Vocabulary & Check Your Knowledge

Oncology Vocabulary

Basal Cell carcinoma (BCC)

The most common type of skin cancer.

Benign

A non-cancerous tumour.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)

A common, benign, non-cancerous growth which may have the same symptoms as prostate cancer.

Biopsy (Bx)

A diagnostic procedure that examines the lesion, growth or tumour under a microscope to determine the disease.

Carcinogen

A cancer-generating/producing substance.

Carcinomas

Malignant tumours of epithelial tissues that make up most of all cancers.

Dermatofibroma

A fibrous tumour of the skin.

Ductal carcinoma

A form of breast cancer which begins in the milk ducts. Most male breast cancer is ductal carcinoma.

Fecal occult blood test (FOBT)

A test done on the stool, looking for hidden or occult blood within the fecal matter.

Fibroids

Benign (non-cancerous) growths in the female reproductive system usually caused by a hormonal disturbance.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma

A malignant disease of the lymph nodes.

Lobular carcinoma

A breast cancer which begins in the milk-producing glands.

Leukemias

Cancer of blood-forming tissues.

Lymphoma

Any tumour or a mass within the lymph node.

Malignant

A cancerous tumour.

Melanoma

Often called malignant melanoma; a deadly skin cancer.

Myeloma

A cancerous tumour arising from the hematopoietic portion of the bone marrow.

Orchidectomy

An aggressive and primary surgical approach to treating testicular cancer.

Paget’s disease

A rare type of breast cancer affecting the nipple.

Pancreatic cancer

A cancer of the endocrine system that is almost always fatal because no effective treatments are currently available.

Sarcomas

Cancers that originate in the connective or supportive tissue of the body, such as the muscles, tendons, fat, joints, and bones.

Squamous cell carcinoma

A cancer that affects the squamous epithelium layer of the skin.

Tumour

An abnormal tissue mass that forms through uncontrolled cell growth and divides more than it should. The cells also do not die when they should.

Wilms tumour

A congenital kidney cancer often not detected until a child grows.

Oncology Reinforcement Activity

Oncology Reinforcement Activity  (Text version)
  1. A tumour ______[Blank 1].
    1. is an injury of the nervous system.
    2. is a function of the endocrine system.
    3. is a medical specialty that primarily treats infections.
    4. is an abnormal tissue mass that forms through uncontrolled cell growth and divides more than it should.
  2. Some potential risk factors and causes of cancers include ________[Blank 2].
    1. a healthy lifestyle.
    2. bacteria and viruses, diet, hormones, smoking, radiation, alcohol, environment, chemicals, and genetics.
    3. a healthy and balanced diet.
    4. regular exercise.
  3. Cancerous growths or tumours can be diagnosed by __________[Blank 3].
    1. aggressive chemical treatments.
    2. a biopsy to examine the lesion, growth or tumour under a microscope to determine the disease.
    3. performing a series of radiation treatments.
    4. administering oral antibiotics to the patient.
  4. Lymphoma is ________[Blank 4].
    1. any tumour or a mass within the lymph node.
    2. a type of cancer occurring in the endocrine system.
    3. a type of cancer that primarily affects the blood.
    4. a cancer that affects the bone marrow.

Check your answers: [1]

Activity source: Oncology Reinforcement Activity by Open Learning at Conestoga College, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Attribution

This page “Introduction to Oncology” by Connie Stevens and Marie Rutherford is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

  1. 1. d) is an abnormal tissue mass that forms through uncontrolled cell growth and divides more than it should, 2. b) bacteria and viruses, diet, hormones, smoking, radiation, alcohol, environment, chemicals, and genetics, 3. b) a biopsy to examine the lesion, growth or tumour under a microscope to determine the disease., 4. a) any tumour or a mass within the lymph node ↵

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Building a Medical Terminology Foundation 2e Copyright © 2024 by Kimberlee Carter; Marie Rutherford; and Connie Stevens is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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