Glossary ebook
This concise reference is a companion to MedKnowl’s oncology course for professionals working in medical communications, pharma marketing/advertising, and/or medical affairs. It’s built for scientists and physicians entering commercial roles, creatives and copywriters learning the science, and/or strategists who need clinical fluency.
Each entry includes a plain-English definition, why it matters, helpful see also links, and relevant key course module pointers so you can dig deeper fast. Use this glossary to decode endpoints, biomarkers, regulatory acronyms, and common deliverables (e.g., CVA, IVA, ISI) and to align scientific rigor with compliant, effective communication, now with an eye to AI-enabled workflows and ethical guardrails.
MedKnowl helps people make complex science understandable and actionable. Our mission is to empower you to turn evidence into ethical, high-impact storytelling across channels. Learn more about MedKnowl here: [link TBD].
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A/B testing — Running two (or more) variants to see which performs better.
Why it matters: Optimizes omnichannel tactics and content with evidence, not hunches.
See also: KPI, Dashboard, Multivariate testing.
Modules: 9) Channels & Tactics: Omnichannel Execution; 10) Analytics, Metrics & ROI Measurement.
Ad Board (Advisory Board) — Structured expert meeting (often with KOLs) to gather insights.
Why it matters: Informs evidence-based messaging and strategy; must follow compliance rules.
See also: KOL, Stakeholder engagement.
Modules: 8) Stakeholder Engagement & Field Teams; 6) Medical Strategy & Brand Planning.
Adjuvant therapy — Treatment given after primary therapy (e.g., surgery) to reduce recurrence.
Why it matters: Changes eligible population and endpoints (e.g., DFS).
See also: Neoadjuvant, DFS, Indication.
Modules: 1) Foundations of Cancer Biology & Oncology; 2) Drug Discovery, Development & Clinical Trial Landscape.
AE / SAE (Adverse Event / Serious Adverse Event) — Unfavorable medical occurrences; “serious” involves death, hospitalization, etc.
Why it matters: Safety context shapes claims, fair balance, and MLR review.
See also: Label, Risk language, Fair balance.
Modules: 4) Regulatory & Compliance Framework; 7) Scientific & Promotional Writing.
AI (Artificial Intelligence) — Tools/models (e.g., LLMs) that assist research, drafting, visualization.
Why it matters: Accelerates synthesis and first drafts—requires guardrails.
See also: Prompt engineering, Governance, RAG.
Modules: 11) AI Tools & Use Cases in Medical Communications; 12) Advanced AI Integration, Ethics & Compliance.
Allele — A gene variant (e.g., mutant vs wild-type).
Why it matters: Eligibility often hinges on specific alleles (e.g., EGFR Ex19del).
See also: Mutation, Exon, Biomarker.
Modules: 1) Foundations of Cancer Biology & Oncology; 2) Drug Discovery, Development & Clinical Trial Landscape.
AMCP Dossier — Standardized payer evidence package summarizing clinical and economic value.
Why it matters: Core market-access leave-behind for formulary decisions.
See also: HEOR, Budget impact, Payer.
Modules: 5) Market Access, Payers & Health Economics; 6) Medical Strategy & Brand Planning.
Amplification (gene) — Extra copies of a gene leading to overexpression.
Why it matters: Can drive tumor behavior (e.g., MET amp) and guide therapy choices.
See also: Overexpression, CNV, Biomarker.
Modules: 1) Foundations of Cancer Biology & Oncology; 2) Drug Discovery, Development & Clinical Trial Landscape.
Aneuploidy — Abnormal chromosome number.
Why it matters: Associated with genomic instability and prognosis in some cancers.
See also: Genomic instability, Tumor biology.
Modules: 1) Foundations of Cancer Biology & Oncology; 3) Biostatistics & Data Interpretation for Oncology.
Annotation (Claim Annotation) — Mapping each statement/visual to its precise source (and version/date).
Why it matters: Speeds MLR, prevents over-claims, creates reusable claim banks.
See also: MLR, Label, Guideline.
Modules: 4) Regulatory & Compliance Framework; 7) Scientific & Promotional Writing.
Antibody–Drug Conjugate (ADC) — Antibody linked to a cytotoxic payload targeting tumor antigens.
Why it matters: Distinct MoA and safety vs chemo/IO; influences endpoints/claims.
See also: MoA, Biomarker, ORR, DOR.
Modules: 1) Foundations of Cancer Biology & Oncology; 2) Drug Discovery, Development & Clinical Trial Landscape.
Apoptosis — Programmed cell death.
Why it matters: Many therapies aim to trigger or restore apoptosis pathways.
See also: MoA, Cell cycle, Targeted therapy.
Modules: 1) Foundations of Cancer Biology & Oncology; 2) Drug Discovery, Development & Clinical Trial Landscape.
Approved Email (CRM/Veeva) — Pre-approved, template-based HCP emails sent from rep/MSL CRM.
Why it matters: Extends detailing compliantly; content and metrics are trackable.
See also: CLM, Omnichannel, CRM.
Modules: 9) Channels & Tactics: Omnichannel Execution; 10) Analytics, Metrics & ROI Measurement.
Assay — A test used to detect a biomarker (IHC, PCR, NGS, FISH).
Why it matters: Assay choice affects sensitivity/specificity and patient selection.
See also: Companion diagnostic, Sensitivity/Specificity, NGS.
Modules: 1) Foundations of Cancer Biology & Oncology; 2) Drug Discovery, Development & Clinical Trial Landscape.
Audit Trail (AI/Compliance) — Recorded steps/versions validating how content was produced/approved.
Why it matters: Essential for compliant AI workflows and review.
See also: Governance, Human-in-the-loop, Version control.
Modules: 12) Advanced AI Integration, Ethics & Compliance; 4) Regulatory & Compliance Framework.