Glossary

The glossary explains some of the words used across this website and covers some key cancer and research terms, which primarily focus on lung cancer.

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Pack-year

A standard measure of the amount of cigarettes a person has smoked during their lifetime. It is calculated by multiplying the number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day by the number of years a person has smoked. For example, one pack-year is equal to smoking one pack per day for one year, or two packs per day for half a year, and so on.1

Palliative care

The care provided after a terminal diagnosis. This is holistic care that involves managing symptoms, emotional, spiritual and psychological support, practical support (such as will writing and equipment procurement), and optimising the patient's quality of life. See also ‘terminal diagnosis’, ‘holistic care’ and ‘quality of life’.

Participation rate

The number of people invited for screening who attend a screening unit and undergo a scan. It is also referred to as ‘uptake’.2 See also ‘Organised screening’ and ‘Targeted screening’

Pathologist

Medical doctor specialising in the diagnosis of medical conditions using tissue, blood, urine and other bodily fluids. They analyse samples using laboratory tests and techniques.3

Patient navigator

The role of a patient navigator is to support and guide patients through their care journey. They provide holistic, physical, emotional, psychological, social, emotional and practical support, and can act as an educator and advocate.4 See also ‘advocate’ and ‘holistic’

PD-L1

A biomarker that can help to identify whether a patient would benefit from immunotherapy to treat their lung cancer.5 See also ‘biomarker’ and ‘immunotherapy’

People who have ever smoked

Those who do not currently smoke and may not have smoked recently but who have previously smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime.6

People who have never smoked

Those who do not currently smoke or have smoked fewer than 100 cigarettes during their lifetime.6

People who smoke or used to smoke heavily

Although specific definitions vary, this is often measured using pack-years (the number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day multiplied by the number of years a person has smoked). For those who no longer smoke, the same measure is used but within a set minimum number of years since a person stopped smoking.6

Phantom (study)

An object designed to mimic the properties of human tissue, used to study and develop new imaging and treatment options. It can be used to calibrate CT scans to optimise dosages and improve image quality.7 See also ‘computed tomography’

Pilot

The preliminary roll-out of an organised programme across designated sites or a geographic region. Pilots usually assess the performance of a programme rather than outcomes.8 The terms ‘pilot’, ‘feasibility study’ and ‘implementation study’ are often used interchangeably. Although definitions vary, they usually share common research objectives around the implementation of an intervention.9 See also ‘Feasibility study’ and ‘Implementation study’

Population-based cancer registries

Information systems that collect information from multiple sources in a geographically defined population to monitor and assess the epidemiology of cancer in the community and how it changes over time.10

References

  1. National Cancer Institute. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms.  Available from: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms [Accessed 04/03/22]

  2. Baldwin DR, Brain K, Quaife S. 2021. Participation in lung cancer screening. Translational lung cancer research 10(2): 1091-98

  3. The Cleveland Clinic. 2023. Pathologist. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/24616-pathologist [Accessed 03/08/2023]

  4. King G. 2016. Patient Navigators. Available from: https://www.england.nhs.uk/south/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/12/patient-navigators.pdf [Accessed 04/08/2023]

  5. American Lung Association. 2022. PD-L1, PD1, TMB and Lung Cancer. Available from: https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/lung-cancer/symptoms-diagnosis/biomarker-testing/pdl1-pd1-tmb [Accessed 10/08/2023]

  6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Health Interview Survey – adult tobacco use glossary.  Available from: https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/nchs/nhis/tobacco/tobacco_glossary.htm [Accessed 03/10/25]

  7. University of Utah Health. 2022. Tissue-mimicking phantom.  Available from: https://medicine.utah.edu/radiology/research/labs-groups/fus-lab/tissue-phantom [Accessed 10/08/2023]

     

  8. World Health Organization. 2020. WHO report on cancer: setting priorities, investing wisely and providing care for all. Geneva: WHO

  9. Abbott JH. 2014. The distinction between randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and preliminary feasibility and pilot studies: what they are and are not. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy 44(8): 555-58

  10. International Agency for Research on Cancer. 2019. CanScreen5: Glossary and definitions.  Available from: https://canscreen5.iarc.fr/?page=help [Accessed 03/10/25]

  11. Jones A, Azam S. 2016. Process for developing Position Statements for Public Health Wales. Cardiff, Wales: Public Health Wales

  12. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. 2018. Precision Medicine. Available from: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/in-vitro-diagnostics/precision-medicine [Accessed 10/08/2023]

  13. Cancer Research UK. 2021. What is prehabilitation? Available from: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/treatment/prehabilitation/what-is-prehabilitation [Accessed 10/08/2023]

  14. Global Lung Cancer Coalition. 2022. Glossary.  Available from: https://www.lungcancercoalition.org/e-atlas/glossary.php [Accessed 04/03/22]

  15. Griffin E, Hyde C, Long L, et al. 2020. Lung cancer screening by low-dose computed tomography: a cost-effectiveness analysis of alternative programmes in the UK using a newly developed natural history-based economic model. Diagn Progn Res 4(1): 20

  16. Ranganathan P, Aggarwal R. 2018. Study designs: Part 1 – An overview and classification. Perspect Clin Res 9(4): 184-86

  17. Norvell DC. 2010. Study types and bias: Don’t judge a study by the abstract’s conclusion alone. Evid Based Spine Care J 1(2): 7-10

  18. Merriam-Webster. Dictionary.  Available from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/ [Accessed 30/03/22]

  19. The Cleveland Clinic. 2021. Pulmonologist. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22210-pulmonologist [Accessed 03/08/2023]

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