Glossary
A
adjuvant after initial treatment to prevent secondary tumours
angiogenesis the development of a blood supply to a tumour
anterior exenteration surgical removal of a woman's bladder and reproductive organs
antiemetic a drug to counteract nausea and vomiting
B
B-cell response a natural immune response
basal relating to the base
baseline starting point for comparison
BAUN British Association of Urological Nurses
BAUS British Association of Urological Surgeons
BC bladder cancer
BCG Bacillus Calmette-Guerin, a treatment for early bladder cancer
BCQS Bladder Cancer Quality Standards
biomarker something by which the disease can be identified
biopsy a sample of tissue taken for examination
BLC blue light cystoscopy
BPH benign prostate hyperplasia
C
cannula a thin tube inserted into a vein in the arm or hand
carcinogenic cancer-causing
carcinoma malignant growth or tumour
catheter a thin tube
checkpoint inhibitors drugs that prevent cancer cells from disabling protective T-cells
chemoradiation combination treatment of drugs and x-rays
chemotherapy treatment with chemicals toxic to the body's cells
CIS carcinoma in situ or flat tumour
CNS clinical nurse specialist
CT computerised axial tomography, a scan that uses a series of x-ray images to create cross-sectional views of the body
cystectomy removal of the bladder
cystoprostatectomy surgical removal of the bladder and prostate
cystoscopy a procedure to examine the inside of the bladder
cytokines cells that communicate an immune response
D
DAT device assisted therapy
DNA deoxyribonucleic acid
durable response rate the length of time a response is observed
DVT deep-vein thrombosis, a blood clot in a deep vein in the body
dysplasia abnormal development dysuria painful or frequent urination
E
EAU European Association of Urologists
EBRT external beam radiotherapy
EBUS endobronchial ultrasound test for lung cancer
ED erectile dysfunction
endoscope a medical instrument that is made to see inside parts of a person's body
enhanced recovery pathways methods of improving recovery times and experience
eosinophils white blood cells that fight off certain parasites and infections
ER enhanced recovery
expressed active
F
FGFR fibroblast growth factor receptor
FGFR test laboratory test to see if a cancer has a mutation in a gene that could potentially be treated with erdafitinib
fMRI functional magnetic resonance imaging
G
genes forms of DNA, a collection of chemical information that carries the instructions for making the proteins a cell will need; each gene contains a single set of instructions
GI gastrointestinal
H
haematuria blood in the urine
HCP healthcare professional
Hickman line a hollow tube inserted into a vein in the chest to deliver medication
histology the microscopic examination of cells
histopathological microscopic examination of tissue to identify disease
HNA Holistic Needs Assessment
HrQoL health-related quality of life
I
ICER incremental cost effectiveness ratio
ileal conduit see urostomy
immune component part of the immune system
immunotherapy also called immune oncology therapy, treatment that stimulates the body's white blood cells to fight cancer; these drugs can help keep cancer cells from hiding from the body's white blood cells
inhibitory pathway a situation in which defensive cells are prevented from attacking foreign cells
intolerable toxicity the point at which the treatment becomes more harmful than the disease
intra-vesicle installations treatments administered directly into the bladder via a catheter
ITU intensive therapy unit
J
K
KW key worker
L
lines (of treatment) treatment regimens
luminal relating to the hollow inside an organ such as a blood vessel or an intestine
lymph nodes contain white blood cells, and are found all through the body
lymphangiogenic originating in the lymphatic system
M
macrophages white blood cells found within tissues
MDT multi-disciplinary team metaplasia transformation of a tissue from one type of tissue to another type of tissue
metastatic cancer that has spread from its original place to another part of the body
MIBC muscle-invasive bladder cancer
MRI magnetic resonance imaging, a method of scanning using a magnet and radio waves
muscle-invasive bladder cancer cancer that has spread to the muscles of the bladder
mutagenic an agent that changes genetic material
N
neoantigens newly formed proteins that have not been previously recognised by the immune system, often as a result of tumours
NMIBC non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer
O
OCT optical coherence tomography, a medical imaging technique
oncolytic cancer-killing
P
PALS Patient Advice and Liaison Service
PCT primary care trust
PDD photodynamic diagnosis – a technique where a special liquid is placed in the bladder before operating, so the surgeon is able to distinguish tumour cells from normal cells
PDE5 inhibitors drugs that help erection with sexual stimulation, and are used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Viagra is a PDE5 inhibitor
PDL-1 inhibitor an antibody that helps T-cells recognise cancer cells
PD-L1 test laboratory test to see if drugs like atezolizumab or pembrolizumab are more likely to work in people who are not able to have chemotherapy
penile prosthesis/implant malleable or inflatable rods inserted within the erection chambers of the penis
PET positron emission tomography
Peyronie's disease a disorder of the penis resulting in bent or painful erections
PFS progression-free survival
photodynamic diagnosis blue light cytoscopy
PHR patient-held record
PICC line peripherally inserted central catheter, a hollow tube inserted into a vein in the arm to administer medication
platelets disc-shaped cell fragments in the blood responsible for clotting
polyuria excessive urination – greater than 2.5 litres over 24 hours in adults
priapism a persistent penile erection not necessarily associated with sexual arousal
primary endpoint answers to the primary questions posed by a trial
PROMs patient-reported outcome measures
proteases enzymes that break down protein
pyrexial having a body temperature above the normal range
Q
QoL quality of life
R
radical cystectomy (RC) surgical removal of the bladder and lymph nodes, as well as the prostate in men
radiotherapy treatment with radiation
randomised trial a controlled trial in which people are randomly assign to different groups to test a specific drug, treatment or intervention
RCTs randomised control trials
refractory resistant
resection surgical removal
S
sensitivity a measure of the percentage success rate of a test on patients with a disease
specificity a measure of the percentage success rate of a test on patients who do not have a disease
squamous cell carcinoma a cancer that begins in squamous cells, which are thin, flat cells resembling fish scales. Squamous cells are found in the tissue that forms the surface of the lining of the bladder.
stoma an artificial opening on the abdomen that can be connected to either your digestive or urinary system to allow wee or poo to be diverted out of your body
surrogate markers a reliable substitute for the disease
T
T-cell a cell that can attack a cancer cell
tachycardia abnormally fast heart rate
targeted therapy drugs that block the growth of cancers by acting on specific proteins in cancer cells
TNM system (TNBM) tumour node metastasis, a way of defining the size, location and spread of a tumour
transitional cell cancer (TCC) most common urinary cancer
tumour abnormal masses of tissue that result when cells divide more than they should or do not die when they should; tumours can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer)
tumour microenvironment the cellular environment in which the tumour exists
TURBT transurethral resection of bladder tumour – a surgical removal of part or all of a tumour
U
urethra the tube connecting the bladder with the outside of the body
uropathy a disease of the urinary tract
urostomy a surgical procedure to create a stoma
urothelial of the urinary tract
UTI urinary tract infection
V
visceral referring to the internal organs of the body, specifically those within the chest or abdomen
W
WBCPC World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition
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