NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (2024)

FAQs

What is the NCI definition of cancer? ›

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is the federal government's principal agency for cancer research and training.

As defined by the National Cancer Institute, cancer that occurs in fewer than 15 out of 100,000 people each year. Most types of cancer are considered rare, and they are often more difficult to prevent, diagnose, and treat than the more common cancers. Because there are fewer cases, research is difficult.

A type of leukemia (blood cancer) that comes on quickly and is fast growing. In ALL, there are too many lymphoblasts (immature white blood cells) in the blood and bone marrow. Also called acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute lymphocytic leukemia.

The NCI Dictionary of Genetics Terms contains technical definitions for 242 terms related to genetics. These definitions were developed by the PDQ® Cancer Genetics Editorial Board to support the evidence-based, peer-reviewed PDQ cancer genetics information summaries.

Three designations are recognized: Comprehensive Cancer Centers, Clinical Cancer Centers, and Basic Laboratory Cancer Centers.

NCI is the nation's trusted source for cancer information. We are here for you with information about causes and risk factors, symptoms, how cancer is diagnosed, and treatment options.

Lung and bronchus cancer is responsible for the most deaths with 125,070 people expected to die from this disease. That is nearly three times the 53,010 deaths due to colorectal cancer, which is the second most common cause of cancer death. Pancreatic cancer is the third deadliest cancer, causing 51,750 deaths.

Listen to pronunciation. (ad-VANST KAN-ser) A term that is often used to describe cancer that is unlikely to be cured. However, some advanced cancers can be controlled for many years with treatment and are thought of as a chronic illness.

Overview. Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow — the spongy tissue inside bones where blood cells are made. The word "acute" in acute lymphocytic leukemia comes from the fact that the disease progresses rapidly and creates immature blood cells, rather than mature ones.

What is AA in cancer? ›

Aplastic anaemia (AA) is a rare condition in which the bone marrow fails produce all three major types of blood cell.

In ALL in remission, the disease has been treated, and the following are true: The CBC is normal. 5% or fewer of the cells in the bone marrow are blasts (leukemia cells). There are no signs or symptoms of leukemia other than in the bone marrow.

Listen to pronunciation. (NA-shuh-nul KAN-ser IN-stih-TOOT) The National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, is the Federal Government's principal agency for cancer research.

The NCI Drug Dictionary contains technical definitions and synonyms for drugs/agents used to treat patients with cancer or conditions related to cancer. Each drug entry includes links to check for clinical trials listed in NCI's List of Cancer Clinical Trials.

The Molecular Basis of Heredity

One of the most interesting discoveries of molecular biology is the near- universal nature of the genetic code. Although some organisms show slight variations in the amino acids assigned to particular codons, the code is always read three bases at a time and in the same direction.

Cancer is a disease in which some of the body's cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body. Cancer can start almost anywhere in the human body, which is made up of trillions of cells.

One who remains alive and continues to function during and after overcoming a serious hardship or life-threatening disease. In cancer, a person is considered to be a survivor from the time of diagnosis until the end of life.

Cancer refers to any one of a large number of diseases characterized by the development of abnormal cells that divide uncontrollably and have the ability to infiltrate and destroy normal body tissue. Cancer often has the ability to spread throughout your body. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the world.

(KLIH-nih-kul REE-serch) Research in which people, or data or samples of tissue from people, are studied to understand health and disease. Clinical research helps find new and better ways to detect, diagnose, treat, and prevent disease.