Asymptomatic
No symptoms; no clear sign of disease present.

Advanced cancer
A stage of cancer where the disease has spread from the primary site to other parts of the body.  When the cancer has spread only to the surrounding areas, it is called locally advanced. If it has spread further by traveling through the bloodstream, it is called metastatic.

Benign 
Not cancerous; does not invade nearby tissue or spread to other parts of the body.

Biopsy 
The removal of cells or tissues for examination under a microscope. When only a sample of tissue is removed, the procedure is called an incisional biopsy or core biopsy. When an entire tumor or lesion is removed, the procedure is called an excisional biopsy. When a sample of tissue or fluid is removed with a needle, the procedure is called a needle biopsy or fine-needle aspiration.

Bronchoscopy 
Visualizing the airways through a thin probe inserted in a tube through the nose or mouth

Cancer 
A term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control. Cancer cells can invade nearby tissues and can spread through the bloodstream and lymphatic system to other parts of the body.

Chemotherapy 
Treatment with anticancer drugs.

Chest tube
A chest tube is used after lung surgery to drain fluid and blood out of your chest cavity and help your lung refill with air.

Clinical trial 
A research study that tests how well new medical treatments or other interventions work in people. Each study is designed to test new methods of screening, prevention, diagnosis or treatment of a disease.

CT scan 
Computed tomography (CT), which is sometimes called a CAT scan, combines x-ray and computer technology to produce cross-sectional images of the body. Unlike an x-ray, which images bones, computed tomography can produce an image that shows everything in that area of the body, such as organs, bones, and blood vessels.

5-year survival rate 
The percentage of people who are still alive 5 years or longer after their disease was discovered.

Grade
A grade denotes how aggressive the cancer is, that is, how fast it is likely to grow and spread in the future. A variety of systems are used to grade cancer, but in general, the higher the grade, the more aggressive the cancer.

Lobectomy 
The right lung has three lobes and the left lung has two lobes. A lobectomy removes the entre lobe of your lung that contains the cancer. Before lung cancer surgery your doctor will make sure the parts of your lungs that remain will be enough to support your breathing needs.

Lymph node 
A rounded mass of lymphatic tissue that is surrounded by a capsule of connective tissue. Also known as a lymph gland. Lymph nodes are spread out along lymphatic vessels and contain many lymphocytes, which filter the lymphatic fluid (lymph).

Malignant 
Cancerous; a growth with a tendency to invade and destroy nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body.

Metastasis 
The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another. Tumors formed from cells that have spread are called "secondary tumors" and contain cells that are like those in the original (primary) tumor. The plural is metastases

Oncologist 
A doctor specially trained in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.  Medical oncologists specialize in the use of chemotherapy and other drugs to treat cancer.  Radiation oncologists specialize in the use of radiation to kill tumors.  Surgical oncologists specialize in performing operations to treat cancer.

Pneumonectomy 
A pneumonectomy removes your entire lung that contains the lung cancer. A pneumonectomy is done only when necessary because it carries a higher surgical risk and may greatly reduce your overall lung function.

Prognosis 
The likely outcome or course of a disease; the chance of recovery.

Radiation therapy 
The use of high-energy radiation from X-rays, gamma rays, neutrons and other sources to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.

Risk Factors 
Risk factors are things that seem to increase the chance of a person getting a specific disease.

Stage 
A number representing the degree to which a cancer has spread, including whether the disease has metastasized from the original site to other parts of the body.

Wedge resection (segmentectomy) 
The surgeon removes a small wedge-shaped piece of lung that contains the lung cancer and a margin of healthy tissue around the cancer. This is likely to be done when your lung function would be decreased too much by removing a lobe of lung (lobectomy). The risk of lung cancer coming back (recurring) is higher with this method.