One of the most common types of non-small cell lung cancer

A cancer treatment that is given after surgery

A formal, written plan that lets others know your future choices for healthcare and end-of-life care

Treatments or therapies used instead of the usual, recommended treatment your cancer center offers

Tiny air sacs at the end of each of the smallest air tubes in the lungs that bring oxygen into the bloodstream

Cancer has spread to the lymph vessels or blood vessels

Protein made by the immune system when foreign substances are found in the body

Not normal

Pre-cancerous lesion (or spot)

A type of bronchoscopy that uses a special light to make cancer or pre-cancer tissue appear in a different color than other tissue

A term that means not cancer

A type of care meant for people who are grieving that can help identify feelings and work through emotions

Mutations or changes inside cancer cells that make them different from healthy cells

A test that looks for the type of changes or mutations inside cancer cells for the purpose of finding the best treatment

Protective barrier or “shield” that stops some substances from going into brain tissue

Tissue inside the bone where blood cells are made

An imaging test that checks for cancer spread to the bones

The 2 main air tubes that branch off from the windpipe (trachea) and enter each lung

Smaller air tubes that branch off from the larger air tubes (bronchi) inside each lung

A procedure that places a flexible tube through the nose or mouth and into the tubes of the lungs to help diagnose lung cancer

Medical term used to describe ongoing weight loss, muscle wasting, loss of appetite, and extreme fatigue (tiredness) that sometimes occurs in people with late-stage cancer

A type of cancer that can affect the lung that usually begins in the endocrine (hormone) cells and grows slowly

Cancer that begins in tissues that line or cover organs in the body

The number of cells in a sample

The number, size, and shape of the cells and how they look

The tiniest basic building blocks that make up your body

An area of the brain that helps our muscles work together so that we move smoothly

A type of immunotherapy that works by blocking the immune cells from attaching to cancer cells

A type of cancer treatment that kills fast-growing and dividing cells

A combination of chemotherapy drugs that make up a treatment

Research studies that test a new drug or blend of drugs, procedure, or medical device to find our if it is safe and effective

Two or more cancer treatments given at the same time

Treatments or therapies used along with usual cancer treatments and can include a mind-body approach or diet supplements

A blood test that measures many types of blood cells

A test that uses cancer tissue or a blood sample (liquid biopsy) to look for all known mutations or changes in cancer cells at one time

Infrequent bowel movements that are hard, dry, and/or not easy to pass

A method of using chemotherapy that continues using at least one of the drugs that were received during the first line of treatment

A biopsy procedure that uses a needle to remove a small piece of tissue from the tumor or area where cancer may be located

An opening in the skull made during surgery to reach the brain

The study of a single cell or small group of cells

A “map” inside our cells that tells the cells what to do

A blood clot that forms in a deep vein of the leg

When the body loses too much water and other fluids that it needs to work normally

A type of clinical trial that develops better tests for diagnosing lung cancer

How close the cancer cells look to normal cells

A decision in writing that tells your healthcare team and family of your choices about getting help with breathing if end-of-life is near

A decision in writing that tells your healthcare team and family of your choices about getting help with restarting the heart if end-of-life is near

The presence of abnormal (atypical) cells

A type of bronchoscopy test that uses electromagnetic energy and tiny instruments to steer a small tube through the mouth and into the lungs

A type of bronchoscopy test that uses a robotic controller, like a video game, that makes it easy to guide a small tube through the mouth and into the lungs into hard-to-reach areas

Cells in the body that put out hormones

An injection in the back to control pain

tube that carries food and liquid from your mouth to your stomach

Surgery to remove

A biopsy procedure that uses a small needle to remove cells from the tumor or area where cancer may be located to help with diagnosis

The first treatment given for a disease or condition

A lobe or section of the brain that controls our emotions and skills such as intelligence, reasoning, behavior, memory, sexual urges, and personality and helps with talking

A part of a cell that helps make the structure and function of the body

When 2 genes inside a cell stick together and create a new cancer-causing gene

A test or procedure that confirms cancer is or is not present and shows the exact type of cancer

Inflammation in tissue, usually due to infection

A person you choose to make healthcare choices for you if you are not able to make them for yourself

A protein in red blood cells that helps transport oxygen to other tissues in the body High-grade cancer: Cancer cells that look a lot different than normal cells and tend to grow and spread quickly

Cancer cells look very different than normal cells and tend to grow and spread faster

Structure of the cells under the microscope

A group of services that are provided when an illness cannot be cured

Increased cell production in normal tissue or an organ, which can be a sign of changes that happen before cancer develops

The system within the body that recognizes and fights foreign cells and disease.

A type of cancer treatment that helps the body’s own immune system fight cancer

Abnormal cells are found only in the place where they first formed and have not spread

The inability to conceive

The process of learning the details about a clinical trial to help you decide if you would like to join the study

A group of people who make sure a clinical trial is safe and is being managed properly

The practice of using usual treatments along with complementary therapies

Cancer has spread beyond the layer of tissue in which it started and is growing into surrounding areas of tissue

One of the 3 most common types of NSCLC

A method of biopsy or biomarker testing that uses a blood sample rather than a tissue sample from a tumor to examine cancer cells

Written instructions that inform family and healthcare team members what treatments you want and don’t want when end-of-life is near

A type of surgery that removes an entire lobe of the lung

Sections of the lung

Cancer treatments that remove or destroy cancer in a small area of the body

Cancer cells that look a lot like normal cells and tend to grow and spread slowly

Cancer cells look a lot like normal cells and tend to grow and spread slower

A type of surgery that removes several lymph nodes around a tumor to see if cancer cells are inside of them

Pea-sized part of the body’s lymph system whose job it is to clean the waste out of the fluid that passes through them

Groups of small pea-sized lymph nodes that clean the waste out of the fluid that passes through them

A buildup of fluid that causes swelling and can occur if you’ve had surgery and lymph nodes were removed

Spread of cancer to the blood vessels and/or lymphatic system

A term that means cancer

A diagnostic test that uses a tube with a camera, called a mediascope, to see inside the chest and around the outside of the lungs

A type of cancer that affects the lung

A term that means cancer has spread from its initial spot to other organs

Uses a series of small incisions to allow insertion of a video camera and small instruments for removing cancerous tissue

Filled with mucus-like material (see also non-mucinous)

A change or damage that happens inside a cell that makes it unhealthy

Cell death from injury, toxins, or infections

No cancer cells are found at the edges of the tissue, suggesting that all of the cancer has been removed

A cancer treatment that is given before surgery

Abnormal cell growth that can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer)

A feeling of numbness or tingling pain, usually in the hands and/or feet