Radiation Exposure Glossary

Hello, my name is Malak, and I am a second-year student is Radiation Oncology, a program in which we learn how to administer treatments prescribed by the doctor for cancer patients. My glossary will be destined to anybody who works in the radiation field. Exposure to ionizing rays, while working in the radiation therapy field, is common and very dangerous. Understanding radiation-related vocabulary, and its dangers may help you take radio protection more seriously, because if you aren't cautious enough, x-rays can cause serious harm to your immune system and could even lead to radiation-induced cancers. Through web pages like Wikimedia and others, more in depth explanations will be provided. Keep reading for more!

alopecia

noun

The partial or complete absence of hair from areas of the body where it normally grows; baldness.

Example: Alopecia can be one of the many side effects of chemotherapy.

fr: alopécie

bone marrow

phrase

The soft, spongy tissue that has many blood vessels and is found in the center of most bones.

Example: Leukemia starts in the bone marrow.

fr: moelle osseuse

chemotherapy

noun

The treatment of disease by the use of chemical substances.

Example: Chemotherapy uses drugs to destroy cancer cells.

fr: chimiothérapie

deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

phrase

The molecule that carries genetic information for the development and functioning of an organism.

Example: I'm going to get a DNA test to find out if I have any genetic diseases.

fr: acide désoxyribonucléique (ADN)

dosimetrie

noun

The measurement, calculation and assessment of the ionizing radiation dose absorbed by an object, usually the human body. It aims to give the maximum dose to the tumor, while reserving the healthy tissue as much as possible.

Example: The technologist calculates the dosimetry before administering the treatment.

fr: dosimètrie

exposure

noun

A measure of the amount of ionizing radiation at the surface of a person's body.

Example: Being exposed to a lot of radiation over a short period of time, such as from a radiation emergency, can cause skin burns.

fr: exposition

external radiation

phrase

External beam radiation therapy uses high doses of radiation to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors.

Example: External radiation exposure can be decreased by reducing the time spent near a source.

fr: rayonnement externe

gamma ray

phrase

Penetrating electromagnetic radiation of a kind arising from the radioactive decay of atomic nuclei.

Example: Gamma rays played a key role in the discovery of the Higgs boson.

fr: rayon gamma

infertility

noun

The biological inability to conceive children.

Example: Radiation therapy to the reproductive organs as well as radiation near the abdomen, pelvis, or spine may lower sperm counts and testosterone levels, causing infertility.

fr: infertilité

malignant

adjective

(of a disease) Very virulent or infectious.

Example: In most cancer cases, the treatment goal is malignant tumor removal.

fr: malin, maligne

osteonecrosis

noun

Death of bone tissue that may cause the bone to eventually break and the joint to collapse.

Example: Osteonecrosis can be a long term complication of childhood cancer therapy.

fr: ostéonécrose

recovery

noun

A return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength.

Example: It took her a long time to recover from her heart operation.

fr: نقاهة

sarcoma

noun

A type of cancer that can occur in various locations in your body. Sarcoma is the general term for a broad group of cancers that begin in the bones and in the sof tissues.

Example: Sarcoma is a serious illness that can be successfully treated if diagnosed before it spreads.

fr: sarcome

scan

noun

Digitizing an image, allowing it to be stored, modified, or understood by a computer.

Example: A scan can help doctors find cancer and show things like a tumor's shape and size.

fr: balayage

stem cell

phrase

Cells from which all other cells with specialized functions are generated

Example: The tissue stem cell is involved in the generation of cancer.

fr: cellule de souche

sterile

adjective

Free from bacteria or other living microorganisms; totally clean.

Example: Needles should always be sterile before being used by doctors.

fr: stérile

symptom

noun

A physical or mental feature which is regarded as indicating a condition of disease, particularly such a feature that is apparent to the patient.

Example: Lump or area of thickening that can be felt under the skin could be a symptom of cancer.

fr: symptôme

tachycardia

noun

An abnormally rapid heart rate.

Example: Anxiety may have an association with rapid heart rate (tachycardia)

fr: tachycardie

tumour

noun

A swelling of a part of the body, generally without inflammation, caused by an abnormal growth of tissue, whether benign or malignant.

Example: She developed a malignant breast tumour.

fr: ورم

womb

noun

The organ in the lower body of a woman or female mammal where offspring are conceived and in which they gestate before birth; the uterus.

Example: The womb represents the very first place in which life takes form.

fr: رحم

This glossary was made with the Virtual Writing Tutor glossary maker and grammar checker.