Well I don’t know about you, but I’m not a medical person. I only know what I know through the treatment I’ve had for my Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (and it’s associated unfortunate side effects) and for my gallbladder attacks and subsequent gallbladder removal operation.
There are a lot of medical acronyms around, the same as there are for acronyms in the business or computer world for example did you know that TWAIN really means “Technology Without An Interesting Name” – interesting huh!?
I hope that some of the ones listed below now make your Doctor easier to understand when they go rambling on in their own “Doctor Speak” world…. if you know of any others I’ve not listed, then please let me know when you get a chance.
Other acronyms will be following….. there is a long list and it takes me a while to add it all in, please be patient – no pun intended of course!
Find out what the acronyms really mean…
Diseases
Treatment Options
Chemotherapies
Blood Stimulating Factors
General Terminology
| Diseases | |
| AA | Aplastic Anemia |
| ALL | Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (+3 subtypes according to morphology.L1-L3 and subtypes according to phenotype: T, pre-B, pre-pre-B, B) |
| AML | Acute Myeloid Leukaemia |
| AMML | Acute Myelo-Monocytic Leukaemia |
| ANLL | Acute Non-Lymphocytic Leukemia (included in AML above) |
| APL | Acute ProLymphocytic Leukaemia |
| APML | Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia |
| BCP-ALL | B-cell Precursor Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia |
| CLL | Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia |
| CML | Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (each has subtypes) |
| CNSL | Central Nervous System Lymphoma |
| HCL | Hairy Cell Leukemia |
| HD | Hodgkins Disease |
| MCL | Mantle Cell Lymphoma |
| MDS | Myelodysplastic Syndrome (4 subtypes) |
| MF | Mycosis Fungoides (cutaneous T-cell lymphoma) |
| MM | Multiple Myeloma |
| MPD | Myeloproliferative Disorders |
| NHL | Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (many subtypes) |
| PRV | Polycythemia Rubra Vera |
| WM | Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia |
| Treatment Options | |
| ABMT | Autologous BMT – your own marrow |
| BMB | Bone Marrow Biopsy |
| BMT | Allogeneic BMT- someone else’s marrow |
| MUD | A transplant using a matched unrelated donor |
| PBPC | Peripheral Blood Progenitor Cell Transplant (which is becoming the new standard term) |
| PBSCT | Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplant |
| PBSCR | Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Rescue |
| PSCT or PSCR | The same as above without the word “blood.” |
| SBMT | Syngeneic BMT- identical twin’s marrow |
| Chemotherapies | |
| ACOB | Doxorubicin, Cyclophosphamide, Vincristine, Bleomycin |
| dABVD | Doxorubicin, Vinblastine, Bleomycin,DTIC |
| ARA-C | Cytarabine |
| ATRA | All-Trans Retinoic Acid, or Vesanoid |
| BACOP | Bleomycin, Doxorubicin, Cyclophosphamide, Vincristine, Prednisone |
| BEAM | Busulfan, Etoposid, Ara-c, Melphalan |
| BLEO | Bleomycin 2CdA – 2-Chlorodeoxyadenosine (Generic name = Cladribine) |
| C-MOPP | Cyclophosphamide, Oncovin, Procarbazine,Prednisone |
| CCNU | (1-2-Chloroethyl)-3-Cyclohexyl-1-Nitrosourea) |
| CHOD | Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Vincristine, Dexamethasone |
| CHOP | Cyclophosphamide, Adriamycin, Vincristine, Prednisone |
| CHOP-BLEO | Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Vincristine, Prednisone and Bleomycin |
| CMF | Cyclophosphamide, Methotrexate, Fluorouacil |
| COP | Cyclophosphamide, Vincristine, Prednisone |
| COPP – CCNU | Vincristine, Procarbazine, Prednisone |
| CyA | Cyclosporin A |
| DCF | 2-Deoxycoformycin (Pentostatin) |
| DTIC | Dacarbazine, 5-(3,3-Dimethyl-1-Triazino) Imidazole-4- Carboxamide |
| EPOCH | Etopside, Prednisone, Vincristine, Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), Adriamycin |
| FAC | Fluorouacil, Adriamycin, Cyclophosphamide |
| Flu | Fludarabine (Fludara) |
| IFN | Interferon (comes in alpha2a, alpha 2b, human leukocyte, and beta– Another one “concensus” is still in trials) |
| IL | Interleuken mBACOD Methotrexate, Bleomycin, Doxorubicin, Cyclophosphamide, Vincristine, Dexamethasone |
| MOPP | Nitrogen Mustard, Vincristine, Procarbazine, Prednisone |
| MTX or M | M Methotrexate proMACE – Prednisone, Methotrexate with Leukovorin Rescue, Doxorubicin, Cyclophosphamide, Etoposide (VP-16) |
| Blood Stimulating Factors | |
| EPOIETIN | Erythropoietin (Epogen)– is used to stimulate red cell growth |
| G-CSF | Granulocyte colony stimulating factor (Neupogen)- stimulates growth of white cells |
| GM-CSF | Granulocyte Macrophage – colony stimulating factor (sargramostim) |
| NEUMEGA | Platelet stimulating factor |
| TPOIETIN | Thrombopoietin – (platelet stimluating factor) –still in clinical trials |
| General Terminology | |
| ALLO | Allogenic (A type of transplant where someone donates the stem cells or bone marrow) |
| AUTO | Autologous (A type of transplant where the patient’s own stem cells or bone marrow is used) |
