CancerExplained.org · Free health handout
Making Sense of Scan and Test Results
What the common words on a scan or lab result usually mean
Words about size and spread
- Lesion or mass: a spot the scan can see — it is not automatically cancer.
- Stable: little or no change since the last scan.
- Progression: the cancer has grown or spread since the last scan.
- Response: the cancer has shrunk or there is less of it.
Words that sound worse than they are
- Unremarkable: normal — nothing concerning was seen.
- No evidence of disease (NED): tests find no detectable cancer right now.
- Incidental finding: something unrelated the scan happened to notice.
- Cannot be excluded: the scan cannot rule it out — more testing may follow.
What to do with a result
- One scan is a snapshot — your team reads it alongside your other results.
- Ask what the result changes, if anything, about your plan.
- Ask for a copy, and write down any word you want explained.
A report is written for clinicians, not patients. A scary-sounding word does not always mean bad news — ask your team what it means for you.
This handout is for education only and is not medical advice. Talk with a qualified healthcare professional about what is right for you.
Sources: NCI: Understanding cancer prognosis and test results. Updated 2026-07-14.
Learn more in plain language: https://cancerexplained.org/reports/ — free to copy and share for non-commercial education.