ASAP Project: Novel Approaches to Radiotherapy Planning and Scheduling in the NHS

Adjuvant Care

Treatment given after the primary treatment to increase the chances of a cure, Adjuvant therapy may include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or hormone therapy.

Benign

Any tumor, growth or cell abnormality that is not cancerous. The growth will not spread to deeper tissues or other parts of the body.

Biological Therapy

Therapy that uses the body's own immune system to attack cancer cells. Biological therapy is sometimes called immunotherapy, biotherapy or biological response therapy.

Biopsy

Removal of a small portion of tissue to see whether it is cancerous.

Carcinoma In Situ (CIS)

Cancer that involves only the cells in which it started and has not spread to deeper tissues or other parts of the body.

Continuous Hyper-Fractionated Accelerated Radiotherapy Treatment (CHART)

CHART is a treatment for some type (approximate 1%) of lung cancer. This means treatment two or three times a day with roughly a 6 hour break between fractions. RT is given over several days a week.

Chemotherapy

Therapy that uses drugs to damage cancer cells and make it difficult for them to grow in number.

Clinical Stage

A labelling indicating the extent of the cancer. The clinical stage of prostate cancer depends on the size of cancer and the extent of the spread.

Cone-Beam CT

Mounted in certain accelerators to make fine-tuning patient positioning at the moment of treatment possible. This will enable clinicians to account for the constant changes in tumour position that occur due to normal physiological processes.

CT or CT scan

Computed tomography or computed axial tomography.

DICOM

Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) is a file format standard used for clinical images.

Digitally Reconstructed Radiographs (DRR)

Digitally reconstructed radiographs are reference images for verification of computer designed treatments.

Dose Volume Histogram (DVH)

Dose volume histogram, presents the distribution of the given dose of radiation, a tool for treatment plan evaluation.

Extra-Capsular Radiographs (ECR)

Extra-capsular radiographs are reference images for verification of computer designed treatments.

Follow-up

An appointment with your doctor after treatment to check the status of your cancer and overall health.

Gleason score

A system grading prostate cancer. The score is the sum of primary and secondary Gleason scores.

Gray (GY)

Patients are prescribed radiotherapy in numbers of Gray (GY) units. The number of units in determined by the amount of time the accelerator beam is switched on.

Helax-THS

Specialist radiotherapy planning software.

Invasive Cancer

Cancer that starts in one area of the body and then spreads to the deeper tissues of that same area.

Isocentre

A point in the tumour or planning treatment volume at which the radiation beams pass. Frequently this is the centre of the planning treatment volume.

JCCO Categorisation of Patients

Emergency, palliative (treatments for pain alleviation) and radical (treatments for curative intent).

Linacs

Linear accelerator used for delivering of radiation.

Lymph Node Involvement (LNI)

Lymph node involvement, used to indicate the spread of cancer.

Malignant

Indicates that cancer cells are present and may be able to spread to other parts of the body.

Metastasis

The spread of cancer from one area of the body to another. For example, breast cancer may spread to the lymph nodes and lung cancer may spread to the brain.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Magnetic resonance imaging, used to produce the picture of prostate gland.

Multileaf Collimator (MLC)

Multileaf Collimators are used in linear accelerators to shape the radiation beam. The leaves can move independently of each other and can move in and out of the radiation beam to block parts of the beam.

Neoadjuvant Therapy

Chemotherapy given before surgery or radiotherapy.

Organs At Risk (OAR)

OAR are structures that neighbour the target volume.

Oncentra

Radiotherapy information management software.

Oncologist

A physician who specialises in cancer.

Palliative Care

Therapy that focuses on improving one's quality of life rather than curing his or her cancer.

Pathologist

A doctor who identifies diseases (such as cancer) by studying cells under a microscope.

Planning

Decision on dose and angle and intensity of beams etc.

Prostate Nomogram

A computerised device to help patients and their physicians decides among the major treatment choices for early stage prostate cancer. Available for other sites.

Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) Test

A test that measures the amount of a substance created by the prostate gland in the blood. An elevated amount could be the result of infection, prostate cancer or an enlarged prostate.

Planning Treatment Volume (PTV)

The planning treatment volume was defined as the gross tumour volume with no margin.

Radical Care

Therapy that focuses on curing the patient's cancer.

Reconstructive Surgery

Operation performed to repair skin and muscles after surgery to treat cancer has been performed. Often used to reconstruct a breast after a mastectomy.

Recurrence

The development of cancerous cells in the same area or another area of the body after cancer treatment.

Side Effects of Therapy

Problems caused by the damage of healthy cells along with cancerous cells during treatment. Some common side effects of cancer therapy include being tired, feeling sick to your stomach (nausea), throwing up, hair loss and mouth sores. Generally there are seven types of side effects (in case of prostate cancer) which a patient may have during or after the treatment. Side effect related to the rectum, Side effect related to the bladder/urethra, Side effect related to sexual dysfunction, Side effect related to small intestine/ colon, Side effect related to skin/subcutaneous tissue, Side effect related to mature bone (excluding mandible).

Simulation

Localisation of treatment fields using a CT scanner or simulator.

Stages of Cancer

The progression of cancer from mild to severe. Usually indicates whether it has spread to deeper tissues or other parts of the body. One method used by doctors to stage different types of cancer is the TNM classification system. In this system, doctors determine the presence and size of the tumour (T), how many (if any) lymph nodes are involved (N) and whether or not the cancer has metastasized (M). A number (usually 0-4) is assigned to each of the three categories to indicate its severity.

Surgery

A procedure that removes repairs or allows for the further study of a specific body part.

Seminal Vesicle Invasion (SVI)

Seminal vesicle invasion, used to indicate the spread of cancer.

Treatment Intent

The intent of the treatment. Usually one of palliative, radical or adjuvant.

Treatment Priority

The priority of the treatment. Usually one of emergency, urgent or routine.

Tumour

An abnormal mass of tissue that can be benign or malignant.

Vaser

Software which exports the planning data from the workstations.

Verification

Verify a planning using simulator.

VISIR

Oncentra record and verify system, hold all patient details such as dose, fractionation, angle of beams, doctor, etc.