Healthcare Professionals

Oncology Glossary

For your convenience, below is a comprehensive, printable list of important oncology terms.

DISEASES
ALL: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
AML: Acute Myelooid Leukemia
ANLL: Acute Non-Lymphocytic Leukemia
APL: Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia
APML: Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia
BCP-ALL: B-cell Precursor Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
CLL: Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
CML: Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
CNSL: Central Nervous System Lymphoma
HCL: Hairy Cell Leukemia
HD: Hodgkin Lymphoma
MCL: Mantle Cell Lymphoma
MDS: Myelodysplastic Syndrome
MF: Mycosis Fungoides
MM: Multiple Myeloma
MPD: Myeloproliferative Disorders
NHL: Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
PV: Polycythemia Vera
WM: Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia

TREATMENT OPTIONS
ABMT: Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation (your own marrow)
BMT: Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation (someone else's marrow)
SBMT: Syngeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation (identical twin's marrow)
PBPC: Peripheral Blood Progenitor Cell Transplant
PBSCT: Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplant
PBSCR: Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Rescue
PSCT or PSCR: Peripheral Stem Cell Transplant or Peripheral Stem Cell Rescue; same as PBSCT or PBSCR without the word "blood"

CHEMOTHERAPIES
ABVD: doxorubicin, vinblastine, bleomycin, DTIC
ACOB: doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, bleomycin
ARA-C: cytarabine
ATRA: all-trans retinoic acid, or Vesanoid
BACOP: bleomycin, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone
BEAM: busulfan, etoposid, ara-c, melphalan
BLEO: bleomycin 2CdA - 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine (generic name = cladribine)
CCNU: (1-2-chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea)
CHOD: cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, dexamethasone
CHOP: cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine, prednisone
CHOP-BLEO: cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone and bleomycin
CMF: cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, fluorouacil
C-MOPP: cyclophosphamide, oncovin, procarbazine, prednisone
COP: cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone
COPP-CCNU: vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone
CyA: cyclosporin A
DCF: 2-deoxycoformycin (pentostatin)
DTIC: dacarbazine, 5-(3, 3-dimethyl-1-triazino)imidazole-4- carboxamide
EPOCH: etopside, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide (cytoxan), adriamycin
FAC: fluorouacil, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide
Fludara: fludarabine
IFN: Interferon (comes in alpha2a, alpha 2b, human leukocyte, and beta; another one, "concensus, " is still in trials)
MOPP: nitrogen mustard, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone

BLOOD STIMULATING FACTORS
EPOIETIN: erythropoietin (Epogen); stimulates red cell growth
G-CSF: granulocyte colony stimulating factor (Neupogen); stimulates growth of white cells
GM-CSF: granulocyte macrophage; colony-stimulating factor (sargramostim)
NEUMEGA: platelet-stimulating factor
TPOIETIN: thrombopoietin; platelet-stimulating factor that is still in clinical trials

GENERAL TERMINOLOGY
B/P: Blood Pressure
B2M: beta 2 microglobulin test. Beta-2-microglobulin is a protein found on all the surface of all cells and small amountsare shed into the serum. People diagnosed with blood diseases and who have levels of beta-2-microglobulin below 3. 0 seem to have a longer survival rate.
BMB: Bone Marrow Biopsy
BMT: Bone Marrow Transplant
Bx: Biopsy
CBC: Complete Blood Count
CCDRT: cell culture drug resistance testing
CR: Complete Remission
CRN: Complete Remission With Nodular Pattern In Marrow
CS: Clinical Stage
Dx: Diagnosis
FISH: Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization. This is a test used to detect chromosome abnormalities in cells. The results helpto predict prognosis.
GVHD: graft vs. host disease
GVL: graft vs. leukemia or graft vs. lymphoma
HCT: Hematocrit; the percentage of red blood cells in the blood. A low hematocrit measurement indicates anemia.
HDC: high-dose chemotherapy, often used before a BMT or PBSCT
Hem/Onc: Hematologist/Oncologist
HGB: Hemoglobin
HLA: Human Leukocyte Antigen Test; a special blood test used to match a blood or bone marrow donor to a recipient fortransfusion or transplant.
Ig: Immunoglobulin (IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG, IgM)
IV: Intravenous (placed directly into a vein)
Mab or MoAb: monoclonal antibodies (for example, Campath-1H, Rituxan, Bexxar)
MUD: Matched Unrelated Donor of bone marrow
NR: nodular remission (nodules of cancer cells remain in the marrow, but there are less than 10% cancer cells throughout)
OR: Overall Remission
PR: Partial Remission
RBC: Red Blood Count
Rx: prescribed medication
WBC: White Blood Count
WBC/HPF: White Blood Cells Counted Per High Powered Field
WD: Well Differentiated
XRT: External Radiation Therapy