gee oh jeh nik] Relating to the          anticonvulsant.
                                                                                                                                                                          natural cues, and go on needlessly reproducing.
    ventricles. Also called choroid plexus carcinoma.      formation and differentiation of blood vessels.
                                                                                                                   antifungal [an´ tie fun´ gull] A drug used to          The unneeded cells eventually form a tumor.
    anaplastic ependymoma [an ah plas´ tik •               angiogram [an´ gee o gram] A diagnostic                 treat infections caused by a fungus.
                                                                                                                                                                          arachnoid [ah rack´ noyd] The middle of three
    ep en dih moe´ ma] In the WHO classification           procedure done in the x-ray department to help
                                                                                                                   antigen [an´ tih jen] A substance, recognized as       layers of meninges, the membranes covering the
    system, this is a grade III, malignant ependymoma,     visualize blood vessels. The person receives an
                                                                                                                   foreign to the body, that stimulates the immune        brain and spinal cord. It forms the outer border of
    most commonly found in the cerebral                    injection of dye to outline the vessels on the x-ray
                                                                                                                   system to produce antibodies.                          the subarachnoid space.
    hemispheres. Ependymomas arise from the                or scan. Also called arteriogram.
    ependymal cells that line the ventricles and central                                                           antimetabolites [an´ tie meh tab´ o litez] A           arachnoid cyst [ah rack´ noyd] An enlarged,
                                                           anomaly [ah nom´ ah lee] Out of the ordinary,
    canal of the spinal cord. These tumors occur in                                                                group of anticancer drugs that resemble nutrients      fluid-filled area of the subarachnoid space — the
                                                           abnormal.
    both children and adults.                                                                                      needed by the cell for growth. Once inside the cell,   space between the arachnoid and pia mater layers
                                                           anorexia [an o rek´ see ah] Loss of appetite.           they interfere with its ability to reproduce.          of the meninges. Can occur in both adults and
    anaplastic oligoastrocytoma [an ah plas´ tik •
                                                                                                                                                                          children. Also called leptomeningeal cyst [lep´ toe
    o´ lig o as tro sigh toe´ ma] This tumor contains      anosmia [an oz´ me ah] Absence of the sense of          antineoplastic antibiotics A group of anticancer
                                                                                                                                                                          meh nin jee´ al].
    both astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Its behavior     smell. Symptom common to tumors of the frontal          drugs that block cell growth by interfering with
    is similar to tumors composed of astrocytes or         lobe of the cerebral hemispheres.                       DNA, the genetic material in cells. Also called        arm In a clinical trial, refers to a particular
    oligodendrocytes, whichever is most prevalent in                                                               antitumor or anticancer antibiotics.                   treatment pathway. Also called study arm or
                                                           anterior [an tier´ ee or] Front, or forward
    the particular tumor. They are commonly grade III,                                                                                                                    treatment arm.
                                                           position.                                               antipyretic [an´ tie pie ret´ ik] A drug used to
    malignant tumors. Also called mixed glioma.
                                                                                                                   reduce fever.                                          arteriogram [are tier´ e oh gram] A diagnostic
                                                           anti-angiogenesis To block the growth of new
    anesthesiologist A physician trained in                                                                                                                               procedure done in the x-ray department to help
                                                           blood vessels around a growing tumor. Also called       antisense therapies [an´ tie sens] A form of
    administering anesthetics and caring for people                                                                                                                       visualize blood vessels. The person receives an
                                                           angiogenesis inhibition.                                gene therapy that seeks to block specific protein
    who are anesthetized. Anesthetics are drugs or                                                                                                                        injection of dye to outline the vessels on the x-ray
                                                                                                                   messages formed by malignant cells. It is thought
    agents used during surgery to prevent the sense of     antibiotic [an tie by ah´ tik] A drug used to treat                                                            or scan. Also called angiogram, MRI angiography.
                                                                                                                   that if abnormal messages can be blocked, so can
    pain. Local anesthesia numbs a small area; general     infection.
                                                                                                                   the growth of the tumor.                               articulation [ar tik u lay´ shun] Speech.
    anesthesia produces unconsciousness.
                                                           antibody [an´ tie bod ee] Part of the immune
                                                                                                                   antitumor antibiotics A group of anticancer            artifact [ar´ tih fakt] In radiology, the appearance
    anesthetics [an es thet´ iks] Substances               system. An antibody is a protein produced and
                                                                                                                   drugs that block cell growth by interfering with       on an x-ray of something not naturally present,
    that cause loss of feeling or awareness. Local         secreted by a special white blood cell in response
                                                                                                                   DNA, the genetic material in cells. Also called        such as a surgical metal clip. In the laboratory, the
    anesthetics cause loss of sensation in one             to a foreign substance (antigen). Each antibody
                                                                                                                   anticancer or antineoplastic antibiotics.              appearance on a slide or in a tissue sample of an
    part of the body; general anesthetics cause            can recognize and bind only to one specific
                                                                                                                                                                          object or feature that was inadvertently introduced
    unconsciousness.                                       antigen. The antibody helps destroy the antigen         AOCN Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse.
                                                                                                                                                                          or caused in the laboratory.
                                                           by either disabling it directly or making it more
    angiogenic [an gee oh jeh´ nik] Relating to the                                                                aphasia [ah faz´ e ah] Loss of ability to speak
                                                           vulnerable to destruction by other parts of the                                                                ascending tract The pathway of sensory
    formation of blood vessels.                                                                                    or write; loss of ability to understand speech or
                                                           immune system.                                                                                                 nerves from the spinal cord to the brain stem or
                                                                                                                   written words.
    angiogenesis [an gee o jen´ ih sis] The growth                                                                                                                        thalamus.
                                                           anticancer antibiotics A group of anticancer
    of new blood vessels. Tumors need angiogenesis                                                                 APN-CS Advanced Practice Nurse-Clinical
                                                           drugs that block cell growth by interfering with                                                               ASCO American Society of Clinical Oncology, a
    for continued growth.                                                                                          Specialist.
                                                           DNA, the genetic material in cells. Also called                                                                professional society.
                                                           antitumor antibiotics or antineoplastic antibiotics.
6                                      AMERICAN BRAIN TUMOR ASSOCIATION                     WWW.ABTA.ORG                                                                                         ABOUT BRAIN TUMORS               7
A glossary of terms for patients and caregivers - American Brain Tumor Association
BRAIN TUMOR DICTIONARY                                  A Glossary of terms for Patients and Caregivers                                                               ASPHO to BONE MARROW ASPIRATION

    ASPHO American Society of Pediatric                    attenuated [ah ten´ you a ted] Weakened;               basic research Laboratory studies that explore           serve as a sign of a normal, or abnormal process,
    Hematology Oncology, a professional society.           referring to virus, it means the virus is no longer    the ways in which cells live, grow, and die so           or a sign of a condition or disease. Most brain
                                                           infectious.                                            that we can understand how a malignant cell is           tumor biomarkers are used to monitor how well
    aspirin One of the family of drugs called
                                                                                                                  altered and then use that information to control         the body responds to a treatment for a disease or
    nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory agents. It is used     atypia [a tip´ ee ah] During examination of a
                                                                                                                  cancer.                                                  condition. Researchers are also working to develop
    to reduce pain, fever and/or swelling.                 tumor under the microscope, atypia refers to how
                                                                                                                                                                           biomarkers for diagnostic purposes. Also called
                                                           different the tumor cells are from normal cells.       basophil [bays´ o fil] The type of white blood
    ASTRO American Society for Therapeutic                                                                                                                                 molecular marker and signature molecule.
