For many people, receiving a cancer diagnosis may require learning a new vocabulary – terms that can be useful guideposts for defining the disease and its treatment.
People diagnosed with lung cancer who currently smoke or have a history of smoking, for example, may have heard the term “pack-year” when they consulted with clinicians to determine whether they should be screened for the disease.
Jamie L. Studts, PhD, co-leader of the University of Colorado Cancer Center Cancer Prevention and Control Program, defines this often-used term and answers some common questions related to its use.