Glossary

A - C - D - G - L - M - P - Q - R - S - T

Adjuvant chemotherapy: Chemotherapy given in addition to surgical therapy, in order to reduce the risk of local or systemic relapse.
Amplification: A technique allowing the making of multiple copies of a gene or of any sequence of DNA.

Cancer: A term for a disease in which abnormal cells divide without control.
Cell: The structural, functional and biological unit of all organisms.
Chemotherapy: Treatment with anticancer drugs.
Colon: The first and longest section of the large intestine.
Colostomy: Colostomy is a surgical procedure that brings the end of the large intestine through the abdominal wall. Stools moving through the intestine drain into a bag attached to the abdomen.

Diagnosis: The process of identifying a disease by its signs and symptoms.
Diagnostics: The art or practice of diagnosis -- often used in plural.
That part of medicine, which has to do with ascertaining the nature of diseases by means of their symptoms or signs.

Guanylyl Cyclase C (GCC or GUCY2C): GCC is a transmembrane receptor protein found exclusively in the lining of the intestine, from the duodenum to the rectum. It is involved in multiple functions including water transport, crypt morphology and suppression of tumorigenesis.
Gene: A gene occupies a certain location on a chromosome. It is a self-producing, ultramicroscopic structure capable under certain circumstances of giving rise to a new character, referred to as a mutation. Hereditary traits are controlled by pairs of genes in the same position on a pair of chromosomes.
Genome: Complete genetic information of an organism.
Grade: The grade of a tumor depends on how abnormal the cancer cells look under a microscope and how quickly the tumor is likely to grow and spread. Grading systems are different for each type of cancer. Grading evaluates the aggressiveness of the tumor cells.

Lymph node: Lymph nodes are glands that play an important part in your body’s defense against infection. They produce lymph, which travels throughout your body in the lymphatic system, and filters impurities from the body. During a colorectal cancer surgery, some lymph nodes surrounding the tumor are removed to help determine the stage of cancer.

Metastasis: Cancer that is spread to a distant part of the body from its original site.
Molecular test: Method for analysis of human DNA, RNA, and chromosomes for predicting risk of disease, and establishing diagnoses or prognoses.
Monitoring: To watch, observe, or check closely or continuously the recurrence or evolution of a disease. Monitoring is a part of patient management.

Polyp: An outgrow of tissue in the inside (lining) of the colon or rectum. Colorectal polyps are very common. Although polyps can turn into cancer, most of them are benign and can be easily removed during a colonoscopy.
Prognosis: A forecast of the probable course and/or outcome of a disease.

qRT-PCR (quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction): A technique used to detect and quantify molecular markers.

Radiation therapy: The use of high-energy radiation from X-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, and other sources to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may come from a machine outside the body (external-beam radiation therapy), or it may come from radioactive material placed in the body in the area near cancer cells (internal radiation therapy, implant radiation or brachytherapy). Systemic radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance, such as a radiolabeled monoclonal antibody, that circulates throughout the body. Also called radiotherapy.
Rectum: The final six inches of the large intestine.
Recurrence: The recurrence is the return of a cancer after a period of remission. Early treatment of stage III colorectal cancer patients reduces the likelihood of recurrence and associated mortality rate. Some patients with stage I and II colorectal cancer could benefit from adjuvant therapy such as chemotherapy. Better knowledge of your chances of seeing your cancer return may help you and your physicians make appropriate treatment decisions.

Sensitivity: The probability that a test result is positive given the subject has the disease.
Size and depth of a tumor (T): The size of the tumor and depth of penetration in the colorectal wall are indicators on the aggressiveness of a cancer.
Stage: The extent of a cancer, especially whether the disease has spread from the original site to other parts of the body. Staging evaluates the infiltration of the tumor in the tissues.

Tumor: A swelling or morbid enlargement; a new growth of tissue or neoplasm in which the multiplication of cells is uncontrolled and progressive. Often referring to cancer.