                                                                                                                  cell that is involved with fighting bacterial
    Radiology and Oncology, a professional society.        atypical absence seizure [a tip´ i cal] A type of
                                                                                                                  infections.                                              biopsy [bi´ op see] A surgical procedure to
                                                           generalized seizure that causes a change in muscle
    astrocytoma [as tro sigh toe´ ma] Any tumor                                                                                                                            remove a small piece of tumor for examination
                                                           tone.                                                  BBB Blood brain barrier.
    that arises from astrocyte cells — part of the                                                                                                                         under a microscope in order to make a diagnosis.
    supportive (neuroglial) tissue of the brain.           atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor [tear´ ah             benign [be nine´] Not malignant, not                     The sample is examined by a pathologist who
    There are four types of astrocytoma: pilocytic         toyd • rab´ doyd] A rare, high grade tumor             cancerous.                                               determines the type of the tumor. A biopsy can
    astrocytoma (grade I), astrocytoma (grade              occurring most commonly in the cerebellum of                                                                    be performed as part of the surgery to remove the
                                                                                                                  BFA Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
    II), anaplastic astrocytoma (grade III), and           children younger than two years of age. Also called                                                             tumor, or as a separate procedure.
    glioblastoma (grade IV).                               ATT/RhT.                                               bevacizumab [bev uh siz´ u mab] A monoclonal
                                                                                                                                                                           blastoma [blas toe´ ma] A tumor whose
                                                                                                                  antibody that interferes with the blood supply of
    astrocytoma I A tumor that occurs mainly in            audiometry [aw dee om´ eh tree] A hearing test.                                                                 cells have embryonic characteristics, such as a
                                                                                                                  tumors by inhibiting the formation of new blood
    children; the most benign of the astrocytomas.                                                                                                                         medulloblastoma or a glioblastoma.
                                                           aura [or´ ah] Advance notice of an imminent            vessels (angiogenesis). Bevacizumab targets a
    Also called pilocytic astrocytoma [pie low sit´ ik •
                                                           seizure; most commonly a peculiar sensation,           protein called vascular endothelial growth factor        blood brain barrier A protective barrier or
    as tro sigh toe´ ma].
                                                           strange noise, light or smell.                         (VEGF) and is indicated for the treatment of             filtering mechanism, formed by the blood vessels
    astrocytoma II A low grade tumor.                                                                             metastatic colorectal cancer, non-squamous non-          and glia of the brain, which prevents some
                                                           autologous transplant [aw tol´ o gus] Material
                                                                                                                  small cell lung cancer, metastatic breast cancer,        substances in the blood from entering brain tissue.
    astrocytoma III A malignant astrocytoma. Also          such as blood, bone marrow or stem cells that
                                                                                                                  glioblastoma, and metastatic renal cell carcinoma.       Abbreviated BBB.
    called anaplastic astrocytoma (abbreviated AA).        comes from oneself as opposed to being donated
                                                                                                                  Its brand name is Avastin.
                                                           by another.                                                                                                     blood brain barrier disruption A technique used
    astrocytoma IV An aggressive, malignant tumor
                                                                                                                  bias Anything beside the treatments being                to temporarily disrupt the barrier in order to allow
    that commonly invades adjacent tissue and              autophagy [awe toff´ ah gee] Literally, eating
                                                                                                                  tested that affects a study’s results. Clinical trials   drugs to flow from blood vessels into the brain.
    spreads throughout the central nervous system.         one’s own flesh. A future cancer treatment might
                                                                                                                  use many methods to avoid bias because biased
    Its hallmark is areas of dead tumor cells (necrosis)   incorporate the tendency of some cells to digest                                                                BMT Bone Marrow Transplant.
                                                                                                                  research often produces misleading results.
    observed under the microscope during the               some of their own cytoplasm.
                                                                                                                                                                           BNCT Boron Neutron Capture Therapy.
    pathological examination. Also called glioblastoma                                                            bilateral [buy lat´ ur al] Occurring on both sides
                                                           Avastin [uh vas´ tin] See bevacizumab.
    (abbreviated GBM).                                                                                            of the body.                                             board certification A physician’s advanced
                                                           axial [ak´ see al] Position as it relates to the                                                                credential indicating a high degree of competence
    asymptomatic Having no symptoms.                                                                              biologic response modifier (BRM) A substance
                                                           central nervous system (CNS). Intra-axial is within                                                             and training in their area of specialty.
                                                                                                                  — either natural or manufactured in the laboratory
    ataxic gait [ah tak´ sik • gate] A clumsy,             the CNS; extra-axial is outside the CNS.
                                                                                                                  — that increases, directs or restores normal             bolus [bow´ lus] A single dose of drug, usually
    uncoordinated walk. Also called ataxia.
                                                           B cell Part of the immune system. A type of            immune defenses. Used as an adjuvant therapy             injected into a blood vessel over a short period of
    atonic [a tonn´ ik] No muscle tone, limp.              lymphocyte (small white blood cell) that circulates    for brain tumors, it seeks to stop the growth of the     time.
                                                           in the blood. When it finds an antigen (a stranger     tumor.
    atonic seizure [a tonn´ ik] A type of generalized                                                                                                                      bone marrow [mare´ o] The soft, sponge-like
                                                           presumed to be harmful), it manufactures and
    seizure (also called epileptic drop attack) that                                                              biologic therapy Deliberate manipulation of              tissue in the hollow center of large bones where all
                                                           releases antibodies against the antigen. Also called
    causes sudden limpness.                                                                                       the immune system to change the biological               blood cells are manufactured.
                                                           B lymphocytes.
                                                                                                                  environment in the body. The intent is to make it
    ATR Registered Art Therapist.                                                                                                                                          bone marrow aspiration [as pih ray´
                                                           BA Bachelor of Arts degree.                            difficult for tumors to grow or to cause a change in
                                                                                                                                                                           shun] Removal of a small sample of bone marrow
    ATT/RhT Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid                                                                            their behavior. This therapy uses substances called
                                                           basal ganglia [bay´ zil • gang´ lee ah] Masses of                                                               (usually from the hip) through a needle for
    tumor [tear´ ah toyd • rab´ doyd] A rare, high                                                                biologic response modifiers (BRMs). Many BRMs
                                                           nerve cells deep within the brain at the base of the                                                            examination under a microscope.
    grade tumor occurring most commonly in the                                                                    occur naturally in the body.
