List of Abbreviations
List of Acronyms of Cancer Organisations
List of Abbreviations
List of Acronyms of Cancer Organisations
Shortcuts: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
3DCRT | 3 Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy |
5-FU | 5-Fluorouracil (anti cancer drug) |
6-MP | 6-Mercaptopurine (anti cancer drug) |
6-TG | 6-Thioguanine (anti cancer drug) |
| Anaplastic Anaemia | |
AACR | American Association for Cancer Research |
ABC | Advanced Breast Cancer |
ABMT | Autologous bone marrow transplant |
ABPI | Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry |
ABTA | American Brain Tumour Association |
ACDM | Association for Clinical Data Management |
ACRPI | Association of Clinical Research for the Pharmaceutical Industry |
ACS | American Cancer Society |
ADR | Adverse Drug Reaction |
AE | Adverse event |
AFP | Alphafetoprotein - eg. expressed by germ cell tumours and other cancers |
AIDS | Acquired immune deficiency syndrome |
AIOM | Italian Association for Medical Oncology |
AIRO | Associazione Italiana di Radioterapia Oncologica |
AJCC | American Joint Committee on Cancer |
ALAT | Alanine aminotransferase / alinine transaminase |
ALCL | Anaplastic Large-cell Lymphoma |
ALL | Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia |
ALT | Alanine Aminotransferase |
AMKL | acute megakaryocytic leukemia |
AML | Acute Myeloid leukaemia |
ANC | Absolute neutrophil count |
ANED | Alive no evidence of disease |
ANLL | Acute non-lymphatic leukaemia |
ARMS | Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma |
ASCO | American Society of Clinical Oncology |
ASH | American Society for Hematology |
ASR | Age Standardised Rate (Incidence) |
ASTRO | American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology |
AUC | Area under the curve |
| B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia | |
BACR | British Association for Cancer Research |
BAER | Brainstem Auditory Evoked Responce |
BASO | British Association of Surgical Oncologists |
BCC | Basal Cell Carcinoma |
BID / BD | Twice a day (bis in die) |
BM | Bone Marrow |
BM | Blood Monitoring (eg for glucose) |
BMA | British Medical Association |
BMJ | British Medical Journal |
BMR | Basal Metabolic Rate |
BMT | Bone Marrow Transplant |
BNF | British National Formulary |
BNLI | British National Lymphoma Investigation |
BOA | British Oncology Association |
BODMA | British Oncology Data Managers Association (UK) |
BP | Blood pressure |
BRM | Biological Response Modifier |
BSA | Body Surface Area |
BSE | Breast Self Examination |
Bx | Biopsy |
| Complaining of | |
C/W | Continue With |
C1 - C7 | Cervical vertebrae (spine eg. C7 = seventh cervical vertebra) |
Ca | Cancer; carcinoma |
Ca | Calcium |
CALGB | Cancer and Leukemia Group B (USA) |
cALL | Common ALL |
CAT | Computerised axial tomography (scan) |
cc | Cubic centimeter |
CCF | Congestive Cardiac Failure |
CCG | Children's Cancer Group (USA) |
CCR | Continuous complete remission |
CCRG | Children's Cancer Research Group (Oxford, UK) |
CCS | Canadian Cancer Society |
CEA | Carcinoembryonic Antigen (tumour marker) |
CGH | Comparative Genomic Hybridisation - cytogenetics method |
CGL | Chronic Granulocytic Leukaemia |
cGy | Centi Gray (unit of radiation) |
CHF | Congestive heart failure |
CLL | Chronic lymphocytic Leukaemia |
cm | centimeter - 0.01 meters |
CML | Chronic myeloid leukaemia |
CMML | chronic myelomonocytic leukemia |
CMV | Cytomegalo virus |
CNS | Central nervous system - the brain and spine |
COS | Canadian Oncology Society |
CPM | Cyclophosphamide (anti cancer drug) |
CPR | Cardio pulmonary resuscitation |
CR | Complete remission / complete response |
CRA | Clinical Research Associate |
CRC | Cancer Research Campaign (UK) |
CRC | Colorectal carcinoma |
CRF | Case Report Forms |
CRF | Chronic renal failure |
CRO | Contract Research Organisation |
CSF | Cerebro spinal fluid |
CSF | Colony-stimulating Factor |
CSM | Committee on Safety of Medicines (UK) |
CT | Computerised axial tumography (scan) |
CT | Chemotherapy |
CTC | Common Toxicity Criteria |
CTCL | Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma |
CTO | Clinical Trials Office |
CTX | Clinical Trials Exemption |
CVA | Cardiovascular Accident (stroke) |
CVC | Central venous catheters |
