Tip sheet: Glossary of cancer research and clinical trial abbreviations

By Tara Haelle | April 29, 2023

Rather than a list of tips, this tip sheet is more of a glossary so that you can keyword-search an abbreviation you’ve come across in a study or at a conference. All these abbreviations are ones that might come up in cancer studies or conferences, though some of them show up in studies/conferences unrelated to cancer, such as IRB for Institutional Review Board, ECG for electrocardiogram, or UTI for urinary tract infection. 

Before the complete list are two shorter lists, one that includes abbreviations for various cancer types and one that includes the most common abbreviations found in cancer research related to outcomes. After those is a complete list in alphabetical order that includes all the terms in the cancer types and specific to cancer lists.

Cancer types

• ABC — advanced breast cancer
• ALCL — anaplastic large-cell lymphoma
• ALL — acute lymphoblastic leukemia
• AMKL — acute megakaryocytic leukemia
• AML — acute myeloid leukemia
• ANLL — acute non-lymphocytic leukemia
• B-ALL — B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia
• BCC — basal cell carcinoma
• CLL — chronic lymphocytic Leukemia
• CMML — chronic myelomonocytic leukemia
• CRC — colorectal carcinoma/cancer
• CUP — cancer of unknown primary/carcinoma of unknown primary
• DCIS — ductal carcinoma in situ, a type of breast cancer
• HCC — hepatocellular carcinoma
• HD — Hodgkin’s disease (lymphoma)
• HNSCC — head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
• HNPCC — hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer
• LCIS — lobular carcinoma in situ, a type of breast cancer
• MDS — myelodysplastic syndrome
• MM — malignant melanoma or multiple myeloma 
• NHL — non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• NSCLC — non-small cell lung cancerSCC — squamous cell carcinoma
• SCLC — small cell lung cancer

Specific to cancer

• CAR-T — chimeric antigen receptors and T cells
• CCR — continuous complete remission
• CR — complete remission / complete response
• DFI — disease-free interval
• DFS — disease-free survival; time without disease prior to relapse or last follow-up
• EFS — event-free survival; time from diagnosis to defined events (eg relapse or death)
• NED — no evidence of disease
• PD — progressive disease
• OS — overall survival
• PFS — progression-free survival
• PSA — prostate-specific antigen, the PSA test used in screening for prostate cancer
• RFS — relapse-free survival; time from diagnosis to relapse or death
• PR — partial response, partial remission
• TTP — time to progression
• SD — stable disease