                                                           cerebral hemispheres. They are involved in muscle
    cerebellum of children younger than two years of
                                                           movement and control.                                  biomarker [by´-oh-mar-ker] A biological
    age.
                                                                                                                  molecule found in body fluids or tissues that can

8                                       AMERICAN BRAIN TUMOR ASSOCIATION                    WWW.ABTA.ORG                                                                                         ABOUT BRAIN TUMORS               9
BRAIN TUMOR DICTIONARY                                  A Glossary of terms for Patients and Caregivers                                   BONE MARROW OR STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION to CCC — SLP

     bone marrow or stem cell transplantation A             brain stem gliomas: diffuse, focal, exophytic           Cancer Information Service 1-800-422-6237;               CAT Computerized Axial Tomography. Also called
     procedure to replace bone marrow destroyed by          and cervicomedullary. Brain stem gliomas can            TTY 1-800-332-8615. A national information               CT, Computerized tomography.
     treatments such as high doses of anticancer drugs      be intrinsic (within the brain stem) or extrinsic       service (in English or Spanish) of the National
                                                                                                                                                                             catheter [kath´ ih tur] A thin, flexible, tube. Used
     or radiation. Transplantation can be autologous        (outside the brain stem).                               Cancer Institute for patients, the public and health
                                                                                                                                                                             to insert, remove or relocate fluids in the body.
     (the person’s own marrow or stem cells saved                                                                   professionals. Abbreviated CIS.
                                                            brain tumor stem cells (BTSC) Brain tumors
     before treatment), allogenic (marrow or stem cells                                                                                                                      cauterize [kaw´ tur eyes] To treat tissue with
                                                            are now believed to possess a population of stem        cancer of unknown primary origin Cancer cells
     donated by someone else) or syngenic (marrow or                                                                                                                         a hot instrument, an electric current or a caustic
                                                            like cancer cells that have the ability to reproduce,   are found but the place where they first arose (the
     stem cells donated by an identical twin).                                                                                                                               substance. Used during surgery to control
                                                            self-renew, and develop into any of several mature      original or primary site) cannot be located.
                                                                                                                                                                             bleeding.
     boron neutron capture therapy Radiation                cell types. Some researchers believe these cells
                                                                                                                    Cancer Trials Support Unit A pilot project
     therapy that combines a special form of non-           may be the cells that give rise to brain tumors, and                                                             Cavitron Brand name of an ultrasonic aspirator
                                                                                                                    sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. It is
     ionizing radiation with a drug that concentrates       may contribute to resistance to chemotherapy and                                                                 — sometimes used to break tumors apart and
                                                                                                                    charged with simplifying administrative procedures
     in tumor cells. The person is given an intravenous     radiation therapy.                                                                                               suction out the pieces during surgical removal of a
                                                                                                                    performed by Clinical Cooperative Groups.
     infusion containing the element boron before the                                                                                                                        tumor.
                                                            BRM Biological Response Modifier.                       Abbreviated CTSU.
     procedure, which concentrates in tumor cells.
                                                                                                                                                                             CBA Cost Benefit Analysis.
     The person then receives radiation therapy with        Broca’s area [bro´ kas] An area of the frontal          CANCERLIT Cancer Literature.  A bibliographic
     atomic particles called neutrons (epithermal or slow   lobe involved with speech.                              database that contains references to cancer              CBC Complete Blood Count.
     neutrons) produced by a research nuclear reactor.                                                              literature published in over 4,000 different sources
                                                            BS Bachelor of Science degree.                                                                                   CBER Center for Biologicals Evaluation and
     The radiation is absorbed by the boron, killing the                                                            including biomedical journals, proceedings,
                                                                                                                                                                             Research of the Food and Drug Administration.
     tumor cells and avoiding normal cells. Abbreviated     BSC Best Supportive Care.                               books, reports and doctoral theses from 1963 to
                                                                                                                                                                             This office is responsible for ensuring the safety,
     BNCT.                                                                                                          the present. Most records contain abstracts and
                                                            BSN Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.                                                                       effectiveness and timely delivery to patients
                                                                                                                    all contain citation information, descriptive fields
     brachytherapy [bray key ther´ ah pee] Sources                                                                                                                           of biological products, including blood and
                                                            BSW Bachelor of Social Work degree.                     such as document type and the language in which
     of radiation energy are implanted directly into                                                                                                                         blood products, vaccines, human tissue for
                                                                                                                    the document was written.
     or next to a tumor. Brachytherapy is a local           BTEC Brain Tumor Epidemiology Consortium.                                                                        transplantation, allergenic materials and anti-
     therapy. Also called interstitial radiation therapy,                                                           cancer.gov The National Cancer Institute’s cancer        toxins, and biological therapeutics. Biologics, in
                                                            BTFC Brain Tumor Funders Collaborative.
     intracavitary radiation, radiation implants,                                                                   information website, it provides access to a wide        contrast to drugs that are chemically synthesized,
     radiation seeding or radioactive pellets.              BTGAP Brain Tumor Genome Anatomy Project.               variety of information, including clinical trials from   are derived from living sources (humans, animals,
                                                            An NCI-NINDS intramural collaborative working           PDQ, cancer literature from CANCERLIT and a              and microorganisms.)
     brain mapping Intraoperative monitoring using
                                                            group mapping the genes for brain tumors.               wealth of other information. The complete web
     direct cortical stimulation, evoked potentials,                                                                                                                         CBTC Canadian Brain Tumor Consortium.
                                                                                                                    site address is www.cancer.gov.
     functional MRI or intra-operative ultrasound           Burr Hole A hole through the skull made by a
                                                                                                                                                                             CBTNet Canadian Brain Tumor Network.
     imaging.                                               special drilling tool to provide access to the brain.   carcinogen [kar sin´ o jen] Any substance
                                                                                                                    known to cause cancer. The amount of time from           CBTRUS Central Brain Tumor Registry of the
     brain metastases Cancer that has spread to the         butterfly glioma A higher grade astrocytoma that
                                                                                                                    exposure to symptoms and diagnosis may be years          United States. A private, not-for-profit agency
     brain from another site in the body.                   has spread through both sides of the brain causing
                                                                                                                    or even decades.                                         committed to providing a resource for gathering
                                                            a “butterfly” appearance on scans.
     brain stem The bottom-most portion of the                                                                                                                               and disseminating current data on all primary
                                                                                                                    carcinogenesis [kar sin o jen´ eh sis] The
     brain, connecting the cerebrum to the spinal           BX Biopsy.                                                                                                       brain tumors, malignant and benign, for the
                                                                                                                    process by which normal cells are transformed into
     cord. Consists of the midbrain, pons, medulla                                                                                                                           purposes of accurately describing their incidence
                                                            CA Cancer.                                              cancer cells.
     oblongata, tectum, cervicomedullary junction and                                                                                                                        and survival patterns, evaluating diagnosis
     the reticular formation.                               calcification [kal sih fih kay´ shun] Deposit           carcinoma [kar sih no´ ma] A malignant tumor             and treatment, facilitating etiologic studies,
                                                            of calcium. Associated with some types of brain         that arises from skin or the lining of internal          establishing awareness of the disease, and
     brain stem glioma [glee o´ ma] A general name
                                                            tumors, as meningiomas, oligodendrogliomas and          body organs, for example, the breast, prostate,          ultimately, for the prevention of all brain tumors.
     for tumors arising in or on any part of the brain
                                                            astrocytomas.                                           lung, stomach or bowel. Carcinomas often invade
     stem: midbrain, pons, medulla oblongata, tectum,                                                                                                                        CC Chief Complaint.
