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 |