Glossary
Oncology: The branch of science that deals with cancers.Drug delivery systems: A combination of a therapeutic drug with an agent that delivers the drug at its target site where the drug is supposed to act on. The agent controls the rate, time and place of release of drugs in the body.
Palliative care: A multi-disciplinary approach to personal and specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses and life-threatening conditions. Focus is on the pain relief, symptom management, managing physical and mental stress and eventually, helping the patient and family members improve quality of life.
Chemotherapy: Category of cancer treatment that uses chemical substances or drugs.
Adjuvant chemotherapy: Adjuvant means “in addition to”. Adjuvant chemotherapy refers to administering chemical substances for cancer treatment in addition to other methods of treatment like radiation.
Extravasation: Leakage of fluid out of its container.
Cleavage: Detachment of the anticancer agent that is bound to its carrier at the target site.
Dissolution: The process in which the solute disperses into its solvent to form a solution.
Matrix erosion: Depletion of the material into the cells.
Diffusion: The process by which the molecules mingle with each other randomly.
Hydrophobic: Water resistant or water repelling substance.
Hydrophilic: Water soluble substance.
Non-toxic: Substance which does not harm the body.
Cytotoxicity: Substance which is harmful to cells.
Permeability: Ability of a substance to penetrate into a cell membrane.