                                                                                                                    adjacent tissue and spread to distant organs,
     reticular formation, cervicomedullary junction or      cancer [kan´ sur] Malignant tissue. It can invade
                                                                                                                    including the brain.                                     CCC — SLP Certificate of Clinical Competence
     the dorsum (back). About 10% of brain tumors           and destroy healthy tissue, and tends to spread to
                                                                                                                                                                             — Speech- Language Pathologist. A speech-
     in children are brain stem gliomas. The tumor          distant locations. Cancer cells are abnormal and        CARRA Consumer Advocates in Research and
                                                                                                                                                                             language pathologist is a healthcare professional
     might be any type of astrocytoma, a ganglioglioma      divide without control.                                 Related Activities, a program of the National Cancer
                                                                                                                                                                             educated and trained to evaluate and treat people
     or an ependymoma. There are four groups of                                                                     Institute (NCI) that matches cancer advocates to a
                                                                                                                                                                             with speech, language and swallowing problems.
                                                                                                                    variety of NCI activities and programs.

10                                       AMERICAN BRAIN TUMOR ASSOCIATION                    WWW.ABTA.ORG                                                                                          ABOUT BRAIN TUMORS               11
BRAIN TUMOR DICTIONARY                                 A Glossary of terms for Patients and Caregivers                                                                CCG to CHOROID PLEXUS CARCINOMA

     CCG Children’s Cancer Study Group. An NCI             cell cycle The reproductive stages of a cell leading     cerebellum [sair uh bell´ um] Located just             CHAMPVA Civilian Health and Medical Program
     funded clinical cooperative group organized to        to cell division (mitosis).                              above the neck in the back of the head, the            of the Department of Veteran Affairs (United
     evaluate new treatments for pediatric patients.                                                                cerebellum is the second largest structure in the      States), a federally funded health program that
                                                           cell differentiation The process that young,
     CCG, the Pediatric Oncology Group (POG)                                                                        brain. It consists of two hemispheres or halves, is    provides Uniformed Services beneficiaries with
                                                           immature, unspecialized (undifferentiated) cells
     and two other pediatric clinical cooperative                                                                   connected to the brain stem, and controls balance      medical care supplemental to that available in
                                                           undergo as they take on individual characteristics
     groups have merged to form a new group — the                                                                   for walking and standing and other complex motor       military and Public Health Service facilities. All
                                                           and reach their mature, specialized (differentiated)
     Children’s Oncology Group (COG).                                                                               functions.                                             CHAMPVA beneficiaries move over to Medicare
                                                           form and function.
                                                                                                                                                                           at age 65. CHAMPVA is like Medicare in that
     CCN Certified Clinical Nutritionist.                                                                           cerebral aqueduct [ser e´ brul • ok´ weh
                                                           cell kinetics [ki net´ ix] The amount of time it                                                                the government contracts with private parties to
                                                                                                                    dukt] A narrow canal through the midbrain
     CCOP Community Clinical Oncology Program,             takes for a tumor to attain a determined size.                                                                  administer the program.
                                                                                                                    connecting the third and fourth ventricles through
     a National Cancer Institute effort that allows
                                                           cell motility The ability of a cell to move.             which cerebrospinal fluid flows. Also called the       checkpoint blockade A type of immunetherapy
     community physicians to work with scientists
                                                                                                                    aqueduct of Sylvius.                                   that blocks natural immune responses that might
     conducting NCI-supported clinical trials.             cell proliferation An increase in the number of
                                                                                                                                                                           support tumor growth.
                                                           cells as a result of cell division.                      cerebral neuroblastoma [ser e´ brul • nur
     CCRA Certified Clinical Research Associate.
                                                                                                                    o blas toe´ ma] The cerebral neuroblastoma             chemoresistance [key mo resistance] Cellular
                                                           cellular ependymoma [ep en dih mow´ ma] A
     CCRN Critical Care Registered Nurse.                                                                           is a malignant, rapid growing tumor. Eighty-           resistance to a drug or group of drugs.
                                                           low grade tumor most commonly located in the
                                                                                                                    five percent of cerebral neuroblastomas occur
     CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,       fourth ventricle and the midline.                                                                               chemoresponsive [key mo responsive] Cellular
                                                                                                                    in children. It is also called a PNET (primitive
     Department of Health and Human Services;                                                                                                                              sensitivity to a drug or group of drugs.
                                                           cellular immunity Immune protection provided             neuroectodermal tumor) by some. Neuroblastoma
     located in Atlanta, Georgia.
                                                           by the direct action of immune cells as distinct         more commonly occurs outside the central               chemotherapy [key mo ther´ ah pee] The use of
     CDER Center for Drug Evaluation and Research          from the action of antibodies (humoral immunity).        nervous system.                                        anticancer chemicals (drugs) to treat brain tumors.
     of the Food and Drug Administration. This
                                                           centigray One one-hundredth of a gray, the unit          cerebrospinal fluid [ser ee´ bro spy´ nal] The         CHIP Comprehensive Health Insurance Program,
     office is responsible for ensuring the safety and
                                                           of measure in radiation therapy. Abbreviated cGy.        clear fluid made in the ventricular cavities of        regulated by individual states.
     effectiveness of drugs. An Office of Oncology Drug
                                                                                                                    the brain that bathes the brain and spinal cord.
     Products (ODP) in CDER’s Office of New Drugs          central nervous system Pertaining to the brain,                                                                 choked disc Swelling of the optic nerve indicating
                                                                                                                    It circulates through the ventricles and the
     is responsible for the review of drugs and biologic   cranial nerves and spinal cord. It does not include                                                             increased intracranial pressure. Also called
                                                                                                                    subarachnoid space. Abbreviated CSF.
     products used to diagnose, treat, and prevent         muscles or peripheral nerves. Abbreviated CNS.                                                                  papilledema.
     cancer.                                                                                                        cerebrum [ser e´ brum] The largest area of
                                                           central neurocytoma [nur o sigh toe´ ma] This                                                                   chondroma [kon drow´ ma] A rare, benign
                                                                                                                    the brain, the cerebrum occupies the uppermost
     cell The basic living unit of body tissue. It         rare, low grade tumor typically occurs in a lateral                                                             tumor that tends to arise at the base of the skull.
