Resources

Glossary

Angiogenesis

The growth of new blood vessels, a process that is critical to the growth and spread of cancer

Anti-angiogenesis (Anti-angiogenic)

Acting to prevent the growth of new blood vessels

Antibodies

Proteins that destroy or weaken foreign substances that invade the body

Biologic therapy

Treatments that use natural body substances or drugs made from natural body substances. These therapies can help in the treatment of cancer

Central catheter line (or port)

A special type of tube inserted through a small opening into a large central vein in the chest. A permanent central catheter is designed to help people who require frequent infusions of certain medications avoid repeated injections in the arm

Chemotherapy

A type of treatment for cancer that is given either by mouth or by infusion into a vein. Chemotherapy kills cancer cells by interfering with the tumor cell's ability to grow and reproduce. Because chemotherapy drugs travel throughout the whole body, they can also affect normal cells

Clinical trial

A research study conducted with people and designed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a new drug, usually in comparison with a standard treatment. If a drug is proven to work well in a clinical trial, it may become a new therapy that can help many people

First-line treatment

Cancer treatment is usually broken down into phases of treatment. First-line treatment refers to the first regimen you receive after being diagnosed with MCRC ("see second-line treatment")

Immune system

The bodys defense against infection and disease

Intravenous 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-based chemotherapy

A type of chemotherapy that has been considered a standard of care for metastatic colorectal cancer

Metastasis (metastatic)

The spread of cancer from the primary site or origin to distant sites in the body

Monoclonal antibody

An antibody produced in a lab by making multiple copies (or "clones") of a single immune cell. In cancer therapy, monoclonal antibodies are used to target specific substances in the body that help cancer cells grow

Polyp

A small clump of cells that can become cancerous, grow, and eventually spread to other parts of the body

Regimen

The combination and schedule of cancer treatments

Second-line treatment

If cancer progresses after first-line treatment, your doctor may change the treatment regimen. This new regimen is called the second-line treatment. In the trial that showed a benefit with Avastin in second-line treatment, people had previously been treated with the chemotherapy agents irinotecan and 5-FU, either as initial treatment for MCRC (see "first-line treatment") or as part of an earlier treatment

Targeted therapy

A kind of treatment directed at a specific target. For example, anti-angiogenic therapy targets the signal that causes the tumor blood vessels to grow. Targeted therapies have different side effects than chemotherapy

Tumor

An abnormal lump or mass of tissue, which can be cancerous or noncancerous

VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor)

One of the most common and powerful signals that a tumor uses to trigger growth of new blood vessels