ACRONYMS

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