Thanks to all the members who have contributed; please Private Message the moderators with any additions and we'll add them to the list.

Abbreviations below are for informational purposes only as taken from posts or submitted by your fellow community members. 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.

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)

BART - BRACAnalysis Rearrangement Test

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)

CEA - carcinoembryonic antigen , a tumor marker in the blood

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.

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

DIEP - deep inferior epigastric perforator flap breast reconstruction

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.

FISH - Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization , a type of pathology test

FNA - fine needle aspiration , a type of biopsy

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 .

HRT - hormone replacement therapy

IBC - inflammatory breast cancer

IDC - invasive ductal carcinoma

IDK - I don't know

IGAP - Inferior Gluteal Artery Perforator Flap

IHC - ImmunoHistoChemistry , a type of pathology test

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, a subtype of invasive lobular carcinoma

KWIM - know what I mean

LAVH - laparoscropic assisted vaginal hysterectomy

LCIS - lobular carcinoma in situ

LD flap - latissimus dorsi flap breast reconstruction

LVI - lymphatic/vascular invasion

MBC - metastatic breast cancer

Med Onc - medical oncologist

MLD - manual lymph drainage

Mojo - sex, or lack of; libido

MPBC - metaplastic breast cancer

MRA - magnetic resonance angiogram

MRI - magnetic resonance imaging

MRSA - Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection

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

NB - Navelbine (chemical name: vinorelbine)

NEAD - no evidence of active disease

NED - no evidence of disease

ODAAT - one day at a time

Ooph - oophorectomy or ovary removal

P - Perjeta (chemical name: pertuzumab)

PAP Flap - profunda artery perforator flap

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 - post final chemo

PFS - Progression Free Survival

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

PILC - pleomorphic invasive lobular carcinoma

PPI - proton pump inhibitor

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

QOL - quality of life

RADS - radiation therapy  or radiotherapy

Rad onc - radiation oncologist

ROFLOL - rolling on floor laughing out loud

SERMs - Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators

SGAP Flap - superior gluteal artery perforator flap

SNB - sentinel node biopsy

SOB - short of breath

SOH - sense of humor

Sx - surgery  or symptoms

TAH-BSO - Total Abdominal Hysterectomy - Bilateral Salpingo Oophorectomy

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, used in breast implant reconstruction

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

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

WBC - white blood count

WBR - whole brain radiotherapy

WNL - within normal limits

— Last updated on March 17, 2022, 11:52 PM

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