Glossary

A pancreatic cancer diagnosis means learning a whole new language for tests, treatments, symptoms, even body parts. Our glossary provides short definitions for any pancreatic cancer-related term.

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There are currently 16 Terms in this directory beginning with the letter T.
Tail of the pancreas
The thin tip of the organ in the left part of the abdomen, near the spleen.
Tarceva (erlotinib hydrochloride)
One of the approved chemotherapy drugs for pancreatic cancer, it is a receptor kinase inhibitor and prevents cancer cells from multiplying.
Targeted therapy
Treatment designed to kill only cancer cells and not healthy cells.
Therapy
The treatment of disease.
Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT)
Treatment with radiation that uses beams matched to the shape of the tumor.
TNM system
A system used to evaluate cancer; T stands for tumor, N for node, and M for metastasis.
Total pancreatectomy
Procedure, now seldom used, to remove the entire pancreas and spleen in patients with pancreatic cancer.
Toxicity
The degree to which a substance can harm humans or animals.
Transdermal
Through the skin.
Transducer
A hand-held tool that bounces sound waves off tissue to make pictures of the inside of the body.
Treatment plan
A written course of action for cancer treatment and beyond.
Tumor
An abnormal mass of tissue. Tumors are a classic sign of inflammation, and can be benign or malignant (cancerous).
Tumor extension
How far the tumor has grown into nearby tissue.
Tumor grade
How normal or abnormal the cancer cells look under a microscope.
Tumor markers
Substances, usually proteins, produced by a cancer or by the body’s response to the presence of cancer that can be detected in the blood.
Tumor regression
A decrease in the size of the tumor.