News Articles February 2022

Protocol

An outline of care; a treatment plan.

An action plan for a clinical trial will state what the study will do, how, and why. It explains how many people will be in it, who is eligible to participate, what study agents or other interventions they will be given, what tests they will receive and how often, and what information will be gathered.

Quality of Life

Refers to the level of comfort, enjoyment, ability to pursue daily activities.

The term, quality of life is often used in discussions of treatment options.

Rad

Total amount of radiation absorbed by specific material or tissues.

1) The unit for the dose absorbed from ionizing radiation, equivalent to 100 ergs per gram of tissue; 100 rad = 1 Gy. Symbol for radian.
2) Abbreviation for racemic.

Radiation Dermatosis

Skin changes at the site of ionizing radiation.

Particularly redness of the skin due to capillary dilatation in the acute stage, temporary or permanent loss of hair, and chronic changes in the epidermis and dermis resembling a premalignant warty lesion.

Radiation Oncologist

A doctor who specializes in using radiation to treat tumors.

A radiologist who specializes in radiation treatment of neoplasms – abnormal tissue growths (malignant or nonmalignant).

Radiation Oncology

The medical specialty of radiation therapy.

The study of radiation treatment of abnormal tissue growths (malignant or nonmalignant).

Radiation Therapy

The use of radiation energy to interfere with tumor growth. See irradiation.

The use of high-energy radiation from x-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, protons, and other sources to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may come from a machine outside the body (external-beam radiation therapy), or it may come from radioactive material placed in the body near cancer cells (internal radiation therapy). Systemic radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance, such as a radiolabeled monoclonal antibody, that travels in the blood to tissues throughout the body. Also called irradiation and radiotherapy.

Radiographic

Of or relating to radiography.

Referring to the examination of any part of the body for diagnostic purposes by means of x-rays or other diagnostic modalities.

Radiography

Examination of any part of the body for diagnostic purposes by means of x-rays with the record of the findings usually impressed upon a photographic film.

Radiography is the examination of a specimen or any part of the body, usually for diagnostic purposes, by means of roentgen rays, recording the image on a sensitized surface such as photographic film.
X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation, just like visible light. An x-ray machine sends individual x-ray particles, called photons, that pass through the body and the images are recorded by special film or a computer. Bone and structures that are dense will block most of the x-ray particles, appearing white in the image. Metal and contrast media or special dye will also appear white. Structures containing air will be black and muscle, fat, and fluid will appear in the image as shades of gray.