PCR
Abbreviation with 4 meanings
| Stands for | Polymerase chain reaction |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 4 |
| Categories | Science & Engineering, Medical, Law & Legal |
| Also written | pCR |
PCR has four meanings. The most common are Polymerase chain reaction (biology) and Patient care report (emergency medicine); it can also stand for Pathologic complete response and Post-conviction relief.
Meanings of PCR at a glance
| # | PCR stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Polymerase chain reaction | Science & Engineering › Biology |
| 2 | Patient care report | Medical › Emergency Medicine |
| 3 | Pathologic complete response | Medical › Hematology and Oncology |
| 4 | Post-conviction relief | Law & Legal › Criminal Law |
1. Polymerase chain reaction
Science & Engineering · Biology Abbreviations · also used in medicine
Laboratory method that copies a chosen stretch of DNA millions to billions of times by repeatedly heating and cooling a sample with primers, nucleotides and a heat-stable DNA polymerase. Each cycle roughly doubles the target, so 30 cycles can turn a single molecule into about a billion copies, enabling diagnostics, forensics and cloning.
Example: The PCR test detected the virus, with a cycle threshold of 24 indicating a moderate viral load.
Kary Mullis conceived PCR in 1983 while working at Cetus Corporation and shared the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The method became practical with Taq polymerase from Thermus aquaticus, a bacterium Thomas Brock had isolated from Yellowstone hot springs. A typical cycle denatures DNA at about 95 °C, anneals primers at 50-65 °C and extends at 72 °C.
2. Patient care report
Medical · Emergency Medicine Abbreviations
Legal record of an EMS encounter documenting dispatch information, assessment, vital signs, treatments, times and transfer of care. It becomes part of the patient's medical record at the receiving hospital.
Example: PCR completed and uploaded; copy left with ED triage nurse.
Most agencies now use electronic PCRs (ePCRs), with data standardized by the National EMS Information System (NEMSIS). Accurate PCRs support billing, quality review and legal defense. In laboratory medicine PCR means polymerase chain reaction.
3. Pathologic complete response (pCR)
Medical · Hematology and Oncology Abbreviations
Absence of residual invasive cancer in the surgical specimen, both breast or primary site and lymph nodes, after treatment given before surgery (neoadjuvant therapy). It is a strong predictor of long-term outcome in triple-negative and HER2-positive breast cancer.
Example: Mastectomy after neoadjuvant TCHP: ypT0 ypN0, pCR achieved.
Patients without pCR may receive additional treatment after surgery, such as capecitabine in TNBC or trastuzumab emtansine in HER2-positive disease, strategies proven in the CREATE-X and KATHERINE trials. The FDA has accepted pCR as an end point for accelerated approval in high-risk early breast cancer since 2014 guidance. The lowercase p distinguishes it from clinical response.
4. Post-conviction relief
Law & Legal · Criminal Law Abbreviations
Proceedings in which a convicted person challenges a conviction or sentence after direct appeal, typically raising issues outside the trial record such as ineffective assistance, new evidence or withheld favorable evidence. Many states use PCR as the name of their collateral review procedure.
Example: His PCR petition argues that the state hid a deal with its key witness.
Federal prisoners use 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motions, while state prisoners generally must exhaust state PCR before seeking federal habeas relief. Strict deadlines and procedural-default rules bar many claims. In science, PCR means polymerase chain reaction, the DNA-copying technique also used in forensic testing.
Related abbreviations
More biology abbreviations
- NADPH – Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (reduced)
- NPP – Net primary production
- OD – Optical density
- PBS – Phosphate-buffered saline
- PDB – Protein Data Bank
- PFU – Plaque-forming unit
- qPCR – Quantitative polymerase chain reaction
- RNA – Ribonucleic acid
See all 75 biology abbreviations →
More emergency medicine abbreviations
- OPA – Oropharyngeal airway
- PALS – Pediatric Advanced Life Support
- PASG – Pneumatic anti-shock garment
- PAT – Pediatric assessment triangle
- PEARS – Pediatric Emergency Assessment, Recognition and Stabilization
- PECARN – Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network
- PEM – Pediatric emergency medicine
- PERC – Pulmonary Embolism Rule-out Criteria
See all 97 emergency medicine abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical or legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.