Gynaecologic Services
Glossary of Terms
Many technical terms may be used when discussing cancers, investigations and treatment options. Listed below are definitions or explanations of common terms. If you don't understand a term, please ask Dr Andrea Garrett.
| Appendicectomy | Removal of the appendix |
| Benign Disease | Non cancerous |
| Bilateral Salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) | Removal of both tubes and ovaries. Unilateral SO is the removal of one tube and ovary only |
| Bowel Resection | Removal of a segment of bowel. The remaining bowel can be repaired or a stoma is created |
| Cone biopsy | Removal of a cone shaped wedge of the cervix for a cancer or gland abnormality |
| Colposcopy | Procedure where the cervix is viewed under a microscope after painting with vinegar or iodine solutions to look for abnormal cells |
| Computerised Tomography (CT) Scan | Imaging technique used to visualise structures in the body |
| Cystoscopy | Inserting a camera into the bladder |
| Gynaecologic Oncologist | Doctor specialising in the use of surgery to treat gynaecologic cancers |
| Hysterectomy | Removal of the uterus and cervix. Subtotal hysterectomy implies that the cervix is not removed |
| Hysteroscopy | Inserting camera into the uterus |
| Laparoscopy | Keyhole or minimally invasive surgery |
| Laparotomy | Open surgery or a cut to the abdomen |
| LLETZ | Loop excision of the transformation zone to removal abnormal cells on the cervix |
| Lymph Node Dissection (Lymphadenectomy) | Removal of lymph nodes |
| Malignant Disease | Cancer |
| Medical Oncology | Doctor specialising in the use of chemotherapy drugs to treat cancer |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) | Imaging technique used to visualise structures in the body (more detail than a CT scan) |
| Multi-Disciplinary Meeting | A meeting of specialist doctors involved in gynaecologic cancers including gynaecologic oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and pathologists |
| Omentectomy | Removal of the fatty apron that hangs off the transverse colon |
| Pathology | Study of microscopic anatomy of tissue |
| Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan | Imaging technique used to visualise sites of biological activity (hot spots) in the body |
| Radiation Oncology | Doctor specialising in the use of radiation to treat cancer |
| Radical Hysterectomy | Removal of uterus and cervix and parametrial tissue adjacent to the cervix |
| Radiology | Study of the various imaging techniques. Interventional radiology implies a procedure is performed using imaging |
| Recurrent Disease | Cancer that has returned |
| Remission | Eradication of cancer |
| Smear Test | Sample of cells taken from either the cervix (PAP Smear) or vaginal vault (vault smear) |
| Stoma | Opening of the bowel into a bag on the skin for faeces to leave the body. Colostomy involves the large bowel and ileostomy involves the small bowel. It may be temporary or permanent |
| Tumour | Abnormal growth of cells that can be benign or malignant |
| Ultrasound Scan | Imaging technique using sound waves to generate an image of body structures |
| Vaginal vault | Top of the vagina where the cervix used to be |