Glossary of Medical Terms

A feeling of great happiness or well-being. Euphoria may be a side effect of certain drugs.

A procedure in which an endoscope is inserted into the body. An endoscope is a thin, tube-like instrument that has a light and a lens for viewing. A probe at the end of the endoscope is used to bounce high-energy sound waves (ultrasound) off internal organs to make a picture (sonogram). Also called endoscopic ultrasound and endosonography.

A procedure to take a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope. An endoscope with an ultrasound probe and a biopsy needle at the end is inserted through the mouth into the esophagus. An endoscope is a thin, tube-like instrument that has a light and a lens for viewing. The ultrasound probe is used to bounce high-energy sound waves off internal organs and tissues to make a picture on a monitor. This picture helps the doctor see where to place the biopsy needle. Also called endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration.

An easy or painless death, or the intentional ending of the life of a person suffering from an incurable or painful disease at his or her request. Also called mercy killing.

Disease that cannot be measured directly by the size of the tumor but can be evaluated by other methods specific to a particular clinical trial.

Patients whose response to a treatment can be measured because enough information has been collected.

In cancer, the length of time after primary treatment for a cancer ends that the patient remains free of certain complications or events that the treatment was intended to prevent or delay. These events may include the return of the cancer or the onset of certain symptoms, such as bone pain from cancer that has spread to the bone. In a clinical trial, measuring the event-free survival is one way to see how well a new treatment works. Also called EFS.

A drug used with exemestane to treat some postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer that is hormone receptor positive and HER2 negative. It is also used to treat advanced renal cell carcinoma (a type of kidney cancer) and certain types of pancreatic, lung, and gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors. It is used under the brand name Afinitor to treat these cancers and to treat renal angiomyolipoma (a type of benign kidney tumor) and subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA, a type of benign brain tumor) in patients who have tuberous sclerosis. Everolimus is also used under the brand name Afinitor Disperz to treat SEGA and certain types of seizures in patients who have tuberous sclerosis. It is also used under the brand name Zortress to keep the body from rejecting a kidney or liver transplant. Everolimus is also being studied in the treatment of other conditions and types of cancer. It blocks a protein involved in cell division, which may help keep abnormal cells, including cancer cells, from growing. It may also prevent the growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow. Everolimus also lowers the body’s immune response. It is a type of kinase inhibitor, a type of angiogenesis inhibitor, and a type of immunosuppressant. Also called RAD001.

A systematic approach to medicine in which doctors and other health care professionals use the best available scientific evidence from clinical research to help make decisions about the care of individual patients. A physician’s clinical experience and the patient’s values and preferences are also important in the process of using the evidence to make decisions. The use of evidence-based medicine may help plan the best treatment and improve quality of care and patient outcomes. Also called EBM.

A drug used to reduce the risk of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women who are at high risk of developing the disease or who have osteoporosis and to prevent and treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Evista is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. It blocks the effects of the hormone estrogen in breast tissue, which may help keep breast cancer cells from growing. Evista may also help keep bone from breaking down. It is a type of selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM). Also called raloxifene hydrochloride.