                                                                                                                    part of the skull. It consists of two halves called
     contains a nucleus surrounded by cytoplasm and        ventricle in the region of the foramen of Monro, and
                                                                                                                    hemispheres. Each half of the cerebrum is further      chondrosarcoma [kon drow´ sar ko´ ma] A
     is enclosed by a membrane.                            occasionally extends into the third ventricle as well.
                                                                                                                    divided into four lobes: frontal, temporal, parietal   very rare tumor, it is the malignant form of the
     CDRH Center for Devices and Radiological              cerebellar astrocytoma [sair uh bell´ ur • as            and occipital. The right side of the cerebrum          chondroma and is most common in adult males.
     Health of the Food and Drug Administration.           tro sigh toe´ ma] A glial tumor of the cerebellum.       generally controls the left side of the body. Also
                                                                                                                                                                           chordoma [kor doe´ ma] A rare, slow growing,
     This office helps ensure that medical devices are     About 80% are low grade, localized, cystic tumors        called cerebral hemispheres.
                                                                                                                                                                           but often intractable, extradural tumor occurring at
     safe and effective and helps reduce unnecessary       although higher grades of tumor also occur. More
                                                                                                                    cervical Refers to the neck.                           the base of the skull, or at the end of the spine.
     exposure to radiation from medical, occupational,     common in children than adults.
     and consumer products. Radiation emitting                                                                      cervicomedullary brain stem glioma [ser´ vih           choriocarcinoma See germ cell tumor.
                                                           cerebellar glioma [sair uh bell´ ur • glee o´
     products include microwave ovens, televisions,                                                                 koh med´ you lair ee] This tumor arises in the
                                                           ma] The generic name given to a glial tumor of the                                                              choroid plexus [ko´ royd • pleks´ sus] Areas in
     medical x-ray machines, CT/MRI scans, and                                                                      medulla oblongata and extends into the cervical
                                                           cerebellum.                                                                                                     the ventricles where cerebrospinal fluid is formed.
     diagnostic ultrasound among others.                                                                            spinal cord. It is often a pilocytic or fibrillary
                                                           cerebellar peduncle [sair uh bell´ ur • pea              astrocytoma.                                           choroid plexus carcinoma [ko´ royd • pleks´
     CEA carcinoembryonic antigen. This is a marker
                                                           dung´ kul] The nerve fibers connecting the                                                                      sus • kar sih no´ ma] Occurring primarily
     for a tumor of the arachnoid and/or pia mater                                                                  cervicomedullary junction [ser´ vih koh med´
                                                           cerebellum and the brain stem.                                                                                  in children, this is the malignant form of the
     membranes of the meninges.                                                                                     you lair ee] Where the extension of the spinal
                                                                                                                                                                           choroid plexus papilloma. It comprises about ten
                                                           cerebellopontine angle [sair uh bell´ o pon´             cord becomes the medulla oblongata of the brain.
     CED Convection-Enhanced Delivery.                                                                                                                                     percent of all choroid plexus tumors and typically
                                                           teen] The angle between the cerebellum and the
                                                                                                                    cGy Centigray.                                         occurs in one of the lateral ventricles. Also called
     cell adhesion Refers to the bonding together of       pons, a common site for the growth of vestibular
                                                                                                                                                                           anaplastic choroid plexus papilloma.
     cells, their “stickiness.”                            schwannomas, which are also called acoustic
                                                           neuromas.
12                                     AMERICAN BRAIN TUMOR ASSOCIATION                     WWW.ABTA.ORG                                                                                         ABOUT BRAIN TUMORS               13
BRAIN TUMOR DICTIONARY                                A Glossary of terms for Patients and Caregivers                                                   CHOROID PLEXUS PAPILLOMA to CONTRALATERAL

     choroid plexus papilloma [ko´ royd • pleks´           clinical cooperative group A network of                CNP Certified Nurse Practitioner.                      community standard of care The generally
     sus • pap ih low´ ma] A rare, benign tumor most       physicians from various medical institutions                                                                  accepted prudent and appropriate practice of
                                                                                                                  CNRN Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse.
     common in children under the age of two. The          investigating new treatments by planning and                                                                  healthcare in a given locale.
     lateral ventricles are the most common location       implementing research studies. Because of the          CNS Central Nervous System. The brain, spinal
                                                                                                                                                                         Compass System A frameless stereotactic system
     in young children, the fourth ventricle is the most   relative rarity of brain tumors, most doctors and      cord and cranial nerves.
                                                                                                                                                                         that combines a microscope, laser and computer.
     common site in adults.                                hospitals could not enter sufficient numbers of
                                                                                                                  CNS Congress of Neurological Surgeons, a
                                                           patients into a protocol (clinical trial) to derive                                                           complementary medicine Therapies used in
     chromosome [crow´ moe soam] Structures                                                                       professional society.
                                                           meaningful data or it would take a very longtime                                                              addition to conventional treatment primarily to
     in the nucleus of a cell that carry genes. All
                                                           to do so. Clinical cooperative groups and consortia    CNS metastasis [meh tas´ tah sis] Cancer that          manage or prevent pain, nausea and treatment
     human cells contain 46 chromosomes (23 pair).
                                                           were created by the National Cancer Institute so       has spread from its original (primary) site to the     related side-effects; to reduce stress and anxiety;
     Chromosomes are composed of DNA.
                                                           that new treatments could be evaluated quickly.        brain or spinal cord.                                  to promote healing. Also called holistic or natural
     chromosome deletion A portion of a                                                                                                                                  medicine.
                                                           clinical investigator A physician who                  CNS prophylaxis [pro fi lak´ sis] Treatment to
     chromosome is missing at least one gene.
                                                           administers treatments being studied in clinical       prevent a cancer from spreading or growing in          complete remission The most common
     chronic A disease or condition that persists over a   trials.                                                the brain or spinal cord even if it hasn’t yet been    definition is that the tumor can no longer be seen
     long period of time. Not acute.                                                                              detected.                                              on scans as a result of treatment. Remissions can
                                                           Clinical Nurse Specialist A registered nurse
                                                                                                                                                                         be permanent or temporary. Also called complete
     cingulate cortex [sin´ gyou lat • kor´ teks] A        with a master’s degree in nursing who has              CNS tumor A tumor of the brain, its covering, or
                                                                                                                                                                         response. Abbreviated CR.
     bundle of nerve fibers in the white matter located    demonstrated a high degree of knowledge, skill         the spinal cord.
     over the surface of the corpus callosum.              and competence in a specialized area of clinical                                                              complex partial seizure One of two types of
                                                                                                                  cobalt machine [ko´ bawlt] Uses cobalt
                                                           nursing.                                                                                                      focal seizure. It affects only one part of a cerebral
     circumscribed [sir´ come skribd] Having a                                                                    isotopes as the radiation source. A nuclear reactor
                                                                                                                                                                         hemisphere and symptoms depend on the specific
     border, localized. Often associated with a capsule    clinical trial An organized process for testing        manufactures the isotopes.
