Dx

Dx is defined as the minimum dose to the x% volume of an organ or target receiving the highest dose [1]. Dx is the dose to x% of the organ [2]. Dx is the dose that covers x percent of the structure [3].

Bibliographic references:

[1] Huang EX, Bradley JD, El Naqa I, et al. Modeling the risk of radiation-induced acute esophagitis for combined Washington University and RTOG trial 93-11 lung cancer patients. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2012 Apr 1;82(5):1674-9. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2011.02.052.

[2] Chan C, Lang S, Rowbottom C, Guckenberger M, Faivre-Finn C; IASLC Advanced Radiation Technology Committee. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy for lung cancer: current status and future developments. J Thorac Oncol. 2014 Nov;9(11):1598-608. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1097/JTO.0000000000000346.

[3] Livingston GC, Last AJ, Shakespeare TP, et al. Toxicity and dosimetric analysis of non-small cell lung cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy with 4DCT and image-guided intensity modulated radiotherapy: a regional centre's experience. J Med Radiat Sci. 2016 Sep;63(3):170-8. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/jmrs.159.

Deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) technique for radiation therapy

DEGRO

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Radioonkologie (German) or German Society of Radiation Oncology.

Definitive treatment

«The treatment plan for a disease or disorder that has been chosen as the best one for a patient after all other choices have been considered [1]». It is «any therapy generally accepted as a specific cure of a disease [2]». It «is the first clinical intervention intended to manage a patient's disease, condition or injury and avoid further clinical interventions [3]». It is «a therapy that may be final, superior to others, curative, or all of those [4]». For example, definitive radiation is the «administration of radiation as a sole or first therapy, usually for cancer, with curative intent [5]».

Bibliographic references:

[1] National Cancer Institute. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. (n.d.). Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/definitive-treatment [Accessed 9 Mar. 2019].

[2] TheFreeDictionary.com. (n.d.). definitive treatment. [online] Available at: https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/definitive+treatment [Accessed 9 Mar. 2019].

[3] Datadictionary.nhs.uk. (2018). Supporting Information: First Definitive Treatment. [online] Available at: https://www.datadictionary.nhs.uk/data_dictionary/nhs_business_definitions/f/first_definitive_treatment_de.asp?shownav=1 [Accessed 9 Mar. 2019].

[4] En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Therapy. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therapy#Lines_of_therapy [Accessed 9 Mar. 2019].

[5] TheFreeDictionary.com. (n.d.). definitive radiation. [online] Available at: https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/definitive+radiation [Accessed 9 Mar. 2019].

Disease-free survival (DFS) or relapse-free survival (RFS)

In cancer, the length of time after the end of primary treatment for cancer and that the patient survives without any signs or symptoms of that cancer. In a clinical trial, measuring the DFS is one way to see how well a new treatment works [1].

It includes local, regional, or distant recurrence and death due to any cause.

Bibliographic references:

[1] National Cancer Institute. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/dfs. Accessed November 21, 2018.

Direct inguinal hernia

«A direct inguinal hernia arises from protrusion of abdominal viscera through a weakness of the posterior wall of the inguinal canal medial to the inferior epigastric vessels, specifically through the Hesselbach's triangle. This type of hernia is termed direct as the hernial sac directly protrudes through the inguinal wall in contrast to indirect ones which arise through the deep ring and enter the inguinal canal. Since direct hernias do not have a guiding path, they seldom extend into the scrotum unless very large and chronic.»

Source: Jamanetworkcom. Available at: https://jamanetwork.com/data/Journals/JAMA/936324/jpg170007fa.png. Accessed November 27, 2017.

Source: Direct Versus Indirect Inguinal Hernia. Holistic Hernia Remediation. 2016. Available at: http://herniaremediation.org/2016/06/direct-versus-indirect-inguinal-hernia/. Accessed November 27, 2017.

Source: Imagesradiopaediaorg. Available at: https://images.radiopaedia.org/images/1779273/667e66e46b7fe1c61bfa6b9b42a571_gallery.jpg. Accessed November 27, 2017.

Bibliographic reference: Wijayagoonawardana P, et al. Direct inguinal hernia | Radiology Reference Article | Radiopaedia.org. Radiopaediaorg. Available at: https://radiopaedia.org/articles/direct-inguinal-hernia. Accessed November 27, 2017.