Abbreviations

 

Abbreviations below are for informational purposes only. We hope they can help you navigate the world of breast cancer.

Your medical team is the final authority on all information contained in your personal medical records.

A

ABUS - Automated Breast Ultrasound

AC - Doxorubicin (brand name: Adriamycin) and cyclophosphamide (brand name: Cytoxan), a common chemotherapy combination.

AI’s - Aromatase inhibitors

ADH - Atypical ductal hyperplasia

ALH - Atypical lobular hyperplasia

ALND/AND - Axillary lymph node dissection/axillary node dissection

APBI - Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation

AWS - Axillary Web Syndrome (also known as Cording)

 

B

BCN – Breast Care Nurse

B9 - Benign

BART – BRACA analysis Rearrangement Test

BC - Breast cancer

Bi-Lat - Bilateral (e.g. bilateral mastectomy is the removal of both breasts)

BIRADS - Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System score

BM or BMX - bilateral mastectomy (removal of both breasts

BS - breast specialist/surgeon

C

CAT - Computerized tomography scan (also called CT scan)

CC - Capsular contracture

CEA - Carcinoembryonic antigen, a Tumour marker in the blood

CMF - cyclophosphamide (brand name: Cytoxan), methotrexate (brand names: Amethopterin, Mexate, Folex), fluorouracil (also called 5-fluorouracil or 5-FU; brand name: Adrucil), a common chemotherapy combination.

D

DCIS - Ductal carcinoma in situ

DD - Dose dense, in reference to chemotherapy

DIEP - Deep inferior epigastric perforator flap breast reconstruction

Dx – Diagnosis

DMX – Double Mastectomy

E

ER+ - Oestrogen receptor positive (+) or negative (-)

FEC - Fluorouracil (also called 5-fluorouracil or 5-FU; brand name: Adrucil), epirubicin (brand name: Ellence), cyclophosphamide (brand name: Cytoxan), a common chemotherapy combination.

F

FG - Fat graft

FNA - Fine needle aspiration, a type of biopsy

G

GCM - Glucosamine chondroitin with MSM (for joint pain relief)

H

H - Herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab)

HER2 +/- - Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive (+) or negative (-). Read more on HER2 status.

HT - Hormonal therapy

HRT - Hormone replacement therapy

I

IBC - Inflammatory breast cancer

IDC - Invasive ductal carcinoma

IGAP - Inferior Gluteal Artery Perforator Flap

IHC – Immuno- Histo- Chemistry. a type of pathology test

ILC - Invasive lobular carcinoma

IMF - Infra-mammary fold (the crease/fold under the breast)

IORT - Intraoperative radiation therapy

IPLC - invasive pleomorphic lobular carcinoma, a subtype of invasive lobular carcinoma

L

LCIS - Lobular carcinoma in situ

LD flap - Latissimus dorsi flap breast reconstruction

LE - Lymphedema

Lump - Lumpectomy

Lt - left.

LVI - Lymphatic/vascular invasion

Lx – Lumpectomy

M

Mast - Mastectomy

MBC - Metastatic breast cancer

Mets - Metastasis

MLD - Manual lymph drainage

MO - Medical oncologist

MPBC - Metaplastic breast cancer

MRI - Magnetic resonance imaging

MX – Mastectomy

N

NAC - Nipple-areolar complex, a term used in nipple-sparing mastectomy

NEAD - No evidence of active disease

NED - No evidence of disease

NP - Nurse practitioner

NSM - Nipple-sparing mastectomy

O

ONC - oncologist

P

P - Perjeta (chemical name: pertuzumab)

Path - Pathology

PBM - Prophylactic bilateral mastectomy

PCC - Penguin cold caps (Chemotherapy term)

PCR - Pathological Complete Response

PET Scan - Positron Emission Tomography scan

PET-CT Scan - a combination of PET and CT scans

PFC - Post final chemo

PICC - Peripherally inserted central catheter, sometimes called an arm port

PILC - pleomorphic invasive lobular carcinoma, a subtype of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC)

PR +/- - progesterone receptor positive (+) or negative (-)

PS - plastic surgeon

Q

QOL - Quality of life

R

RADS - Radiation therapy or radiotherapy

RO - Radiation oncologist

RS - Recurrent score

Rt – Right

S

SERDs - Selective Estrogen Receptor Downregulators

SERMs - Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators

SFX - Side effects

SNB - Sentinel node biopsy

SMX - Single Mastectomy

SLNB - Sentinel Needle Biopsy

T

TCH - Taxotere (chemical name: docetaxel), carboplatin (brand name: Paraplatin), Herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab)

TCHP - Taxotere (chemical name: docetaxel), carboplatin, Herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab), Perjeta (chemical name: pertuzumab)

TE - Temporary expanders or tissue expanders, used in breast implant reconstruction.

TM - Tumour markers

TN - Triple negative (negative status for ER, PR, and HER2)

TNBC - Triple negative breast cancer (negative status for ER, PR, and HER2)

W

WBC - White blood count

WNL - Within normal limits

X

XRT - X-ray therapy

Have we missed something? Please let us know of any more abbreviations you have come across by emailing hello@breastfreindsforever.co.uk