Examples of patient-friendly language for study descriptions
 

Adverse event

Side effect or harmful effect

Agent

Cohort

Group or sub-group

Comorbidity

Other illnesses or diseases patients may have

Familial cancer

Hereditary cancer or cancer that runs in the family

Germline mutation

Inherited mutation

Identify

Look for

Intervention

Treatment/Tool/Test

Mutation carrier

Person with an inherited mutation

Pathogenic variant

Mutation

Patients who failed treatment

Patients whose cancer got worse or returned during or after treatment

Progression free survival

The amount of time before a patient’s cancer grows or gets worse

Somatic mutation

Tumor mutation or acquired mutation

Subjects

Participants

Treatment arm

Group receiving treatment

Trial

Study