                                                                                                                                                                         part involved. The other type of focal seizure is
     and benign tumors of the brain, for example,          new treatments on patients using a pre-defined
                                                                                                                  co-deletion [koh de le´ shun] A deletion is a          called a simple partial seizure.
     meningiomas, pituitary adenomas and acoustic          treatment plan called a protocol. Clinical trials
                                                                                                                  type of mutation involving the loss of genetic
     neuromas.                                             might be sponsored by the National Cancer                                                                     concave [kon kave´] Having a hollowed surface,
                                                                                                                  material. It can be small, involving a single
                                                           Institute, another of the institutes of the National                                                          like the following:

                                                                                                                                                                                             
     CIS Cancer Information Service. A service of                                                                 missing DNA base pair, or large, involving a piece
                                                           Institutes of Health, pharmaceutical companies, or
     the National Cancer Institute, it is a national                                                              of a chromosome. A co-deletion is a deletion of        conformal Shaped to follow the irregular borders
                                                           individual treatment centers.
     information network for patients, the public                                                                 two chromosomes that occurs simultaneously,            of a tumor.
     and health professionals. Cancer Information          ClinicalTrials.gov The US National Institutes of       such as the 1p19q co-deletion often found in
                                                                                                                                                                         conformal radiation For therapy, the radiation
     Service provides the latest cancer information        Health web site listing of federally and privately     oligodendrogliomas.
                                                                                                                                                                         beams are shaped in three dimensions to
     through a toll-free telephone service, and can        supported clinical trials. The complete web site
                                                                                                                  cognition [cog nih´ shun] The mental process           match the shape of the tumor. The shaping is
     respond in English or Spanish. Access by phone:       address is www.clinicaltrials.gov.
                                                                                                                  involving thinking, learning, understanding, and       accomplished by special equipment and special
     1-800-422-6237; TTY 1-800-332-8615.
                                                           clivus [kli´ vus] An area at the base of the skull     memory.                                                computer programs. Abbreviated CRT. Also called
     classification A system for grouping tumors           composed of part of the sphenoid and occipital                                                                3D-CRT.
                                                                                                                  colloid cyst [kol´ oyd • sist] A cyst is a tumor-
     based on shared characteristics. Brain tumors         bones.
                                                                                                                  like sphere filled with fluid, similar to a balloon    congenital [kon jen´ ih tul] Existing before or at
     are classified by their microscopic anatomy on
                                                           clone [klone] A group of genetically identical         filled with water. Colloid cysts are most frequently   birth.
     the assumption that each kind of tumor results
                                                           cells or organisms descended from a single             located in the third ventricle and almost always
     from the abnormal growth of a specific cell type.                                                                                                                   consortium An NCI-funded network of
                                                           common ancestor; to reproduce multiple identical       occur in adults.
     Classification is thought to help predict a tumor’s                                                                                                                 hospital and physicians established to evaluate
                                                           copies.
     behavior, the patient’s prognosis and to serve as a                                                          colony-stimulating factor A substance that             new treatments in Phase I and Phase II clinical
     guide to treatment.                                   CMS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.          stimulates the production of blood cells. G-CSF is     trials. NABTT (New Approaches to Brain Tumor
                                                           The federal agency within the US Department            the abbreviation for granulocyte colony-stimulating    Therapy), NABTC (North American Brain
     clear cell ependymoma [ep en dih moe´ ma] A
                                                           of Health and Human Services responsible for           factor; GM-CSF is the abbreviation for granulocyte-    Tumor Consortium) and PBTC (Pediatric Brain
     low grade tumor most commonly located in the
                                                           Medicare, Medicaid, State Children’s Health            macrophage colony-stimulating factor.                  Tumor Consortium) are brain tumor specific
     fourth ventricle and the midline.
                                                           Insurance Program (SCHIP), Health Insurance                                                                   consortia.
                                                                                                                  combination chemotherapy Drugs given
     clinical That which can be observed in or             Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and
                                                                                                                  in combination to increase their individual            contralateral [kon trah lat´ ur al] Affecting the
     involves patients. Research treatments tested         Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments
                                                                                                                  effectiveness.                                         opposite side.
     on patients, as opposed to laboratory or animal       (CLIA).
     testing.
14                                      AMERICAN BRAIN TUMOR ASSOCIATION                   WWW.ABTA.ORG                                                                                        ABOUT BRAIN TUMORS                15
BRAIN TUMOR DICTIONARY                                     A Glossary of terms for Patients and Caregivers                                                          CONTRAST ENHANCING PORTION to CSF

     contrast enhancing portion “Contrast”                     cooperative group A group of physicians and/            3rd cranial nerve Oculomotor nerve, cranial            10th cranial nerve Vagus nerve, cranial
     materials are the dyes used to make parts of the brain    or medical institutions cooperating to investigate      nerve III. A pair of nerves that controls the          nerve X. A pair of nerves that carries sensory
     more obvious than others on scan. Contrast dyes           new treatments. Because of the relative rarity of       muscles that control pupil size and move the           information from the throat and windpipe
     create a difference of signal intensities, resulting in   brain tumors, most hospitals or medical centers         eyes up, down, up sideways and the upper               to the brain, and controls the muscles of the
     some tissues being displayed differently on the scan      could not enter sufficient numbers of patients          eyelid. Originates in the midbrain.                    throat, windpipe, heart, lungs, stomach, bowels
     images. The portion of the tumor absorbing the dye,       into a protocol (clinical trial) to derive meaningful                                                          and part of the ear. Originates in the medulla
                                                                                                                       4th cranial nerve Trochlear nerve, cranial
     called the “contrast-enhancing portion” of a tumor,       data or it would take a very long time to do so.                                                               oblongata.
                                                                                                                       nerve IV. A pair of nerves that controls the
     may be more dense than surrounding tissue, and            Cooperative groups and consortia were created
                                                                                                                       muscles that move the eyes down and sideways.          11th cranial nerve Accessory nerve, cranial
     will therefore stand out more in an MRI. Contrast         by the National Cancer Institute so that new
                                                                                                                       Originates in the midbrain.                            nerve XI. A pair of nerves that controls the large
     enhancement is linked to breakdown of the blood-          treatments could be evaluated quickly. Also called
                                                                                                                                                                              muscles of the neck. Originates in the medulla
     brain barrier and angiogenesis.                           clinical cooperative group.                             5th cranial nerve Trigeminal nerve, cranial
                                                                                                                                                                              oblongata.
