Cancer and its treatment can be challenging when dealing with the unknown. Your natural desire may be to tell your children and other family members that everything will be fine. However, your family probably needs to know a few things about cancer. You might explain them in a family meeting so that all the children (and adults) know what you mean. Ask if there are other words they’ve heard that they don’t understand. Let them know who to ask if they hear any other words they don’t understand. Most older children can look up some words themselves, but some specialised medical terms may still be difficult for them to understand.
Here are some commonly used terms you will need to know.
Benign (be-NINE): Benign refers to a condition, tumour, or growth that is not cancerous. This means that it does not spread to other parts of the body. (see also cancer, malignant).
Biopsy (BY-op-see): a procedure that removes a small piece of tissue from a person’s body so that a doctor can look at it under a microscope. This is done to see if a person has cancer and, if so, what kind it is (see also tissue).
Cancer: a name for the more than 100 diseases in which cells that are not normal grow and divide quickly. These abnormal cells usually develop into a tumour (or mass or lump). Cancer can also spread to other body parts from where it started. Certain cancers can grow in places like the bone marrow, where they don’t make a tumour.
Chemotherapy (KEY-mo-THAIR-uh-pee); chemo is a treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Common side effects of chemo include short-term hair loss, nausea and vomiting, mouth sores, tiredness, and a greater chance of getting infections. A person’s side effects depend on the drugs they are getting. All chemo drugs do not cause the same side effects, and the same medicine may cause somewhat different side effects in other people.
Fatigue (fuh-TEEG): a common symptom during cancer treatment, bone-weary tiredness that doesn’t get better with rest. For some, this can last for some time after treatment.
Malignant (muh-LIG-nunt): cancerous. Malignancy is another word for cancer.
Metastasis (meh-TAS-tuh-sis): the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another. The plural is metastases (meh-TAS-tuh-sees).
Oncologist (on-KAHL-uh-jist): a doctor who specialises in treating cancer. There are medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists.
Prognosis (prog-NO-sis): a prediction of the course of disease; the outlook for the chances of survival.
Radiation therapy: a cancer treatment that uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. The treatment involves putting a machine or material in or near the tumour. The side effects of radiation therapy usually show up in the part of the body being treated. For example, reddening of the skin where the radiation is given, hair loss if the head is being treated, and nausea if the stomach is being treated. Tiredness is the most common side effect of radiation.
Recurrence: the cancer has come back; the cancer cells have started to grow again after treatment.
Relapse (RE-laps): the same as recurrence; cancer that has come back after a disease-free period.
Remission (re-MISH-un): the disappearance or reduction of cancer symptoms in response to treatment. Remissions can be partial or complete; a complete remission means no sign of cancer is found on tests, scans, and physical exam.
Side effects: problems caused by cancer treatments or other medicines.
Surgery: a procedure that usually cuts open parts of the body. It’s done by a surgeon, a doctor who is an expert in doing operations.
Tissue (TISH-oo): a collection of cells that work together to perform a certain job or function in the body. Different body parts, such as the skin, lungs, liver, or nerves, can be called tissue. Doctors often biopsy tissue to discover if it has cancer cells (see also malignant, benign, or biopsy).
Tumour: An abnormal lump of tissue. Some tumours are cancer, and some are not.
Other words will apply to your or your family member’s treatment that your child may want to learn. Being open about your illness may remove some anxiety from those you love and care for.
Dr. Prinitha Pillay is a Specialist Radiation Oncologist in Johannesburg. She is practicing in Johannesburg, offering radiation cancer treatments, comprehensive palliative care, and psycho-social support. She offers a variety of treatments including Breast Cancer Treatment, Gynaecological, Gastrointestinal, Lung Cancer Treatment, Paediatric, Head and Neck, Prostate Cancer Treatment, Brain Cancer Treatment, Dermatological, and Musculoskeletal Cancer Treatment.
This post was first published at https://treatingcancer.co.za/words-to-describe-cancer-and-its-treatment-for-children/