Mesothelioma Medical Glossary

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IDIOPATHIC: of a condition or disorder that occurs spontaneously for unknown reason.

INHALATION: the act of breathing. A hazardous substance can enter the body this way.

IMAGING TESTS: takes pictures of the lungs and can detect problems such as a mass, an infection or air in the pleural space. Visual imaging tests include: chest x-rays and CT scans.

IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL: refers to use of antibody-antigen stains to create reactions to locate markers specific to certain tissues or cells. This staining of human tissue is used to diagnose mesothelioma.

IMMUNOSTAINING: the use by pathologists of specific proteins with color producing labels attached to them to stain tissue sections in order to differentiate one tumor from another. It is particularly important to use a battery of immunostains in order to tell whether the biopsy is a mesothelioma or a lung cancer.

IMMUNOSUPPRESSANT: substance that reduces the effectiveness of the body's defense mechanisms.

IMMUNOTHERAPY: administration of agents that induce a pro-inflammatory response.

INFORMED CONSENT: a process by which a person learns key facts about a clinical trial, including potential risks and benefits, before deciding whether or not to participate in a study. Informed consent continues throughout the trial.

INTERFERON: substance that helps regulate immune responses.

INTERSTITIAL DISEASE: fibrosis (scarring) in the lungs.

INTENSITY-MODULATED RADIATION THERAPY (IMRT): a type of 3-dimensional radiation therapy that uses computer-generated images to show the size and shape of the tumor. Thin beams of radiation of different intensities are aimed at the tumor from many angles. This type of radiation therapy reduces the damage to healthy tissue near the tumor and is being explored in mesothelioma.

INTRAOPERATIVE PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY: a new treatment that uses special drugs and light to kill cancer cells. Its use in the early states of mesothelioma in the chest is being studied.

INTRAPERITONEALLY: inserting chemotherapy drugs directly into the abdominal cavity.

INTRAPLEURALLY: inserting chemotherapy drugs directly into the chest cavity.

INTRAVENOUS: within a blood vessel.

INVASIVE CANCER: cancer that has spread beyond the layer of tissue in which it developed and is growing into surrounding, healthy tissues. Also called infiltrating cancer.

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