                                                                                                                       nerve V. A pair of nerves with three divisions:
     control group Patients receiving standard                 coronal [kor o´ nul] Circular. In scans, an image
                                                                                                                       the ophthalmic division carries sensory                12th cranial nerve Hypoglossal nerve,
     treatment. In clinical trials, the control group          of the top of a thin layer of the brain showing both
                                                                                                                       information from the scalp, membranes of the           cranial nerve XII. A pair of nerves that controls
     is compared to the group that received an                 the right and left sides.
                                                                                                                       nose, and parts of the eye to the brain; the           the muscles of the tongue. Originates in the
     investigational treatment.
                                                               corpus callosum [kor´ pous • ka los´                    maxillary division carries sensory information         medulla oblongata.
     convection-enhanced delivery A technique used             sum] Nerve fibers deep in the brain that pass           from the roof of the mouth, upper lip, jaw and
                                                                                                                                                                           craniectomy [kray nee ek´ toe me] Surgery
     to deliver a drug directly into the area of a tumor       through and connect the two halves of the cerebral      teeth to the brain; the mandibular division
                                                                                                                                                                           performed on the skull during which pieces of
     using the principles of constant pressure to “flow”       hemispheres.                                            carries sensory information and controls the
                                                                                                                                                                           bone are removed to gain access to the brain, and
     substances. Following placement of catheters by                                                                   muscles of chewing and a muscle of the middle
                                                               cortical Refers to the cerebral cortex which is also                                                        the bone pieces are not replaced at the end of the
     a neurosurgeon to the desired area of the brain,                                                                  ear. Originates in the pons.
                                                               called the cerebral hemisphere.                                                                             operation.
     a drug is delivered continuously through the
                                                                                                                       6th cranial nerve Abducens nerve, cranial
     catheters for the number of days specified by the         corticosteroids [kor tih ko stair´                                                                          craniopharyngioma [kray´ nee o fah rin jee
                                                                                                                       nerve IV. A pair of nerves that controls the
     study design. Abbreviated CED.                            oidz] Medications used to decrease swelling                                                                 o´ ma] A benign tumor arising from small nests
                                                                                                                       muscles that move the eye sideways. Originates
                                                               and inflammation around tumors. Also called                                                                 of cells located near the pituitary stalk. About
     conventional fractionation A schedule for                                                                         in the pons.
                                                               glucocorticosteroids, or more commonly, steroids.                                                           sixty percent of craniopharyngiomas occur in
     delivering radiation therapy. For brain tumors,
                                                                                                                       7th cranial nerve Facial nerve, cranial nerve       patients older than sixteen. There are two types:
     usually defined as one fraction per day of 180 to         CR Complete Response. As a result of treatment,
                                                                                                                       VII. A pair of nerves with two divisions: one       adamantinomatous and squamous-papillary.
     200 cGy, five times a week, for six weeks, for a          the tumor can no longer be seen on scans. Also
                                                                                                                       division carries taste information from the front
     total dose of 5400 to 6000 cGy.                           called complete remission.                                                                                  craniotomy [kray ne ot´ o me] Surgery
                                                                                                                       2/3 of the tongue; the other division controls
                                                                                                                                                                           performed on the skull during which pieces of
     conventional medicine The mainstream medical              CRA Clinical Research Associate.                        muscles of the face, scalp and middle ear and
                                                                                                                                                                           bone are removed to gain access to the brain, and
     care practiced at most hospitals in the United                                                                    the secretion of saliva and tears. Originates in
                                                               cranial cavity [kray´ nee ul • kah´ vih tee] The                                                            the bone is replaced at the end of the operation.
     States. Standards of care are set by government                                                                   the pons.
                                                               skull.
     and regulatory agencies, and by individual health                                                                                                                     cranium The top portion of the skull. It encloses
                                                                                                                       8th cranial nerve Acoustic nerve,
     insurance companies.                                      cranial nerves [kray´ nee ul] Twelve pair of                                                                the brain and is composed of the ethmoid, frontal,
                                                                                                                       vestibulocochlear nerve, cranial nerve VIII. A
                                                               nerves, numbered from one to twelve. A part of the                                                          sphenoid, temporal, parietal and occipital bones.
     conventional radiation therapy External beams                                                                     pair of nerves with two divisions: the vestibular
                                                               Central Nervous System.
     of energy aimed at the tumor and delivered in daily                                                               division carries information about balance and      cribriform plate [krib´ ri form] The flat,
     fractions over a long period of time.                        1st cranial nerve Olfactory nerve, cranial           position to the brain; the cochlear division        perforated part of the ethmoid bone.
                                                                  nerve I. A pair of nerves for the sense of           carries information about hearing to the brain.
     convex [kon veks´] Having a rounded surface,                                                                                                                          CRT chemoradiation. Combined modality therapy
                                                                  smell. Nerve endings in the nose send odor           Originates in the pons.
     like the following:                                                                                                                                                   with radiation and chemotherapy.
                         

                                                                  information to the brain.
                                                                                                                       9th cranial nerve Glossopharyngeal nerve,
     convexity [kon veks´ ih tee] The rounded,                                                                                                                             CRT Conformal Radiation Therapy. Radiation
                                                                  2nd cranial nerve Optic nerve, cranial nerve         cranial nerve IX. A pair of nerves that carries
     protruding surfaces of the brain.                                                                                                                                     beams are shaped to match the tumor. The
                                                                  II. A pair of nerves for the sense of sight. Nerve   taste information from the rear 1/3 of the
                                                                                                                                                                           shaping is accomplished by special equipment and
     convulsion A sudden attack that causes a wide                endings in the retina of the eyes send visual        tongue to the brain, controls the muscles of
                                                                                                                                                                           special computer programs. Also called 3D-CRT.
     range of unusual movements, behaviors and                    information to the brain.                            swallowing in the throat and the secretion of
     sensations; caused by abnormal electrical activity                                                                saliva from the parotid gland. Originates in the    CSF Cerebrospinal Fluid.
     in the cerebral hemispheres of the brain. Also called                                                             medulla oblongata.
                                                                                                                                                                           CSF Colony-Stimulating Factor.
     seizure.

16                                        AMERICAN BRAIN TUMOR ASSOCIATION                      WWW.ABTA.ORG                                                                                     ABOUT BRAIN TUMORS                17
BRAIN TUMOR DICTIONARY                                  A Glossary of terms for Patients and Caregivers                                                                                 CT OR CAT SCAN to DOD

     CT or CAT scan Computed Tomography or                   DCLG Director’s Consumer Liaison Group. The            descending tract The bundle of nerves running            diffuse brain stem glioma A brain stem
     Computed Axial Tomography. An x-ray device              National Cancer Institute’s patient/consumer           from the brain to the spinal cord that controls          glioma that is invasive or poorly delineated. They
     linked to a computer that produces an image of a        advisory group.                                        muscles and movement.                                    represent about 60–70% of all brain stem tumors
     predetermined cross-section of the brain. A special                                                                                                                     and often have a rapid onset of symptoms. The
                                                             DDS Doctor of Dental Science degree.                   device, medical An instrument, machine,
     dye material might be injected into the patient’s                                                                                                                       majority of these tumors are fibrillary or anaplastic
                                                                                                                    implant or similar article that is intended for use in
     vein prior to the scan to help make any abnormal        DEA Division of Extramural Activities of the                                                                    gliomas.
