RADIATION THERAPY Flashcards
(107 cards)
Medical use of ionizing radiation as part of cancer treatment to kill or disable malignant tumors.
RADIATION THERAPY
A medical doctor specializing in the use of ionizing radiation to treat diseases.
radiation oncologist
Prescribes radiation dose and determines the regions for treatment.
radiation oncologist
Responsible for equipment calibration, maintenance, and dosage advice.
medical physicist
Plans treatments to target tumors while protecting vital structures.
medical dosimetrist
Administers treatments, maintains records, and monitors patient well-being.
radiation therapist
Define adjuvant therapy in radiation treatment.
therapy to destroy leftover microscopic cancer cells post-surgery to prevent recurrence.
What is neoadjuvant therapy?
Pre-surgical therapy to shrink tumors, making surgery less extensive.
What is palliative radiation treatment?
Aims to relieve symptoms and improve the quality of life in advanced cancer cases.
What is metastasis?
The spread of cancer from the primary tumor to other body sites.
Name the three pathways of malignant neoplasm spread.
Seeding, lymphatic spread, and hematogenous spread.
Transport of tumor cells via lymph nodes to other body parts, common in carcinomas.
lymphatic spread
Spread via blood, typical for sarcomas and some carcinomas, following venous flow.
hematogenous spread
What is remission?
A period or stage where cancer signs and symptoms are absent.
What is complete remission?
All cancer signs and symptoms are gone.
Tumor size is reduced but not entirely gone.
partial remission
What qualifies a patient as “cured” of cancer?
Being free of signs and symptoms for five years.
Define “second primary cancer.”
A new cancer unrelated to the previous one.
What is local recurrence?
Return of cancer at the original site.
What is regional recurrence?
Return of cancer in nearby lymph nodes or tissues.
What is distant recurrence?
Cancer reappears at a site far from the original location.
Name the three major subtypes of cancer.
Carcinoma, sarcoma, and lymphoma.
Define carcinoma.
Cancer originating from epithelial tissue.
Define sarcoma.
Cancer originating from connective tissue.