Cancer Research: Information from a Patient / Caregiver Perspective

Glossary

As a patient with cancer, you will be dealing with new terms on a day to day basis. Here we offer some information on some of the many acronyms and unfamiliar terms you will encounter.

ADL

Activities of daily living. These are activities that a person normally does, on a daily basis, to maintain, for example, nutrition, personal hygiene and other activities that provide for their physical and social well being.

AE

Adverse event or effect . An unexpected or undesirable effect of a drug. This could be for example diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fatigue or skin reactions. These adverse effects can interfere with the activities of daily living.

Cohort

A small group of individuals with some characteristics in common. In phase 1 clinical trials, the individuals in a particular cohort all receive the same dose of the treatment being studied.

MRP

Most Responsible Physician. This is the physician who oversees your medical care.

MTD

Maximum Tolerated Dose. This level of treatment is found when a set number of people in a cohort experience unacceptable toxicity from the dose level. The dose is then decreased to the level of the previous cohort. This is this dose of the treatment which is considered to be safe; in other words it is a dose which is not considered to be too toxic. Also known as MDL - Maximum Dosage Limit.

SAE

Severe Adverse Event or Effect. This is a reaction that can be very dangerous or life threatening. Also known as SADR - Serious Adverse Drug Reaction.

 

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