Cancer Screening Glossary
100 terms total — 24 showing — Last updated 15 Sep 2026
HPV testing HPV
Molecular test that detects high-risk human papillomavirus strains associated with cervical cancer development.
ACR
American College of Radiology; professional organization that establishes imaging standards and guidelines for cancer sc...
ACRIN
Research cooperative that conducts large-scale clinical trials evaluating imaging technologies and screening methods.
adenocarcinoma
Type of cancer arising from glandular tissue, commonly detected through various screening programs.
adenocarcinoma in situ
Precancerous glandular lesion of the cervix representing the most advanced form of glandular dysplasia before invasive a...
adenoma detection rate
Quality metric measuring the percentage of average-risk screening colonoscopies that detect at least one adenomatous pol...
adenoma-carcinoma sequence
Progressive pathway from normal epithelium through adenoma to invasive colorectal carcinoma.
adenomatous polyp
A type of precancerous growth in the colon that has malignant potential and requires removal.
architectural distortion
Mammographic finding showing disruption of normal breast tissue pattern without visible mass or calcifications.
ASC-H
Cytological finding of uncertain significance that cannot rule out the presence of a high-grade precancerous lesion.
ASCCP
Professional organization that establishes clinical practice guidelines for cervical cancer screening and management of...
ASCUS
Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance; a Pap smear result indicating abnormal but unclear cellular change...
atypical glandular cells
Abnormal cervical cytology finding indicating cells from the cervical canal or endometrium that appear atypical but not...
BI-RADS 0
Breast imaging assessment indicating incomplete evaluation requiring additional imaging or comparison with prior studies...
biopsy-proven malignancy
A cancer diagnosis confirmed through histopathological examination of tissue samples obtained via biopsy.
BIRADS
Standardized reporting system for mammography results that categorizes breast imaging findings.
breast density
Radiologic assessment of the proportion of fibroglandular tissue to fatty tissue in the breast, classified into four cat...
CAD
Computer-aided detection system that analyzes medical images to highlight suspicious areas that may represent cancer.
cancer care continuum
Comprehensive framework describing all phases of cancer-related care from prevention through survivorship or end-of-life...
cancer detection rate
The number of cancers detected per 1,000 screening examinations performed.
cancer mortality reduction
Decrease in cancer-specific deaths attributable to screening program implementation.
cancer registry
Systematic collection and storage of data on cancer incidence, treatment, and outcomes.
cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
Precancerous condition of the cervix categorized into grades (CIN 1, 2, 3) based on severity of cellular abnormalities.
cervical screening program
Organized system for systematic cervical cancer screening in defined populations.
CIN
Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia; a grading system for precancerous changes in cervical cells.