Hematologic Oncology Glossary
100 terms total — 24 showing — Last updated 15 Sep 2026
extramedullary disease EM
Cancer involvement outside the bone marrow, occurring in organs or tissues not typically involved.
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
A life-threatening syndrome of excessive immune activation characterized by fever, cytopenias, and organ dysfunction.
Hodgkin lymphoma
A type of lymphoma characterized by the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells and typically spreads in an orderly fashion fro...
hypercalcemia of malignancy
Elevated serum calcium caused by cancer, often seen in hematologic malignancies. Oncologic emergency requiring prompt tr...
hypercellular bone marrow
Bone marrow with increased cellularity above normal age-adjusted ranges, indicating active hematopoiesis or infiltrative...
hypergammaglobulinemia
Elevated levels of gamma globulins in the blood, often indicating immune system activation or plasma cell disorders.
hyperleukocytosis
Extremely elevated white blood cell count, typically above 100,000/μL, constituting a medical emergency.
hyperviscosity syndrome
A clinical condition caused by increased blood viscosity, typically due to elevated protein levels or increased cellular...
Ibrutinib
A Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor used primarily in B-cell malignancies including CLL and mantle cell lymphoma.
immunophenotyping
The process of identifying cells based on the types of antigens or markers on their surface, crucial for hematologic mal...
induction chemotherapy
Initial intensive treatment phase designed to rapidly reduce tumor burden and achieve remission.
International Prognostic Index
Standardized scoring system predicting outcomes in aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphomas based on clinical factors.
kappa/lambda ratio
The ratio of kappa to lambda light chains, used to detect clonal plasma cell populations.
lactate dehydrogenase
Enzyme marker elevated in many hematologic malignancies, indicating cell turnover or tumor burden. Important prognostic...
Lenalidomide
An immunomodulatory drug (IMiD) used in multiple myeloma and certain lymphomas with anti-angiogenic and immunomodulatory...
leukapheresis
Procedure to rapidly reduce white blood cell count by mechanically removing leukocytes from circulation.
leukoerythroblastic reaction
The presence of immature white and red blood cells in peripheral circulation, often indicating bone marrow stress or inf...
lymphadenopathy
Abnormal enlargement of lymph nodes, which may indicate infection, autoimmune disease, or malignancy including lymphomas...
mantle cell lymphoma
An aggressive B-cell lymphoma characterized by the t(11;14) translocation and typically presenting with widespread disea...
marginal zone lymphoma
A group of indolent B-cell lymphomas that arise in mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue, lymph nodes, or spleen.
minimal residual disease
The small number of cancer cells that remain in the body after treatment, detectable only by sensitive laboratory method...
minimal/measurable residual disease
Low levels of cancer cells remaining after treatment, detected by highly sensitive laboratory techniques.
monoclonal antibody therapy
Treatment using laboratory-produced antibodies designed to target specific cancer cell antigens.
monoclonal gammopathy
A condition characterized by the presence of abnormal proteins produced by a clone of plasma cells or B lymphocytes.
monoclonal protein
An abnormal protein produced by a clone of plasma cells, detected in serum or urine electrophoresis.