Info
Unresectable disease
Diagnosis
What it means
A tumor that cannot be completely removed through surgery, because of its size, location or extension into surrounding vital structures. Treatment then focuses on chemotherapy, radiotherapy or systemic therapies, sometimes with the goal of making it operable later.
Related terms
The terms below often appear alongside this one. Each definition is right here, so you do not have to look elsewhere.
- Cancer surgery
- A treatment in which the tumor is removed by an operation, sometimes together with nearby lymph nodes or tissues. It may have a curative, diagnostic or symptom-control role, depending on the stage of the disease.
- AFP (alpha-fetoprotein)
- A tumor marker useful especially for liver cancer and certain testicular or ovarian tumors. It is measured in the blood for diagnosis, monitoring treatment and detecting a recurrence.
- ALK-positive
- A gene rearrangement found in a subset of lung cancers, more common in non-smoking or younger patients. ALK-positive tumors often respond very well to specific targeted therapies, different from standard chemotherapy.
Other terms in “Diagnosis”
Glossary definitions are written for patients by the OncoDots team and go through internal medical review. They explain terms; they do not establish a diagnosis and do not recommend a treatment.