| BA# | Basophils (absolute value not % which is BA%) Least common of the “normal” white cells. |
| BJP | Bence Jones Protein Found in the blood and urine of patients with myeloma. |
| BMB | Bone Marrow Biopsy |
| BMT | Bone Marrow Transplant |
| B2M | Beta 2 Microglobulin test. Beta-2-microglobulin is a protein found on all the surface of all cells and small amounts are shed into the serum. |
| B/P | Blood Pressure |
| Bx | Biopsy |
| CCDRT | Cell Culture Drug Resistance Testing |
| CNS | Central Nervous System |
| Chemo | Chemotherapy |
| CLL | Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (see also SLL which is the same disease) |
| CR | Complete Remission |
| CRN | Complete Remission with Nodular Pattern in Marrow |
| CRP | C-Reactive Protein. Produced in response to inflammation/infection. |
| CS | Clinical Stage |
| DIC | Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation |
| DNR | Do Not Resuscitate |
| D&V | Diarrhoea & Vomiting |
| Dx | Diagnosis |
| EO# | Eosinophils (absolute value not % which is EO%) Usually involve in allergic responses and defence against parasitic infections. |
| EPOIETIN | Erythropoietin (Epogen)– is used to stimulate red cell growth |
| ESR | Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate Outdated test largely superceded by the CRP, but still some usefulness to monitor and diagnose some conditions. |
| EtOH | Basically means “alcoholic” the literal term is “excess alcohol” (ethanol is the chemical term for the type of alcohol which is safe(r) to drink, as opposed to methaol, propanol, butanol, etc, etc, and an -OH side group is an alcohol group, hence the “EtOH” is ethanol) |
| FBC | Full Blood Count |
| FISH | Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization.It is a test used to detect chromosone abnormalities in cells and has been used to test lymphocytes in CLL. The results help to predict the prognosis for a particular patient |
| G-CSF | Granulocyte – Colony Stimulating Factor (Neupogen)- stimulates growth of white cells |
| GM-CSF | Granulocyte Macrophage – Colony Stimulating Factor (sargramostim) |
| GvHD | Graft vs Host Disease |
| GVL | Graft vs Leukemia or Graft vs Lymphoma |
| HCT | Hematocrit. The percentage of red blood cells in the blood. A low hematocrit measurement indicates anemia. |
| HD | Heavy Duty or Hodgkin’s Disease |
| HDC | High Dose Chemotherapy–often used to condition one before a BMT or PBSCT |
| Hem/Onc | Haematologist/Oncologist |
| HGB | Hemoglobin |
| HLA | Human Leukocyte Antigen. |
| Ig | Immunoglobulin (IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG, IgM) |
| IM | Intra-Muscular |
| IV Bolus | Intravenous – placed directly into a vein – all in one go |
| IV Drip | Gradual |
| LY# | Lymphocytes (absolute value not % which is LY%) Help fight viral infections. |
| Mab or MoAb | Monoclonal Antibodies (i.e. Campath-1H, Rituxan, Bexxar) |
| MALT | Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (a type of lymphoma) |
| MCV | Mean Cell Volume (refers to RBCs) May indicate Iron Deficiency Anaemia or Thalassaemia if Low. May indicate B12 or Folate deficiency (or chronic alcoholism) if High |
| MO# | Monocytes (absolute value not % which is MO%) Help neutrophils. Sometimes regarded as the circulating form of macrophages. |
| MOAB | Monoclonal Antibody (Drugs like Rituxan, Zevalin, Bexxar, Lymphocide etc) |
| MPV | Mean Platelet Volume |
| MUD | Matched Unrelated Donor of bone marrow |
| NBM | Nil By Mouth |
| NE# | Neutrophils (absolute value not % which is NE%) Help fight bacterial infections. |
| Neumega | A platelet growth factor |
| NR | Nodular Remission (nodules of cancer cells remain in the marrow, but there are less than 10% cancer cells throughout) |
| NRBC | Nucleated Red Blood Cells, affectionately called “Nurbs”. |
| Onc | Oncologist |
| OR | Overall Remission |
| PBS | Phosphate Buffered Saline |
| PBSC | Peripheral Blood Stem Cell |
| PBSCR | Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Rescue same as PBSCT |
| PBSCT | Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplant |
| PICC | Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter |
| PR | Partial Remission |
| RBC | Red Blood Count |
| RCF | Red Cell Folate |
| RX | Prescribed Medication or also used for Radiotherapy |
| SCT | Stem Cell Transplant (same thing as PBSCT) |
| SLL | Small lymphocytic lymphoma (see also CLL which is the same disease) |
| Sx | Symptoms |
| TATT | Tired All The Time |
| THR | Total Hip Replacement |
| TKR | Total Knee Replacement |
| TPOIETIN | Thrombopoietin – (platelet stimluating factor) |
| Tx | Prescription Medication or Treatments or also used for Transplant |
| WBC | White Blood Count |
| WBC/HPF | White Blood Cells counted per high powered field |
| WD | Well Differentiated |
| WW | Watch and Wait (also called Watch and Worry) |
| XRT | External Radiation Therapy |
Diseases, Treatment Options, Chemotherapies, Blood Stimulating Factors
and General Terminology
© Reproduced from an article in BMT-Talk, January 1999