- adenocarcinoma
- cancer development arising from the glandular tissues that line body organs
- alopecia
- abnormal loss of body hair
- benign
- not causing harmful effects
- chemotherapy
- drug therapy focused on killing cancer cells
- embolization
- the introduction of a foreign object (bone fragments, cells, air, blood clot) into the bloodstream
- erythrocytes
- a red blood cell
- erythrocytopenia
- a decrease below normal levels of circulating erythrocytes
- extravasate
- the leakage of a vesicant drug into the tissues surrounding the intravenous infusion site
- febrile neutropenia
- occurrence of a fever during a period of neutropenia, when the risk of infection is higher than normal
- fibrosis
- the thickening or scarring of connective tissue
- granulocytes
- a white blood cell type; assists in fighting invading organisms
- granulocytopenia
- a decrease below normal levels of circulating granulocytes
- hematological cancers
- cancer development arising from bone marrow cells
- hemorrhagic cystitis
- inflammation of the bladder lining, resulting in bleeding and hematuria
- leukemia
- cancer development arising from leukocytes
- leukocytes
- a white blood cell type; assists in fighting invading organisms
- leukopenia
- a decrease below normal levels of circulating leukocytes
- mesna
- a medicine used to prevent hemorrhagic cystitis in clients receiving chemotherapy
- metastasize
- spread to other sites in the body
- mucositis
- inflammation and ulceration of oral and/or gastrointestinal mucous membranes; often a side effect of chemotherapy or radiation therapy
- multiple myeloma
- cancer development arising from plasma cells
- mutation
- a change in the nucleic acid sequence in a cell
- myelosuppression
- decreased production of blood cells by the stem cells in the bone marrow
- nadir
- the point after a chemotherapy treatment at which a client’s blood cell counts are at the lowest level before recovery
- neoangiogenesis
- the ability of a tumor mass to grow new vascularity
- neutropenia
- a decrease below normal levels of circulating neutrophils
- neutrophils
- a white blood cell type; assists in fighting invading organisms
- non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- cancer development arising from lymph cells
- oncogene
- a mutated gene that has the potential to cause cancer development
- pancytopenia
- a decrease below normal levels of all circulation blood cell lines including white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets
- plant alkaloid
- naturally occurring organic nitrogen-containing bases derived from plants
- pulmonary toxicity
- lung damage
- secondary cancer
- a cancer that develops after exposure to treatment for a previous cancer
- squamous cell carcinoma
- cancer development arising from skin cells
- thrombocytes
- a platelet: a cell that helps to form blood clots
- thrombocytopenia
- a decrease below normal levels of circulating thrombocytes
- tumor lysis syndrome
- a condition occurring after administration of chemotherapy resulting in cell death that releases cellular contents into the blood
- vesicant
- any intravenous drug capable of causing blistering and tissue damage should extravasation occur