There’s a Cancer Dictionary? Well, That’s Useful!
Have you ever opened up a pathology or imaging report and wondered what one of the words meant? Or, perhaps all of the words? I remember reading my first mammogram report in 2019 and wondering what a “calcification” was and why it required me to get a biopsy.
Cancer has its own language, and often, as we are reeling from our diagnosis, we are dealing with unfamiliar and confusing words. I turned to search engines regularly to figure out what things meant when I wasn’t in an appointment with my doctor. But, sometimes, that didn’t help me because the words’ explanations were in medical language.
Discovering the Cancer Dictionary
I discovered the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Dictionary during the research process for my book, “A Breast Cancer Journey: Living It One Step at a Time.” I was looking for reliable sources to explain some of the treatments and words we might encounter during our breast cancer treatment. To my delight, I happened upon the cancer dictionary.
Yes, there is actually a dictionary for cancer maintained by the US government. Who knew? This could be a great resource.
Time to test it out!
Trying Out the Cancer Dictionary
Immediately, I typed in “calcification” because I was curious whether it would explain the word to me in terms I would understand.
This was its response:
“Calcification: Deposits of calcium in the tissues. Calcification in the breast can be seen on a mammogram, but cannot be detected by touch. There are two types of breast calcification, macrocalcification and microcalcification. Macrocalcifications are large deposits and are usually not related to cancer. Microcalcifications are specks of calcium that may be found in an area of rapidly dividing cells. Many microcalcifications clustered together may be a sign of cancer.” Link
Oh, well, that makes sense. The calcifications on my mammogram were clustered, so the radiologist recommended that I get a biopsy because of how close they were together.
What about DCIS?
“DCIS: A condition in which abnormal cells are found in the lining of a breast duct. The abnormal cells have not spread outside the duct to other tissues in the breast. In some cases, DCIS may become invasive breast cancer and spread to other tissues. At this time, there is no way to know which abnormal cells could become invasive. Also called ductal carcinoma in situ and intraductal breast carcinoma.” Link
And it includes a picture! How useful!
As of this writing, the NCI cancer dictionary includes 9,295 terms, and new ones are added each month.
Adding the Dictionary to the Sidebar
I’ve had a link to the NCI cancer dictionary in my Book Resources page for a while, but recently, I embedded the dictionary to the right sidebar of my blog. You can type in any term you’re looking for and get its current definition!
I am so excited about this resource that we can add it to our websites. If you are curious about how to embed the widget on your website, you can find out more here.
Additional NCI Resources
The National Cancer Institute also has a wide range of educational resources on its website.
It has PDQ® Cancer information summaries for Health Care Providers and Patients in English and selected are translated into Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese. They are available here.
According to the NIH: “The PDQ health professional cancer information summaries are part of the comprehensive, evidence-based, up-to-date cancer content made available as a public service of the NCI. The summaries are written by Editorial Boards of cancer experts and provide the strength of the evidence for specific interventions. The summaries are fully referenced with links to published literature.” Link
Additional dictionaries on the NCI website are a Drug Dictionary and a Dictionary of Genetics Terms. These are designed with the health care professional in mind and include links to clinical trials.
All of the Dictionaries are viewable here.
Also, on the NIH website, you can find NCI-supported clinical trials. This website also includes a live chat feature to help you find what you are looking for.
Reliable Information, Easily Accessible
As we walk through our diagnosis, decision-making, and treatment, we often look for reliable, evidence-based information to help us along the way. Searching the internet for a random pathology term can lead to unreliable sources. But that doesn’t mean we should stop searching altogether!
I am passionate about sharing reliable resources here with you. We can be informed and educated patients as we walk through cancer.
So, the next time you have a confusing cancer term come up in a report, see if the NCI dictionary can provide an understandable definition for it. I sure wish I had known about it back in 2019!
Jennifer Douglas
Jennifer is the author of "A Breast Cancer Journey: Living it One Step at a Time," breast cancer survivor, and patient advocate. Her book, published in 2023 by Bold Story Press, is an encouraging guide for breast cancer patients. It contains first-hand information, organized by topics, to help readers navigate the diagnosis, treatment, and recovery from breast cancer. Her writing emphasizes emotional, mental, and physical well-being along with empowered decision-making.
Wow! I had no idea that there was a cancer dictionary! That probably would’ve helped when I was diagnosed and treated for cancer. Thank you for this post.
I didn’t know either! So happy to be able to share this resource!