Palliative Care: Care given to improve the quality of life of patients who have a serious or life-threatening disease. The goal of palliative care is to prevent or treat as early as possible the symptoms of the disease, side effects caused by treatment of the disease, and psychological, social, and spiritual problems related to the disease or its treatment. Also called Comfort Care, Supportive Care and Symptom Management.
Paracentesis: Removing fluid from the abdomen using local anesthesia and needle and syringe.
Partial Response: A decrease in the size of a tumor or in the extent of the cancer in the body in response to treatment. This is also called Partial Remission.
Pathological Fracture: A break in a bone usually caused by cancer or some disease condition.
Patient Advocate: A person who helps a patient work with others who have an effect on the patient's health, including doctors, insurance companies, employers, case managers, and lawyers. A patient advocate helps resolve issues about health care, medical bills, and job discrimination related to a patient's medical condition. Cancer advocacy groups try to raise public awareness about important cancer issues, such as the need for cancer support services, education, and research. Such groups work to bring about change that will help cancer patients and their families.
PCA (Patient-Controlled Analgesia): A method of pain relief in which the patient controls the amount of pain medicine that is used. When pain relief is needed, the person can receive a preset dose of pain medicine by pressing a button on a computerized pump that is connected to a small tube in the body.
Peri-Operative: Around the time of surgery. This usually lasts from the time the patient goes into the hospital or doctor's office for surgery until the time the patient goes home.
Pericardial Effusion: Increased amounts of fluid within the sac surrounding the heart usually do to inflammation.
Periperal Neuropathy: A condition of the nervous system that causes numbness, tingling, burning or weakness. It usually begins in the hands or feet and can be caused by certain anticancer drugs.
PET (Positron Emission Tomography) Scan: A procedure in which a small amount of radioactive glucose is injected into a vein and a scanner is used to make detailed computerized pictures of areas inside the body where the glucose is used. Because cancer cells often use more glucose than normal cells the pictures can be used to find active cancer cells in the body. (Cancer cells/ tumors are usually noted to be at least 1 cm for the cell activity is active enough to have a higher glucose uptake to show up on the scan).
Phase 1 trial: The first step in testing a new treatment in humans. These studies test the best way to give a new treatment (for example, by mouth, intravenous infusion, or injection) and the best dose. The dose is usually increased a little at a time in order to find the highest dose that does not cause harmful side effects. Because little is known about the possible risks and benefits of the treatments being tested, phase I trials usually include only a small number of patients who have not been helped by other treatments.
Phase 2 trial: A study to test whether a new treatment has an anticancer effect (for example, whether it shrinks a tumor or improves blood test results) and whether it works against a certain type of cancer.
Phase 2/3 trial: A trial to study response to a new treatment and the effectiveness of the treatment compared with the standard treatment regimen.
Phase 3 trial: A study to compare the results of people taking a new treatment with the results of people taking the standard treatment (for example, which group has better survival rates or fewer side effects). In most cases, studies move into phase III only after a treatment seems to work in phases I and II. Phase III trials may include hundreds of people.
Photodynamic Therapy: Treatment with drugs that become active when exposed to light. These drugs kill cancer cells.
Placebo: An inactive substance or treatment that looks the same as, and is given the same way as, an active drug or treatment being tested. The effects of the active drug or treatment are compared to the effects of the placebo.
Plasmapheresis: The process of separating certain cells from the plasma in the blood by a machine; only the cells are returned to the person. Plasmapheresis can be used to remove excess antibodies from the blood.
Pleura: A thin layer of tissue covering the lungs and lining the interior wall of the chest cavity. It protects and cushions the lungs. This tissue secretes a small amount of fluid that acts as a lubricant, allowing the lungs to move smoothly in the chest cavity while breathing.
Pleural Cavity: The space enclosed by the pleura, which is a thin layer of tissue that covers the lungs and lines the interior wall of the chest cavity.
Pleural Effusion: An abnormal collection of fluid between the thin layers of tissue (pleura) lining the lung and the wall of the chest cavity.
Pleurodesis: A medical procedure that uses chemicals or drugs to cause inflammation and adhesion between the layers of the pleura (the tissue that covers the lungs and lines the interior wall of the chest cavity). This prevents the buildup of fluid in the pleural cavity. It is used as a treatment for severe pleural effusion.
Port-Implanted: A catheter connected to a quarter-sized disc that is surgically placed just below the skin in the chest or abdomen. The tube is inserted into a large vein or artery directly into the bloodstream. Fluids, drugs, or blood products can be infused, and blood can be drawn through a needle that is stuck into the disc. Examples: Port-o-Cath, Infusaport, Lifeport.
Port-A-Cath: An implanted device through which blood may be withdrawn and drugs may be infused without repeated needle sticks. Also called a Port.
Postoperative: After surgery.
Prednisone: A drug that is used to treat several types of cancer and other disorders. Prednisone also inhibits the body's immune response. It belongs to the family of drugs called Steroids.
Prognostic Factor: A situation or condition, or a characteristic of a patient, that can be used to estimate the chance of recovery from a disease or the chance of the disease recurring (coming back).
Programmed Cell Death: A type of cell death in which a series of molecular steps in a cell leads to its death. This is the body’s normal way of getting rid of unneeded or abnormal cells. The process of programmed cell death may be blocked in cancer cells. Also called Apoptosis.
Progression: Increase in the size of a tumor or spread of cancer in the body.
Progression-Free Survival: One type of measurement that can be used in a clinical study or trial to help determine whether a new treatment is effective. It refers to the probability that a patient will remain alive, without the disease getting worse.
Progressive Disease: Cancer that is growing, spreading, or getting worse.
Protocol: An action plan for a clinical trial. The plan states what the study will do, how, and why. It explains how many people will be in it, who is eligible to participate, what study agents or other interventions they will be given, what tests they will receive and how often, and what information will be gathered. |
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