Useful medical words

This page explains some of the medical words that you may hear when you are finding out about pancreatic cancer and how it is treated. The terms are listed in alphabetical order.

Adjuvant treatment: additional treatment, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy given after surgery.

Advanced cancer: when cancer cells spread from where they first grew to other parts of the body. Also known as metastasis or secondary cancer.

Ampulla of Vater: the area where the pancreatic duct and common bile duct meet. Also known as the hepatopancreatic ampulla.

Bile: fluid which aids digestion that is produced by the liver and stored in the gall bladder.

Biopsy: when tissue is removed to be examined under a microscope.

Chemo-radiation: radiotherapy combined with a short course of chemotherapy. The chemotherapy makes the cancer cells more susceptible to radiotherapy.

Chemotherapy: treatment that uses toxic drugs to destroy cancer cells.

Common bile duct: tube that carries bile from the liver to the duodenum.

Dietitian: a specialist in promoting health through food and nutrition.

Duodenum: the first part of the small intestine where most digestion takes place.

Gastroenterologist: a specialist in diseases and disorders of the digestive system, including the stomach, intestines, liver and pancreas.

Hepatobiliary: having to do with closely related organs including the liver, gall bladder, pancreas and bile ducts.  

Jaundice: yellowing of the skin/whites of the eyes and itchiness often caused by the bile duct being blocked.

Locally advanced cancer: when cancer cells have spread from where they first grew in the pancreas to structures around it such as blood vessels.

Lymph nodes: tiny oval structures throughout the body that contain lymph fluid. Part of the immune system.

Metastatic cancer: see 'Advanced cancer'.

Nutritional supplements: specially formulated drinks, powders and foods to increase calorie intake and help weight gain.

Oncologist: a doctor who specialises in cancer (oncology). A medical oncologist is an expert on drug treatments. A clinical oncologist also manages radiotherapy treatment.

Palliative treatment: treatment that controls symptoms and slows down the progress of the illness when a cure is no longer possible.

Pancreatic duct: the small tube that carries pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes from the pancreas to the duodenum.

Pancreatic enzyme supplements: help to digest food when the pancreas isn't producing enough digestive enzymes.

Pathology: examination of tissue and cells under a microscope. A pathologist is a doctor specialising in pathology.

Radiologist: a doctor specialising in using x-rays to diagnose and treat disease.

Radiotherapy: treatment using high-energy x-rays to destroy cancer cells.

Small intestine: part of the gastrointestinal tract, where food is mostly digested and absorbed.

Steatorrhoea: undigested fat in stools (poo). Stools are large, pale, oily, floating and foul smelling.

Supportive care: improving comfort and quality of life by preventing, controlling or relieving disease complications and side effects. Includes psychological, social and spiritual needs.

Upper gastrointestinal: the upper part of the digestive system, including the oesophagus (the tube between the throat and stomach), stomach, liver, pancreas, gall bladder and bile ducts. Often shortened to upper GI.