Glossary of Medical Terms

The use of illegal drugs or the use of prescription or over-the-counter drugs for purposes other than those for which they are meant to be used, or in excessive amounts. Drug abuse may lead to social, physical, emotional, and job-related problems.

A log of study drugs kept by an investigator running a clinical trial. It lists many things about each drug, including the drug name, lot number, expiration date, the amount of drug received, used, returned, or thrown away, and the amount left. Drug Accountability Records help make sure that a clinical trial is done safely and correctly. Drug Accountability Records are required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Also called DAR.

A change in the way a drug acts in the body when taken with certain other drugs, herbals, or foods, or when taken with certain medical conditions. Drug interactions may cause the drug to be more or less effective, or cause effects on the body that are not expected.

When cancer cells or microorganisms, such as bacteria or viruses, don’t respond to a drug that is usually able to kill or weaken them. Drug resistance may be present before treatment is given or may occur during or after treatment with the drug. In cancer treatment, there are many things that may cause resistance to anticancer drugs. For example, DNA changes or other genetic changes may change the way the drug gets into the cancer cells or the way the drug is broken down within the cancer cells. Drug resistance can lead to cancer treatment not working or to the cancer coming back.

Treatment with any substance, other than food, that is used to prevent, diagnose, treat, or relieve symptoms of a disease or abnormal condition.

A condition that occurs when the body gets used to a medicine so that either more medicine is needed or different medicine is needed.

Sexual climax without the release of semen from the penis.

Data and Safety Monitoring Board. An impartial group that oversees a clinical trial and reviews the results to see if they are acceptable. This group determines if the trial should be changed or closed. Also called Data and Safety Monitoring Board.

A substance being studied in the treatment of some types of B-cell cancer. It contains an antibody linked to a toxic substance. The antibody binds to proteins called CD19 and CD22 on the surface of B cells, and the toxic substance kills the cells. It is a type of bispecific ligand-directed toxin.

A substance being studied in the treatment of myeloid leukemia (a disease in which too many immature non-lymphocyte white blood cells are found in the blood and bone marrow). DT388IL3 fusion protein is made by combining IL-3 with a toxic substance. The IL-3 attaches to the cancer cells and the toxic substance kills them.