Welcome to Alphabet Soup, a new Conquer feature designed to make the language of cancer a little easier to digest. Each issue takes one letter of the alphabet and unpacks words and phrases that often show up in appointments, treatment plans, and conversations without clear explanations attached. Understanding should never feel out of reach.
Ablation
The removal of diseased tissue; usually performed using extreme heat (radiofrequency ablation) or cold (cryoablation).
ACE Inhibitor
A type of antihypertensive drug that is used to lower blood pressure.
Adjunct Therapy
A treatment used together with the primary cancer treatment.
Adjuvant Therapy
An additional cancer treatment given after primary treatment to lower the risk that the cancer will come back.
Advocacy
The promotion of the interests of a person or group. Self-advocacy is knowing your rights and responsibilities and speaking up for your needs.
Allograft
Transplanted tissue, cells, or an organ from one person to another who is not an identical twin.
Alopecia
The lack or loss of hair from areas of the body where hair is usually found. Alopecia can be a side effect of some cancer treatments.
Anaplastic
Cancer cells that have little or no resemblance to normal cells, have lost their normal function, and behave aggressively by dividing rapidly.
Angiogram
An X-ray, CT scan, or MRI of the blood vessels and blood flow in the body. A dye may be injected into an artery or vein to make the blood vessels easier to see.
Antibody
A blood protein produced to respond to and counteract an antigen (a substance that causes the body to make a specific immune response). Each antibody can bind to only one specific antigen, helping to destroy the antigen.
Antiemetic
A drug that prevents or reduces nausea and vomiting.