                                                                                                                    the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of disease.
     tissue more evident.                                    National Cancer Institute.
                                                                                                                    They can be anything from a thermometer to an            digestive system, digestive tract The organs
     CTC Common Toxicity Criteria.                           DEA Drug Enforcement Administration of the US          artificial heart to an at-home pregnancy test.           in the body that take in food and turn it into
                                                             Department of Justice.                                                                                          products the body uses to function and stay
     CTEP Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program,                                                                        dexamethasone Commonly used corticosteroid
                                                                                                                                                                             healthy. Waste products leave the body through
     Division of Cancer Treatment & Diagnosis,               debulk [dee bulk´] A surgical procedure to             to decrease swelling around brain tumors. Mood
                                                                                                                                                                             bowel movements and urination. The digestive
     National Cancer Institute. CTEP administers             reduce the size of a tumor by removing some            changes, increased appetite, hyperactivity, and
                                                                                                                                                                             system includes the salivary glands, mouth,
     the Clinical Cooperative Groups funded by the           portion of it; to remove dead tissue resulting from    diabetes are some of the side effects.
                                                                                                                                                                             esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, gallbladder,
     National Cancer Institute.                              treatment.
                                                                                                                    DHHS US Department of Health & Human                     intestines and rectum.
     CXR Chest x-ray.                                        decompressive [dee kom pres´ sive] Refers to a         Services. This department is the federal
                                                                                                                                                                             DIPG Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma. A Tumor
                                                             surgical procedure during which bone, tissue, or       government’s principal agency for protecting
     CyberKnife Brand name of a machine used to                                                                                                                              growing within the pons, which is part of the brain
                                                             tumor is removed to lessen intracranial pressure.      the health of Americans and providing essential
     deliver linear accelerator stereotactic radiosurgery.                                                                                                                   stem.
                                                                                                                    human services. Among its agencies are the
                                                             dedifferentiate [dee dif fur en´ she ate] A
     cyst [sist] A fluid filled sac, similar to a balloon                                                           National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food            diploid [dip´ loyd] A cell having two full sets
                                                             mature cell returning to a less mature state.
     filled with water. Cysts occurring in the brain                                                                and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for               of chromosomes, the normal number for human
     include the arachnoid cyst, colloid cyst, dermoid       deliver The method and route used to provide           Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and                  cells. Eggs and sperm contain a single set of
     cyst and epidermoid cyst.                               medication, for example, PO (by mouth), IV             the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Also               chromosomes (haploid).
                                                             (intravenous), IM (intramuscular), intrathecal,        abbreviated HHS.
     cytokines [sigh´ toe kynez] Part of the immune                                                                                                                          diplopia [dih plo´ pee ah] Double vision.
                                                             intratumoral, spinal. Also called drug delivery.
     system, cytokines are biologic response modifiers.                                                             diabetes insipidus [di ah be´ tez • in sip´ id
                                                                                                                                                                             direct cortical stimulation A technique using a
     Both lymphokines and monokines are cytokines            demyelination [dee my linn ay´ shun] Loss of           us] A problem with water balance in the body that
                                                                                                                                                                             probe to pass a tiny electrical current to delicately
     — powerful chemical substances secreted by              the myelin sheath of a nerve. The myelin sheath        causes excess urine production and great thirst
                                                                                                                                                                             stimulate a specific area of the brain. This causes
     special cells. T lymphocytes secrete lymphokines        insulates the nerve and its loss interferes with       due to pituitary-hypothalamic damage. Diabetes
                                                                                                                                                                             a visible movement of the corresponding body
     and monokines are produced by monocytes and             electrical impulses between nerves.                    mellitus, which has the same symptoms but is
                                                                                                                                                                             part. Used to pre-determine the function of critical
     macrophages.                                                                                                   far more common, is due to insufficient insulin
                                                             dendritic cells A type of white blood cells that                                                                areas of brain tissue so those areas can be avoided
                                                                                                                    production by the pancreas.
     cytoreductive [sigh´ toe re duct ive] Adjective         processes new antigens and then primes the                                                                      during surgery and more extensive tumor removal
     form of cytoreduction. Literally, the reduction         immune system by its interactions with T cells         diagnosis [die ag no´ sis] The identity of a             can be achieved.
     in the number of cells. Cytoreductive surgery is        and B cells to stimulate the body’s immune             disease, decided by its signs and symptoms.
                                                                                                                                                                             distal [dis´ tull] Located far from the reference
     otherwise known as ‘debulking,’ and describes           response.
                                                                                                                    dietician A professional trained in diet and             point, the opposite of proximal.
     the surgical removal of as much as possible of a
                                                             density [den´ sih tee] The amount of darkness or       nutrition.
     malignant tumor.                                                                                                                                                        DMC Data Monitoring Committee.
                                                             light in an area of a scan reflects the compactness
                                                                                                                    differentiate [dif fur en´ she ate] The process
     cytostatic [sigh toe stat´ ik] Capable of               and density of tissue. Differences in tissue density                                                            DMD Doctor of Dental Medicine degree.
                                                                                                                    cells undergo as they mature into normal
     inhibiting the growth and multiplication of tumor       are the basis for CT and MR scans.
                                                                                                                    cells. Differentiated cells are normal cells, have       DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid [dee oks´ ee rye
     cells.
                                                             dermatitis [dur ma tie´ tis] Inflammation of the       distinctive characteristics, perform specific            bow new clay´ ik] The material which makes up
     cytotoxic [sigh toe tok´ sic] Capable of killing        skin.                                                  functions, and are less likely to divide.                chromosomes and genes.
     cells.
                                                             dermoid cyst [dur´ moyd • sist] A cyst is a            differentiators Drugs used to make cancer                DNP Doctorate of Nursing Practice.
     cytotoxic T cells [sigh toe tok´ sic] A subset of       fluid-filled sac, similar to a balloon filled with     cells more differentiated (or normal) are called
                                                                                                                                                                             DNR Do Not Resuscitate.
     T lymphocytes that can kill body cells transformed      water. The dermoid cyst is almost always benign,       differentiating agents.
     by cancer or infected by viruses.                       and more common in the spine than in the brain                                                                  DO Doctor of Osteopathy degree.
                                                                                                                    diffuse [dif fuse´] Lacking a distinct border, not
                                                             in adults. The incidence in the brain is greatest in
     dc Discontinue.  A healthcare professional’s note                                                              localized, spread out.                                   DOD Department of Defense (of the US
                                                             children under the age of ten.
     to discontinue some medication or treatment.                                                                                                                            government).

18                                       AMERICAN BRAIN TUMOR ASSOCIATION                     WWW.ABTA.ORG                                                                                         ABOUT BRAIN TUMORS                19
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