Glossary of terms

• INCLUSION/EXCLUSION CRITERIA: The medical or social standards determining whether a person may or may not be allowed to enter a clinical trial. These criteria are based on such factors as age, gender, the type and stage of a disease, previous treatment history, and other medical conditions. It is important to note that inclusion and exclusion criteria are not used to reject people personally, but rather to identify appropriate participants and keep them safe.
• RANDOMIZED TRIAL: A study in which participants are randomly (i.e., by chance) assigned to one of two or more treatment arms of a clinical trial. Occasionally placebos are utilized.
• SIDE EFFECTS: Any undesired actions or effects of a drug or intervention. Negative or adverse effects may include headache, muscle or joint pain, nausea, hair loss, skin irritation, or other physical problems. Experimental drugs must be evaluated for both immediate and long-term side effects.
• RECURRENCE: The return of a cancerous growth or condition after treatment.
• COLON CANCER: Cancer of the large bowel which can develop right in the bowel lining, or, more often, from small growths that can occur anywhere along the inner lining of the colon.
• HIGH RISK STAGE II COLON CANCER: Must include one of the following: T4 lesions, less than 12 sampled lymph nodes or poorly differentiated histology
• STAGE III COLON CANCER: Defined as having at least one pathologically confirmed positive lymph node
• LYMPH NODES: Small, bean-shaped gland that stores lymphocytes and filters lymph fluid for impurities. Lymph nodes are located throughout the body with large collections of lymph nodes most commonly found in the arm pits, groin and neck.
• HISTOLOGY: The study of tissue and cells under a microscope.
• T-STAGE: A systematic way of describing the size of a tumour. T describes the primary tumour according to its size and location.