CVP | Central Venous Pressure |
CXR | Chest X-Ray |
| Discharge | |
D/H | Drug History |
D/W | Discussed With |
DCIS | Ductal Carcinoma In Situ - type of breast cancer |
DDAVP | Desmopressin test for urine osmolality |
DDx | Differential diagnosis |
DFI | Disease Free Interval |
DFS | Disease Free Survival - time without disease prior to relapse or last follow-up |
DI | Diabetes Incipidus |
dl | deciletre - 0.01 litres |
DLBCL | Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma |
DLCL | Diffuse large-cell lymphoma |
DLS | Date last seen |
DLT | Dose limiting toxicity - determined by phase 1 studies |
DMC | Data Monitoring Commitee |
DNA | Deoxyribonucleic acid |
DNA | Did Not Attend (clinic) |
DNR | Do Not Resusitate |
DOA | Dead on Arival |
Dx | Diagnosis |
| European Association for Cancer Research | |
EANO | European Association for NeuroOncology |
EBM | Evidence-Based Medicine |
EBMT | European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation |
EBV | Epstein-Barr Virus |
ECG | Electrocardiogram - heart scan |
ECOG | Eastern Cooperative Group (USA) |
EDTA | ethylendiaminetetraacetic acid - used in measuring kidney function |
EEG | Electroencephalogram - brain scan |
EFS | Event Free Survival - time from diagnosis to defined events (eg relapse or deat |
EICESS | European Intergroup Ewing's Sarcoma Study |
EJC | European Journal of Cancer |
EMUO | Early Morning Urine Osmolality (evaluating urine concentration) |
ENSG | European Neuroblastoma Study Group |
ENT | Ear nose throat |
EOI | European Osteosarcoma Intergroup |
EORTC | European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer |
ESO | European School of Oncology |
ESR | Erythrocyte Sedimentation rate |
ESTRO | European Society for Therapeutic Radiation and Oncology |
ETS | Environmental Tobacco Smoke |
| Family history | |
FAB | French American and British classification scheme for leukaemia |
FBC | Full Blood Count |
FDA | Food and Drug Administration (USA) |
FECS | Federation of European Cancer Societies |
FEV | Forced expectorant volume (a lung test) |
FFA | For Further Appointment |
FIGO | Federation Internat. Gyn. Obst. (FIGO Gynaecological staging system) |
FISH | Flourescence in situ Hybridisation |
FMTC | Familial Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma |
FNA | Fine Needle Aspiration - a type of biposy using a thin needle (or FNAB) |
FU | Follow up |
FVC | Forced Vital Capacity |
| gram - unit of weight | |
G-CSF | Granulocyte colony stimulating factor promotes production of white blood cells |
GA | General Anaesthetic |
GCP | Good Clinical Practice (guidelines) |
GCT | Germ Cell Tumour |
GCT | Giant Cell Tumour Context: bone tumours |
GFR | Gromerular filtration rate |
GI | Gastrointestinal |
GM-CSF | Granulocyte and macrophage colony stimulating factor |
GMC | General Medical Council (UK) |
GPOH | Gesellschaft fur Padiatrische Onkologie und Hamatologie (German Paed. Onc Group) |
GPR | Good Partial Remission |
GU | Genito-urinary |
GvHD | Graft versus Host Disease |
Gy | Grays (units of radiation) |
| Hematoxylin and Eosin (stain) | |
H/O | History of |
Hb | Haemoglobin |
HCC | Hepatocellular Carcinoma |
HCG | Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hormone) |
HCL | Hairy Cell Leukaemia |
HCO3 | Bicarbonate |
HD | Hodgkin's Disease (lymphoma) |
HD | High dose |
HDC | High Dose Chemotherapy |
HIV | Human Immunodeficiency Virus |
HL-A | Human Leukocyte Associated antigens (HL-A matching for BMT) |
HNPCC | Hereditary NonPolyposis Colorectal Cancer |
HPV | Human Papilloma Virus - implicated in some gynacological cancers |
HR | High risk |
HRT | Hormone replacement therapy |
HTLV | Human T-cell leukemia-lymphoma virus |
| Radioactive Iodine | |
IACR | International Association of Cancer Registries |
IARC | International Agency for Research on Cancer |
IASLC | International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer |
ICARE | International Cancer Alliance for Research and Education (ICARE) |
ICCCPO | International Confederation of Childhood Cancer Parent Organisations |
ICCG | International Collaborative Cancer Group |
ICCPO | Icelandic Childhood Cancer Parent Organisation |
ICD | International Classification of Diseases (coding system) |
