Glossary of Medical Terms

Immediate, short-term counseling (talking with a professional counselor) to stop a critical emotional incident (e.g., attempted suicide or drug overdose) from getting worse. Crisis intervention is not meant to solve the problem that led up to the crisis.

An anticancer drug that interferes with the DNA in cancer cells.

A laboratory tool used to change or “edit” pieces of a cell’s DNA. CRISPR-Cas9 uses a specially designed RNA molecule to guide an enzyme called Cas9 to a specific sequence of DNA. Cas9 then cuts the strands of DNA at that point and removes a small piece, causing a gap in the DNA where a new piece of DNA can be added. CRISPR-Cas9 is a breakthrough in science that will have important uses in many kinds of research. In cancer research, it may help to understand how cancer forms and responds to treatment as well as new ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent it.

A drug used to treat non-small cell lung cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. It is used in patients whose cancer is anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) positive or ROS1 positive. It is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. Crizotinib blocks the proteins made by the ALK and ROS1 genes. Blocking these proteins may stop the growth and spread of cancer cells. Crizotinib may also prevent the growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow. It is a type of tyrosine kinase inhibitor and a type of antiangiogenesis agent. Also called Xalkori.

A company hired by another company or research center to take over certain parts of running a clinical trial. The company may design, manage, and monitor the trial, and analyze the results. Also called Contract Research Organization.

A condition in which the gastrointestinal tract is inflamed over a long period of time. Crohn disease usually affects the small intestine and colon. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting, and weight loss. Crohn disease increases the risk of colorectal cancer and small intestine cancer. It is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Also called regional enteritis.

Describes the process inside a cell that occurs when the same signal is shared by two or more signaling pathways. Usually, a signal caused by the binding of a substance to a molecule on or inside a cell is passed from one molecule to another in the same pathway.

A type of clinical trial in which all participants receive the same two or more treatments, but the order in which they receive them depends on the group to which they are randomly assigned. For example, one group is randomly assigned to receive drug A followed by drug B. The other group receives drug B followed by drug A. There is usually a rest period between treatments.

Prostate cancer that keeps growing even when the amount of testosterone in the body is reduced to very low levels. Many early-stage prostate cancers need normal levels of testosterone to grow, but CRPCs do not. Also called castrate-resistant prostate cancer.

A member of the family of vegetables that includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, and turnips. These vegetables contain substances that may protect against cancer. Also called Brassica vegetable.