Complete list

• 5-FU — 5-Fluorouracil (chemotherapy drug)
• 6-MP — 6-Mercaptopurine (chemotherapy drug)
• 6-TG — 6-Thioguanine (chemotherapy drug)
• ABC — advanced breast cancer
• ABMT — autologous bone marrow transplant
• ADE — adverse drug experience
• ADR — adverse drug reaction
• AE — adverse event
• ALCL — anaplastic large-cell lymphoma
• ALL — acute lymphoblastic leukemia
• AMKL — acute megakaryocytic leukemia
• AML — acute myeloid leukemia
• ANC — absolute neutrophil count
• ANED — alive no evidence of disease
• ANLL — acute non-lymphocytic leukemia
• ASCO — American Society of Clinical Oncology
• ASR — age standardized rate (incidence)
• AUC — area under the curve
• BA/BE — bioavailability/bioequivalence
• B-ALL — B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia
• BCC — basal cell carcinoma
• BID/BD — twice a day (bis in die)
• BLA — Biological Licensing Application
• BM — bone marrow (sometimes blood monitoring)
• BMR — basal metabolic rate
• BMT — bone marrow transplant
• BP — blood pressure
• BSA — body surface area
• BSE — breast self examination
• Bx — biopsy
• CAR-T — chimeric antigen receptors and T cells
• C/O — complaining of
• C/W — continue With
• CBER — Center for Biologics Evaluation in Research
• CCF — congestive cardiac failure
• CCR — continuous complete remission
• CDER — Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
• CGL — chronic granulocytic leukemia
• CHF — congestive heart failure
• CI — confidence interval
• CLL — chronic lymphocytic Leukemia
• CMML — chronic myelomonocytic leukemia
• CMV — cytomegalovirus
• CNS — central nervous system – the brain and spine
• CNT — consented but not treated 
• COI — conflict of interest 
• CPM — cyclophosphamide (chemotherapy drug)
• Cr — serum creatinine 
• CR — complete remission / complete response
• CRC — colorectal carcinoma/cancer
• CRO — clinical research organization 
• CRF — chronic renal failure
• CSF — cerebrospinal fluid
• CT — computed tomography or chemotherapy
• CTCL — cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
• CTSA — Clinical and Translational Science Award
• CUP — cancer of unknown primary/carcinoma of unknown primary
• CVA — cardiovascular accident (stroke)
• CXR — chest X-ray
• DB — double blind
• D/C — discharge
• D/H — drug history
• DCIS — ductal carcinoma in situ, a type of breast cancer
• DDI — drug-drug interaction
• DFI — disease-free interval
• DFS — disease-free survival; time without disease prior to relapse or last follow-up
• DHEA — dehydroepiandrosterone 
• DLBCL — diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
• DLCL — diffuse large-cell lymphoma
• DLT — dose limiting toxicity; determined by phase 1 studies
• DMC — Data Monitoring Committee
• DSMB — Data and Safety Monitoring Board 
• DSMP — Data and Safety Monitoring Plan
• DSTC — Data Safety Toxicity Committee 
• EBV — Epstein-Barr virus
• EC — ethics committee
• ECG — electrocardiogram, a heart scan
• EDTA — ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; used in measuring kidney function
• EEG — electroencephalogram, a brain scan
• EF — ejection fraction; measure of heart function
• EFS — event-free survival; time from diagnosis to defined events (eg relapse or death)
• EHR — electronic health record
• EMR — electronic medical record
• EMUO — early morning urine osmolality (evaluating urine concentration)
• ETS — environmental tobacco smoke
• FBC — full blood count
• FEV — forced expectorant volume (a lung test)
• F/H — family history
• FIH — first in human
• FISH — fluorescence in situ hybridization
• FMTC — familial medullary thyroid carcinoma
• FNA — fine needle aspiration, a type of biopsy using a thin needle (or FNAB)
• FPI — first patient in
• FU — follow up
• FVC — forced vital capacity
• GA — general anesthetic
• G-CSF — granulocyte colony stimulating factor;  promotes production of white blood cells
• GCP — Good Clinical Practice
• GCT — germ cell tumor (can mean giant cell tumor in the context of bone tumors)
• GFR — glomerular filtration rate
• GI — gastrointestinal
• GIST — gastrointestinal stromal tumors
• GM-CSF — granulocyte and macrophage colony stimulating factor
• GPR — good partial remission
• GU — genitourinary
• GvHD — graft versus host disease
• Gy — grays (units of radiation)
• HAQ — Health Assessment Questionnaire 
• Hb — hemoglobin
• HCC — hepatocellular carcinoma
• HCG — human chorionic gonadotrophin (hormone)
• HCL — hairy cell leukemia
• HCO3 — bicarbonate
• HD — Hodgkin’s disease (lymphoma)
• HD — high dose
• HDC — high dose chemotherapy
• HIPAA — Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
• HNSCC — head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
• HNPCC — hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer
• HPV — human papillomavirus, implicated in five types of cancers 
• HR — high risk
• HRT — hormone replacement therapy
• HTLV — human T-cell leukemia-lymphoma virus
• HUD — Humanitarian Use Device
• I-131 — radioactive iodine
• IBC — Institutional Biosafety Committee
• ICD — International Classification of Diseases (coding system)
• ICDO — International Classification of Diseases for Oncology (coding system)
• IC — informed consent
• ICF — intercellular fluid
• ICF — informed Consent Form
• ICH — International Conference on Harmonization
• IEC — Independent Ethics Committee