ICDO | International Classification of Diseases for Oncology (coding system) |
ICF | Intercellular fluid |
ICH | International Conference on Harmonization (GCP) |
ICRF | Imperial Cancer Research Fund (UK) |
ICU | Intensive Care Unit |
IESS | Intergroup Ewing's Sarcoma Study (USA) |
IL2 | Interleukin2 |
IM | Intramuscular - into a muscle |
IMF | International Myeloma Foundation |
IMRT | Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy |
INFA | International Neurofibromatosis Association |
INSS | International Neuroblastoma Staging System |
IPSO | International Society of Pediatric Surgical Oncology |
ITU | Intensive Therapy Unit |
IU | International units |
IV | Intravenous - into a vein |
IVP | Intravenous Pyelogram - type of Xray after injection with iodine dye |
IWMF | International Waldenstrom's Maroglubulinemia Foundation |
| Journal of Clinical Oncology | |
| Potassium | |
kg | Kilogram - a thousand grams |
| liter - unit of volume | |
L1 - L5 | Lumbar vertebrae 1 - 5 (spine eg. L1 = 1st lumbar vertebra) |
LCH | Langerhans cell histiocytocis |
LCIS | Lobular Carcinoma In Situ - type of breast cancer |
LDH | Lactic dehydrogenase -high levels correlate with tumour volume in some cancers |
LMM | Lentigo Maligna Melanoma |
LMP | Low Malignant Potential (context: ovarian tumours) |
LN | Lymph Node |
LP | Lumbar puncture |
LREC | Local Research Ethics Committee (UK) |
LRF | Leukaemia Research Fund (UK) |
LRFA | Lymphoma Research Foundation of America |
LVEF | Left Ventricular Fjection Fraction - a heart function test |
LVSF | Left Ventricular Shortening Fraction - a heart function test |
Lx | Lumpectomy |
| meter (unit of length) | |
M/H | Medical history |
MAB - mAb | Monoclonal antibody |
MCA | Medicines Control Agency (UK) |
MDR | Multi drug resistant |
MDS | Myelo dysplastic syndrome |
MEN | Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia - (familial) a.k.a. FMEN |
mEq/l | milliequivalent per liter |
mets | Metastases (where the tumour has spread to secondary sites) |
Mg | Magnesium |
mg | milligram - 0.001 gram |
MI | Miocardial Infarction |
mIBG | Radioactive Iodine Metaidobenzoguanidine (mIBG scans or mIBG therapy). |
ml | millilitre 0.001 liter |
MM | Malignant Melanoma |
mM | millimole |
mm | millimeter - 0.001 meters |
MM | Multiple Myeloma |
mOsm | milliosmole |
MPNST | Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumour |
MPO | Medical and Pediatric Oncology (journal) |
MRC | Medical Research Council (UK) |
MREC | Multi-centre Research Ethics Committee (UK) |
MRI | Magnetic resonance imaging (scan) |
MRT | Malignant Rhabdoid Tumour |
MSSU | Mid stream specimen urine |
MTD | Maximum tolerated dose - phase 1 studies |
MTX | Methotrexate (anti cancer drug) |
MUD | Matched Urelated Donor - for bone marrow transplant |
Mx | Mastectomy |
| Nausea and vomiting | |
Na+ | Sodium |
NAACCR | North American Association of Central Cancer Registries |
NABCO | National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations |
NAD | No Abnormality Detected |
NBCCS | Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome |
NBM | Nil by mouth |
NCCF | National Childhood Cancer Foundation (USA) |
NCI | National Cancer Institue (USA) |
NCIC | National Cancer Institute of Canada |
NCRA | National Cancer Registrars Association (USA) |
NECCR | North of England Children's Cancer Research Unit |
NED | No evidence of disease |
ng | nanogram - 0.000000001 gram |
NHL | Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma |
NK | Natural Killer cells (large lymphocytes, part of the immune system) |
NK | Not known |
NKCA | National Kidney Cancer Association (USA) |
NM | Nodular Melanoma |
NMR | Nuclear magnetic resonance (scan) |
NMSC | Non Melanoma Skin Cancer |
NNFF | National Neurofibromatosis Foundation (USA) |
NORD | National Organization for Rare Disorders (USA) |
NOS | Not otherwise specified (see ICDO) |
NPC | Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma |
NRCT | National Registry of Childhood Tumours (UK) held by the CCRG at Oxford |
NRSTS | Non-Rhabdomyosarcoma Soft Tissue Sarcoma |
NSCLC | Non-small cell lung cancer |
NSE | Neuron-Specific Enolase - a neural marker |
NSR | Non significant result |
NSR | Normal Sinus Rhythem |
| On Examination | |
OECI | Organization of European Cancer Institutes |
