A

Adjuvant “in addition to”. This term is used to describe treatments given to add to the effectiveness of other treatments. Usually used in the Early Breast Cancer setting to describe intravenous drug therapy, oral endocrine treatment, or radiotherapy given after surgery.

Advanced Cancer Cancer that has spread and/or is unlikely to be cured. (See Metastatic)

Aromatase inhibitors drugs that are used to treat breast cancer in women who have been through the menopause. See our hormonal therapies section for more details. They include: anastrozole, exemestane and letrozole.

Axilla (Axillary) /  Axillary Lymph Nodes Armpit. Axillary lymph nodes are located in and near the armpit.

B

Benign Not cancerous. Benign cells do not spread like cancer cells.

Bilateral Breast Cancer Cancer in both breasts.

Blind Study A method used to prevent bias in treatment studies. In a single blind study, the patient is not told whether he or she is taking the best standard treatment or the new treatment being tested. Only the doctors know. In a double blind study, neither the patient nor the doctor knows.

Blood Count Numbers of the different types of blood cells present in a given volume of blood. Often taken before each chemotherapy cycle.

Bone Metastases when cancer cells spread from the breast to the bones

Bone Scan Images that can show cancers, other abnormalities and infection in bone

Brain Metastases these occur when cancer cells spread from the breast to the brain.

BRCA1 A gene on chromosome 17 that normally helps to suppress cell growth. A person who inherits a mutated (changed) BRCA1 gene has a higher risk of getting breast, ovarian, or prostate cancer.

BRCA 2 A gene on chromosome 13 that normally helps to suppress cell growth. A person who inherits a mutated (changed) BRCA2 gene has a higher risk of getting breast, ovarian, or prostate cancer.

Breast density all breasts contain glands, fibrous tissue, and fat. Dense breasts, which are considered normal, contain relatively more glandular and fibrous tissue. Mammograms are not always as effective in detecting tumours within dense breast tissue.

Breast Reconstruction The surgical rebuilding of a breast following mastectomy. This may be done at the time of the original mastectomy or some time later.

C

Central line A catheter placed into a vein in the chest. Also called a venous access device.

Chemotherapy The use of drugs to treat cancer by killing cancer cells or making them sensitive to radiation.

Clinical Trial Research studies that involve people. Each study tries to answer scientific questions and find better ways to prevent or treat disease.

Cold cap scalp cooling technology that can alleviate the damage caused to the hair follicles by chemotherapy by reducing the temperature of the scalp by a few degrees before, during and after chemotherapy treatment. See our page on hair loss for more details.

Core Needle Biopsy Removal of tiny pieces of tissue using a needle, under local anaesthetic, so the tissue may be examined under a microscope.

CT Scan The technique for constructing pictures from cross-sections of the body, by x-raying the part of the body to be examined from many angles.

Cycle the period of time between one round of treatment and the next.

D

Drain a thin plastic tube placed in one end in the surgical area and the other comes out through the skin and connects to a small plastic bottle. Drains are used after surgery, particularly after a mastectomy and axillary nodal clearance, to remove any fluid that may accumulate.

Double-blind Neither the patient nor the trial staff (including doctor) know whether the patient is receiving the investigational product.

Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) Abnormal cells in the breast ducts, which over time could develop into breast cancer.

E

Endocrine therapy (aka Hormonal therapy) Treatment used to block the effects of certain hormones in the body.

ER/PR positive/negative (aka Hormone Receptor positive/negative) ER refers to Oestrogen receptor, while PR refers to Progesterone receptor. Oestrogen and Progesterone are naturally occurring hormones. Receptors for these hormones may be present on breast cancer cells. These cells would then be called ER or PR positive.

External beam radiation therapy Radiotherapy administered by a machine, which targets radiation at the cancer from outside the body.

F

Fibroadenoma A solid, benign breast lump made up of fibrous and glandular breast tissue. They are not cancerous but may need to be removed if they increase in size.

Fine needle aspiration A procedure in which a fine needle is used to suck up a few cells from a tumour, for biopsy.

Fulvestrant a type of hormone therapy.

G

Genetic testing certain breast cancers and the presence of a strong family history of breast cancer and other cancer types may mean that genetic testing is something the medical team may consider. This is usually done at a specialist centre. See our pages on genetic testing for more information.

Grade and stage grading is how abnormal the cancer looks under a microscope while staging considers how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. The stage and grade of cancer is used by doctors to help them decide your treatment plan.

H

Her2 receptor Human Epidermal-growth-factor Receptor type 2. HER2 is a protein on the outside of some breast cancer cells. It promotes cell growth. Breast cancer cells with higher than normal levels of Her2 are called HER2-positive, those with lower levels are called HER2-negative.

Herceptin/trastuzumab herceptin is the brand name of a drug called trastuzumab and is a biological therapy and will usually be given to you if your breast cancer is her2+ve. It targets her2+ve receptors on the cancer cells and destroys them. Depending on your treatment plan and hospital, you will be given the drug every three weeks over a certain period of time. It is either given by iv or subcutaneous injection.

I

Induction treatment First line or initial therapy given for breast cancer

Inflammatory breast cancer this is a rare type of breast cancer and unlike other types you may not feel a lump. Inflammatory breast cancer cells grow along lymph vessels in the skin of the breast and block the vessels. The breast becomes inflamed and swollen.

Intravenous (IV) Into a vein. An intravenous drip gives fluids and/or drugs directly into a vein.

Invasive breast cancer this means that the breast cancer has the ability to spread to other parts of the body.

Invasive lobular breast cancer when cancer cells originate in the lobules of the breast. Sometimes it doesn’t appear as a rounded lump and can be quite subtle.

