Posted on: Aug 26, 2011 10:56AM - edited Sep 23, 2021 01:35PM by moderators

moderators wrote:

This is a culmination of submissions of abbreviations seen throughout the boards, with links to further information on the main Breastcancer.org site. Thanks to all the members who have contributed; please PM the Mods with any additions and we'll add them to the list. Hope this helps and happy posting!

Abbreviations below are for informational purposes only as taken from posts or submitted by your fellow sisters and brothers. Your medical team is the final authority on any and all information contained in your personal medical records.

ABUS - Automated Breast Ultrasound

AC - doxorubicin (brand name: Adriamycin) and cyclophosphamide (brand name: Cytoxan), a common chemotherapy combination. There are more common chemotherapy combinations listed on the main Breastcancer.org site.

AI - aromatase inhibitors

ADH - atypical ductal hyperplasia

AKA - also known as

ALH - atypical lobular hyperplasia

ALND/AND - axillary lymph node dissection/axillary node dissection

APBI - Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation

AWS - Axillary Web Syndrome (also known as Cording)

B9 - benign

BART - BRAC Analysis Rearrengement Test

BC - breast cancer

Bi-Lat - bilateral (eg. bilateral mastectomy is the removal of both breasts)

BIRADS - Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System score

BM or BMX - bilateral mastectomy (removal of both breasts)

BS - breast specialist/surgeon

BTW - by the way OR between

Bump - written to bubble a thread up in the active topics

BWT - but what the ____!

C. diff - Clostridium difficile, often called C. difficile or C. diff, is a bacterium that can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon.

CAT - computerized tomography scan (also CT scan)

CC - capsular contracture

CEA - carcinoembryonic antigen

CHF - congestive heart failure

CMF - cyclophosphamide (brand name: Cytoxan), methotrexate (brand names: Amethopterin, Mexate, Folex), fluorouracil (also called 5-fluorouracil or 5-FU; brand name: Adrucil), a common chemotherapy combination. There are more common chemotherapy
combinations listed on the main Breastcancer.org site.

CT scan - computerized tomography scan (also CAT scan)

DCIS - ductal carcinoma in situ

DD - dose dense, in reference to chemotherapy; or dear daughter when referencing family

DH - dear husband

DIEP - deep inferior epigastric perforator flap breast reconstruction

DIL - daughter-in-law

DP - dear partner

DS - dear son

Dx - diagnosis

DW - dear wife

ER+/- - estrogen receptor positive (+) or negative (-)

FEC - fluorouracil (also called 5-fluorouracil or 5-FU; brand name: Adrucil), epirubicin
(brand name: Ellence), cyclophosphamide (brand name: Cytoxan), a common chemotherapy combination. There are more common chemotherapy combinations listed on the main Breastcancer.org site.

FG - fat graft

FIL - father-in-law

FISH - Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization

FNA - fine needle aspiration

FWIW - for what it's worth

GCM - Glucosamine Chondroitin with MSM (for joint pain relief)

H - Herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab)

HER2 +/- - human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive (+) or negative (-). Read more on HER2 status.

HT - hormonal therapy

HRT - hormone replacement
therapy

Hx - history

IBC - inflammatory breast cancer

IDC - invasive ductal carcinoma

IDK - I don't know

IGAP - Inferior Gluteal Artery Perforator Flap

IHC - ImmunoHistoChemistry

ILC - invasive lobular carcinoma

IMF - infra-mammary fold (the crease/fold under the breast)

IMHO - in my humble opinion

IMO - in my opinion

IORT - intraoperative radiation therapy

IPLC - invasive pleomorphic lobular carcinoma

KWIM - know what I mean

LAVH - laparoscropic assisted vaginal hysterectomy

LCIS - lobular carcinoma in situ

LD flap - latissimus dorsi flap breast reconstruction

LE - lymphedema

Lump - lumpectomy

Lt - left

LVI - lymphatic/vascular invasion

Lx - lumpectomy

Mast - mastectomy

MBC - metastatic breast cancer

Med Onc - medical oncologist

Mets - metastasis

MIL - mother-in-law

MLD - manual lymph drainage

MO - medical oncologist

Mojo - sex, or lack of; libido

MPBC - metaplastic breast cancer

MRA - Magnetic Resonance Angiogram

MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging

MRSA - Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection

MX - mastectomy

NAC - nipple-areolar complex, a term used in nipple-sparing surgery

NB - Navelbine (chemical name: vinorelbine)

NEAD - no evidence of active disease

NED - no evidence of disease

NP - nurse practitioner

NSM - nipple-sparing mastectomy

ODAAT - one day at a time

ONC - oncologist

Ooph - oophorectomy or ovary removal

OS - overall survival

P - Perjeta (chemical name: pertuzumab)

PAP Flap - Profunda Artery Perforator Flap

Path - pathology

PASH - Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia

PBM - prophylactic bilateral mastectomy

PCC - Penguin cold caps

PCP - primary care physician

pCR - Pathological Complete Response

PE - pleural effusion or pulmonary embolism

PET scan - Positron Emission Tomography scan

PET-CT scan - a combination of PET and CT scans

PFC - perfluorinated compounds

PFC - post final chemo

PFS - Progression Free Survival

PICC - peripherally inserted central catheter, sometimes called an arm port

PILC - pleomorphic invasive lobular carcinoma

PM - private message

PPI - proton pump inhibitor

PR +/- - progesterone receptor positive (+) or negative (-)

PS - plastic surgeon

QOL - quality of life

RADS - radiation therapy or radiotherapy

Rad onc - radiation oncologist

RO - radiation oncologist

RS - recurrent score

ROFLOL - rolling on floor laughing out loud

Rx - prescription

Rt - right

SCF - supraclavicular fossa

SE - side effects

SERMs - Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators

SFX - side effects

SGAP Flap - Superior Gluteal Artery Perforator Flap

SIL - sister-in-law

SNB - sentinel node biopsy

SOB - short of breath

SOH - sense of humor

SX - surgery or symptoms

SP - status post

TAH-BSO - Total Abdominal Hysterectomy - Bilateral Salpingo Oopherectomy

TCH - taxotere (chemical name: docetaxel), carboplatin (brand name: Paraplatin), herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab)

TCHP - Taxotere (chemical name: docetaxel), carboplatin, Herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab), Perjeta (chemical name: pertuzumab)

TE - temporary expanders or tissue expanders

TIA - thanks in advance

TL;DR - too long; didn't read: a quick note used by authors of a post to preface lengthy posts with a quick summary of the topic and question, so others don't have to read further if not necessary

TM - tumor markers

TN - triple negative (negative status for ER, PR, and HER2)

TNBC - triple negative breast cancer (negative status for ER, PR, and HER2)

TMI - too much information

TRAM flap - transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap reconstruction
flap

TX - treatment

WBC - white blood count

WBR - whole brain radiotherapy

WNL - within normal limits

XRT - x-ray therapy