ONB | Olfactory Neuroblastoma |
OS | Overall Survival |
OS | Osteogenic sarcoma (context bone tumours) |
| Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (see PBSCT) | |
PBSCH | Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Harvest |
PBSCR | Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Rescue (transplant) |
PBSCT | Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplant |
PD | Progressive disease |
PDQ | Physician's Data Query (CancerNet) |
PET | Positron Emmission Tomography- a scan after a small radioactive injection. |
PET | Pancreatic Endocrine Tumor |
PFS | Progression Free Survival |
pg | picogram - 0.000000000001 gram |
pH | hydrogen-ion concentration - acid / alkaline |
PH | Past History |
PLB | Primary Lymphoma of Bone |
PNET | Primitive neuroectodermal tumour Context: CNS tumours |
PNET | Peripheral neuroectodermal tumour Context: Bone tumours - see Ewing's tu |
PNS | Peripheral nervous system - nervous system outside the brain and spine. |
POG | Pediatric Oncology Group (USA) |
PONF | Paediatric Oncology Nurses Forum (UK) |
PR | Partial Responce / Partial Remission |
PR | per rectum |
prn | as required |
prn | whenever necessary (pro re nata) |
PSA | prostate-specific antigen - PSA test used in screening for prostate cancer |
PUD | Peri-Urethral Diathermy (associated with superficial bladder cancer) |
| Quality-Adjusted Life Year | |
qid | Four times a day (quater in die) |
QoL | Quality of Life |
| Red blood cell / red blood count | |
RCT | Randomised Controlled Trial |
RFS | Relapse free survival - Time from diagnosis to relapse or death. |
RIGS | Radioimmunoguided surgery |
RMS | Rhabdomyosarcoma |
RNA | ribonucleic acid |
RT | Radiotherapy |
RTPCR | Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction |
Rx | Treatment |
| Surface area (see BSA) | |
SAE | Serious Adverse Event |
SC | Subcutaneous |
SCC | Squamous Cell Carcinoma |
SCLC | Small cell lung cancer |
SCTN | Scottish Cancer Therapy Network |
SD | Stable Disease |
SDV | Source Data Verification |
SEER | Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (USA) |
SFOP | French Paediatric Oncology Scociety |
SGDM | Study Group on Data Management (EORTC) |
SGO | Society of Gynecologic Oncologists |
SGOT | Serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase - a liver function test |
SGPT | Serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase - a liver function test |
SH | Social history |
SHO | Senior House Officer |
SIADH | Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone |
SIOP | International Society of Paediatric Oncology |
SNLG | Scottish and Newcastle Lymphoma Group |
SNP | Single Nucleotide Polymorphism |
SOB | Short of breath |
SPOHNC | Support for People with Oral and Head and Neck Cancer |
SSM | Superficial Spreading Melanoma |
SWOG | Southwest Oncology Group (USA) |
| Thoracic vertebrae 1-12 (spine eg. T10 = tenth thoracic vertibra) | |
TBI | Total body irradiation |
TCC | Transitional Cell Carcinoma (usually bladder cancer) |
TCP | Thrombocytopenia |
tds / tid | Three times a day (ter in die) |
TNF | Tumour Necrosis Factor |
TNM | Staging system - primary tumour |
TPN | total parenteral nutrition |
TRK | Transketolase |
| Urea and Electrolites | |
UA | Urine analysis |
ug | microgram - 0.000001 gram |
UICC | Union Internationale Contre le Cancer - International Union Against Cancer |
UKACR | UK Association of Cancer Registeries |
UKCCCR | UK Coordinating Committee for Cancer Research |
UKCCRG | UK Children's Cancer Research Group (Oxford) |
UKCCSG | UK Children's Cancer Study Group (UK) |
ULN | Upper Limits of Normal |
URTI | Upper respiratory tract infection |
US | Ultasound (scan) |
UTI | Urinary Tract Infection |
UVR | Ultra Violet Radiation |
| Ventricular ejection fraction (tests lung function) | |
VM-26 | Teniposide (anti cancer drug) |
VMA | Vanillylmandelic Acid |
VP-16 | Etoposide (anti cancer drug) |
| White blood cell count | |
WCC | White cell count |
WHO | World Health Organisation |
| Radiotherapy (external) | |
| Yolk sac tumour - another name for germ cell tumour |
This guide by Simon Cotterill
Department of Child Health
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
UK
First created 04/03/96
Last modified: 23/06/2000