Navigating the world of cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship can be overwhelming, especially for individuals who may not be familiar with the specialized language and terminology used in oncology. Health literacy, or the ability to understand and use health information to make informed decisions about one’s health, plays a crucial role in empowering patients and caregivers to actively participate in their cancer journey. In this blog post, we’ll explore some common cancer lingo and why health literacy is essential for anyone affected by cancer.
Why Health Literacy Matters:
- Informed Decision Making: Understanding cancer terminology empowers patients and caregivers to ask informed questions, weigh treatment options, and participate in shared decision-making with healthcare providers.
- Communication with Healthcare Providers: Clear communication between patients and healthcare providers is essential for effective care. Health literacy enables patients to communicate their concerns, preferences, and treatment goals more effectively.
- Treatment Adherence: Patients who understand their treatment plans are more likely to adhere to medications, follow-up appointments, and lifestyle recommendations, leading to better treatment outcomes.
- Self-Advocacy: Health-literate individuals are better equipped to advocate for themselves and navigate the healthcare system, ensuring they receive appropriate care and support.
- Emotional Well-Being: Understanding cancer terminology can reduce anxiety and uncertainty, empowering patients and caregivers to cope more effectively with the challenges of cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Common Cancer Terms:
- Biopsy: A procedure to remove a small sample of tissue for examination under a microscope to determine if cancer cells are present.
- Chemotherapy: Treatment with drugs that kill cancer cells or inhibit their growth, often used in combination with other therapies such as surgery or radiation
- Radiation Therapy: Treatment with high-energy rays or particles to destroy cancer cells or shrink tumors.
- Excision: Surgery to remove the cancer
- Metastasis: The spread of cancer cells from one part of the body to another, often through the bloodstream or lymphatic system.
- Remission: A period during which the signs and symptoms of cancer are reduced or absent, indicating a response to treatment.
- Palliative Care: Supportive care that focuses on improving the quality of life for patients with cancer and managing symptoms, regardless of the stage of the disease.
- Cancer Site: The type of cancer is often named after the place in the body where it started. For example, lung cancer begins in the lungs, breast cancer begins in the breast, and so on. Cancers found in the blood stream, bone marrow or lymph nodes are called leukemias or lymphomas.
- Comorbidity: These are other diseases or medical problems you may have besides cancer. Include diseases or medical problems that you take medicine for and those that you don’t take medicine for.
- Neuropathy: Nerve problems from high sugar that may cause numbness or less sensation of a body part.
- Relapse: When a disease returns or comes back.
- Solid Tumor: A mass or group of unusual cells in the body which may or may not be cancer. It is generally named by the type of cells that form them. They are NOT cancers of the blood.
- Stage: Staging refers to how far your tumor may have spread from the place in your body where it started. Staging looks at tumor spread in three ways: 1) under a microscope on a cellular level, 2) with radiologic imaging (CT scans, MRIs, PET scans, etc.), and 3) with a physical exam or clinical evidence of disease.
