Hello everyone!
I have not yet even started my cancer treatment as such, so I am getting prepared by 'learning the language'.
It looks like I will be learning at least one new word every day.
I am so worried about 'chemo fog' and the possibility of not being able to easily recall words that I already know, let alone all these new ones.
This is my current list:
A
axilla = armpit
C
creatinine = waste product from normal wear and tear on body
CT scan = computed tomography (i.e. scanner using images in ‘slices’)
D
docetaxel = chemotherapy drug for cancer
E
epidermal growth factor = protein that stimulates cell growth
H
hilum = indentation [on lymph node] where blood vessels, ducts and nerve fibres enter/leave
hypoechoic extension = mass in tissue that is more dense than usual (which appears darker than surrounding tissue on ultrasound)
M
metastatic carcinoma = cancer that has moved from the primary site (via blood or lymph system) to form tumours in new site
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) = scan using magnetic fields and radio waves to produce images
N
neuropathy = result of nerve damage
O
osteoclasts = cells that degrade bone in order to allow repair
P
pertuzumab = chemotherapy, antibody drug for cancer
ptosis = sagging [of the breast]
T
tomography = images from an advanced type of mammography where several images are combined to form a 3-D image
tomosynthesis = procedure for the above
trastuzumab = chemotherapy drug for cancer that attaches to HER2
Z
zoledronic acid = chemotherapy drug for cancer, used to treat bone diseases