• IIT — investigator initiated trial
• IL2 — interleukin2
• IM — intramuscular; into a muscle
• IMRT — intensity-modulated radiotherapy
• IRB — Institutional Review Board
• ISR — injection site reaction 
• ITT — intent to treat
• K — potassium
• LCIS — lobular carcinoma in situ, a type of breast cancer
• LDH — lactic dehydrogenase; high levels correlate with tumor volume in some cancers
• LMM — lentigo maligna melanoma
• LMP — low malignant potential (context: ovarian tumors)
• LN — lymph node
• LP — lumbar puncture
• LTFU — long term follow up
• LVEF — left ventricular ejection fraction, a heart function test
• LVSF — left ventricular shortening fraction, a heart function test
• MAB/mAb — monoclonal antibody
• MAD — multiple ascending dose
• MDR — multi-drug resistant
• MDS — myelodysplastic syndrome
• MI — myocardial infarction
• MM — malignant melanoma or multiple myeloma 
• MSS — multi-site study
• MSSU — mid-stream specimen urine
• MTD — maximum tolerated dose; from phase 1 studies
• MTX — methotrexate (chemotherapy drug)
• MUD — matched unrelated donor, for bone marrow transplant
• Mx — mastectomy
• N/V — nausea and vomiting
• Na — sodium
• NAD — no abnormality detected
• NBCCS — nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome
• NBM — nil by mouth
• NCTN — national Clinical Trials Network (NCI) 
• NDA — New Drug Application
• NED — no evidence of disease
• NHL — non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• NHV — normal healthy volunteer
• NK — natural killer cells (large lymphocytes, part of the immune system)
• NK — not known
• NM — nodular melanoma
• NMR — nuclear magnetic resonance (scan)
• NMSC — non-melanoma skin cancer
• NOS — not otherwise specified
• NSCLC — non-small cell lung cancer
• NSE — neuron-specific enolase, a neural marker
• OD — orphan drug
• OSR — Outside Safety Report
• PBSC — Peripheral Blood Stem cell
• PBSCH — peripheral blood stem cell Harvest
• PBSCR — peripheral blood stem cell Rescue (transplant)
• PBSCT — peripheral blood stem cell Transplant
• PD — progressive disease
• PET — positron emission tomography, a scan after a small radioactive injection
• OS — overall survival
• PFS — progression Free Survival
• PHI — protected health information
• PII — personally identifiable information
• PI — principal investigator 
• PK/PD — pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic
• PNS — peripheral nervous system, the nervous system outside the brain and spine
• PP — per protocol
• PR — partial response, partial remission
• PRO — patient-reported outcomes
• prn — as needed
• PSA — prostate-specific antigen, the PSA test used in screening for prostate cancer
• QALY — quality-adjusted life year
• QCT — qualifying clinical trial
• QI — quality improvement 
• qid — four times a day (quarter in die)
• QoL — quality of life
• RBC — red blood cell/red blood count
• RBM — risk based monitoring
• RCC — renal cell carcinoma
• RCT — randomized controlled trial
• RECIST — Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors
• RFS — relapse-free survival; time from diagnosis to relapse or death
• RT — radiotherapy
• RTPCR — reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction
• SA — surface area 
• SAD — single ascending dose
• SADE — serious adverse drug experience
• SAE — serious adverse event 
• SC — subcutaneous
• SCC — squamous cell carcinoma
• SCLC — small cell lung cancer
• SD — standard deviation 
• SD — stable disease
• SEM — standard error for the mean 
• SGOT — serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, a liver function test
• SGPT — serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, a liver function test
• SNP — single nucleotide polymorphism
• SOB — short of breath
• SOC — standard of care
• SRC — Scientific Review Committee
• SUSAR — Suspected Unexpected Serious Adverse Reaction
• TAAE — treatment associated adverse event
• TAMs — tumor-associated macrophages
• TBI — total body irradiation
• TCP — thrombocytopenia
• tds / tid — three times a day (ter in die)
• TNF — tumor necrosis factor
• TPN — total parenteral nutrition
• TTP — time to progression
• UA — urine analysis 
• UADE — unanticipated adverse device effect
• UADR — unexpected adverse drug reaction
• URTI — upper respiratory tract infection
• US — ultrasound (scan)
• UTI — urinary tract infection
• UVR — ultraviolet radiation
• VEF — ventricular ejection fraction; tests lung function
• VM-26 — teniposide (chemotherapy drug)
• VP-16 — etoposide (chemotherapy drug)
• WBC — white blood cell count
• WCC — white cell count
• WM — Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia

Sources

• Medical Terminology for Cancer: Abbreviations and Acronyms for Oncology, Cancer Index (UK)

• Common Clinical Trial Acronyms and Abbreviations, MPN Cancer Connection

• Clinical Research Abbreviations/Acronym Reference Sheet, NRG Oncology

• Short List of Commonly Used Acronyms in Clinical Research, University Hospitals

• Clinical Research Acronyms and Abbreviations You Should Know, Advarra 

• Commonly Used Abbreviations and Terms in Clinical Trials, University of North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute

• Clinical Trial Acronyms and Abbreviations, Medrio

• Commonly Used Abbreviations and Acronyms in Research, University of Rochester Office for Human Subject Protection