Gastric
Relating to the stomach.
Gene Therapy
A relatively new field of medicine, this treatment modifies or replaces defective genes with new or altered genes to treat disease, including some cancers.
Genetic Testing
Testing usually done on cells from blood or saliva to determine if a person has inherited genes that could increase the risk of developing a specific type of cancer. These tests are most often done in people with a family history of the disease.
Genomic Testing
The genome is the entire set of a person’s genes. Genomic testing is usually done on a biopsy sample from a tumor to analyze how a cancer might grow and which treatment might work best. Used in biomarker testing.
Gleason Score
A system used to describe prostate cancer. Samples from a biopsy are examined and assigned a grade based on how much cells differ from normal. A Gleason score can range from 6 to 10, with 6 describing the least aggressive and 10 the most aggressive cancer cells.
Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GVHD)
A complication that can occur after a patient receives a stem cell or bone marrow transplant from a donor. Graft refers to the donor cells, and host refers to the person receiving the cells. The condition results when the donor immune cells attack the host tissues.
Gray (Gy)
An international unit established to measure the amount of radiation absorbed during treatment.
Growth Factors
Naturally occurring proteins that regulate how cells grow and divide. Some assist in normal processes, including wound healing; others promote the abnormal growth of cancer cells. New treatments to control growth factors are being tested in clinical trials.
Granulocyte
A type of white blood cell that fights bacteria and infections. Types of granulocytes include basophils, eosinophils, and neutrophils.