L

Locally advanced Breast cancer which has not spread to distant parts of the body but is of a large size or has spread to several lymph nodes in the axilla (armpit)

Lumpectomy Into a vein. An intravenous drip gives fluids and/or drugs directly into a vein.

Lymph vascular invasion breasts contain blood vessels and other tiny tubes called lymph vessels. If breast cancer cells spread into these vessels, it’s called lympho-vascular invasion. This increases the chances of the breast cancer spreading to somewhere else in the body.

Lymphatic System The tissues and organs that produce, store, and carry white blood cells that fight infections and other diseases. This system includes the bone marrow, spleen, thymus, lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels (a network of thin tubes that carry lymph and white blood cells). Lymphatic vessels branch, like blood vessels, into all the tissues of the body.

Lymphoedema Swelling caused by a build-up of lymph; this happens when there is insufficient draining in lymphatic vessels or lymph nodes, and can occur following some cancer treatments.

M

Mammogram An X-ray of the breast which uses low doses of radiation. It can be used to find a cancer in the breast before it can actually be felt (a screening mammogram), or to help to diagnose a breast problem (diagnostic mammogram).

Mastectomy, skin sparing, nipple preserving a mastectomy is the removal of the entire breast, including the nipple-areola and the skin. The result is a flat chest. A skin sparing mastectomy means the majority of the skin overlaying the breast is preserved and this is usually the method for breast reconstruction. A nipple-preserving mastectomy leaves the nipple intact, as well as the areola and the skin.

Metastatic Cancer which has spread to other parts of the body outside of the breast and axilla (armpit)

Monotherapy Treatment with a single medication rather than a combination

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) A diagnostic test that uses a combination of magnetism and radio waves to build up detailed cross-section pictures (or images) of part of a person’s body. The test involves lying on a couch inside a metal cylinder (which forms a very large magnet) that is open at both ends. It may take up to one hour to complete, but is completely painless.

N

Neoadjuvant therapy Treatment given in the early breast cancer setting before surgery.

O

Open Label The patient and the clinical trial staff, including the doctor, know which treatment the patient will receive.

Oncologist A doctor who specialises in the study and treatment of cancer.

Oral Taken by mouth.

P

Pathology following a biopsy or breast cancer surgery, tissue will be removed and looked at under a microscope by a pathologist. Further tests may be carried out to provide more information and the results in a pathology report provide details about the breast cancer and help to set out your treatment plan.

PET (Positron Emission Tomography) Scan A technique that is used to build up clear and detailed pictures of the body. The person is injected with a glucose solution containing a very small amount of radioactive material. The scanner can ‘see’ the radioactive substance. Damaged or cancerous cells show up as areas where the glucose is being used.

Phase 1 (Clinical trial) A study to determine best dose and identify side effects of a new drug. Usually given in a small group of participants who have already received several drug therapies for their cancer. Very close monitoring of participants.

Phase 2 (Clinical trial) Once safety has been evaluated in Phase 1, a Phase 2 study involves evaluation of efficacy (whether the drug works as intended) in a larger group of participants (several hundred). Safety and side effects are still closely monitored.

Phase 3 (Clinical trial) A study to compare how effective a new treatment is compared with current best treatments, or other similar new treatments, in a much larger group of participants (often several thousand). Safety and side effects still closely monitored.

Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (Picc) A catheter that is inserted into a vein in the arm.

Pre-operative Treatment given for breast cancer setting before surgery

Primary breast cancer breast cancer that has not spread beyond the breast or lymph nodes (glands) under the arm.

Prophylaxis Preventative.

R

Radiotherapy The use of high-energy radiation, usually x-rays or gamma rays, to kill cancer cells or injure them so they cannot grow and multiply. Radiotherapy can also harm normal cells, but they are able to repair themselves. Sometimes called radiation therapy.

Randomised (in clinical trials) Assigned to a treatment in a random way, like tossing a coin. In clinical trials, this is usually done through a de-identified and centralized database.

Remission The decrease or disappearance of signs and symptoms of a disease. A patient is said to be in complete remission when there is no evidence of active disease.

S

Sentinel Node A lymph node that a tumour drains into through the lymphatic system.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy the removal of the most important lymph nodes in the armpit (axilla) that would be affected should the cancer start to spread. Sentinel means guard.

SOC – Standard of Care The best treatment currently available in this setting

Subcutaneous (SC) Sometimes also written as “subcut”. An injection given into the tissue layer between the skin and the muscle. Usually the abdomen, upper arm or thigh.

Subcutaneous Mastectomy Surgical removal of breast tissue from beneath the skin, in which the skin and nipple remain in place: see mastectomy.

T

Tamoxifen A drug that blocks the effect of oestrogen in cancer cells, for women with oestrogen-receptive and progesterone-receptive cancers.

Targeted Therapy A new form of cancer treatment. Chemotherapy or radiotherapy affects all cells, but targeted therapy is aimed at proteins on the surface of cancer cells. This means damage to other cells is avoided.

Treatment of Physician’s Choice (TPC) Treatment decided by the treating oncologist and is regarded as an appropriate and effective option for an individual patient at that timepoint in their breast cancer treatment journey

Triple negative HER2 negative and negative for both hormone receptors (ER and PR)

U

Ultrasound, Ultrasound Scan Sound waves of a very high frequency, higher than the human ear can hear. Ultrasound can be used to examine structures within the body by using an ultrasound scan. If ultrasound is directed at the body, it is reflected back differently by different types of tissue. In an ultrasound scan, these differences are measured and used to build up pictures of structures inside the body. Ultrasound scans are useful in diagnosing cancer.