A
Advanced prostate cancer
A cancer which has widely spread from the prostate to other parts of the body.
Androgen
The main male hormone, such as testosterone.
B
Biopsy
A diagnostic test in which a sample of tissue is removed and examined under a microscope
by a pathologist to determine the presence of cancer.
Brachytherapy
A type of radiation therapy in which tiny radioactive “seeds” are implanted directly
into or near the cancer tissue.
C
Cancer
A disease caused by the out-of-control growth of the body’s cells, caused by damage
to the cells’ DNA.
Chemotherapy
The use of drugs to kill cancer. It can be introduced into the bloodstream by mouth
or injection, and circulates throughout the body.
Cryosurgery
Cryosurgery (cryotherapy), a technique which uses very cold gas to freeze and kill prostate
cancer cells.
E
External beam radiation therapy
A type of cancer treatment in which high-energy X-rays emitted by an external machine
are focused on the diseased organ to kill cancer cells.
G
Gland
An organ that produces a substance such as a hormone, digestive juice, sweat, tears,
saliva, semen, or milk.
Gleason system
A way of grading a cancer, or describing how fast a cancer is likely to grow, based
on how abnormal the cells look. In the Gleason system, pathologists assign the most
common type of cancer cell in your prostate a number between 1 and 5. The higher
the number is, the more abnormal the cells are. A second number is then assigned
to the second-most common type of cancer cell. The Gleason score is the sum of these
two numbers, which will be between 2 and 10.
Grade
A number score assigned to a cancerous biopsy sample that describes how aggressive
a cancer is and how fast it is likely to grow and spread.
G–CSF (granulocyte colony-stimulating factor)
A medicine that stimulates the production of neutrophils (a type of white blood
cell). G-CSF is a cytokine that belongs to the family of drugs called hematopoietic
(blood-forming) agents.
H
Hormone
A substance made by a gland in the body. Hormones control the actions of certain
cells and organs.
I
Incontinence
An inability to control urination.
Impotence
Inability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for sexual penetration.
Infusion
A method for introducing medicine or other fluids into the bloodstream.
L
Lymph node
Small, bean-shaped group of immune system cells connected by lymphatic vessels.
Lymph nodes, or lymph glands, filter lymph (lymphatic fluid), and store lymphocytes
(white blood cells). They are located along lymphatic vessels.
M
Metastasis
A process that takes place in advanced cancer, in which cancer spreads from the
primary site to other
parts of the body.
O
Oncologist
A doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer.
P
Pathologist
A doctor who specializes in identifying disease by studying cells and tissues taken
from a biopsy under a microscope.
Prognosis
Medical outlook. The likelihood of recurrence, survival, and recovery from a disease.
Prostate
A walnut-shaped organ that surrounds the base of the urethra in men. The prostate
is a gland in the male reproductive system that produces a fluid that becomes part
of semen.
PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test
A measure of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a protein produced in the prostate.
R
Radiation therapy (radiotherapy)
The use of X-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.
Radical prostatectomy
Surgery to treat prostate cancer where the entire prostate gland and some surrounding
tissue is removed. When it is likely that the cancer has spread to nearby lymph
nodes, they are also removed, along with both seminal vesicles and other surrounding
tissues.
Recurrent
Cancer that has returned in a person who seemed to be disease-free after treatment.
S
Seminal vesicles
A pair of glands that lie on the sides of the male reproductive tract. They add
a sugar- and protein-rich fluid to semen.
T
Testosterone
A male hormone (androgen) made in the testicles that can trigger the prostate
to grow.
Tumor
An abnormal mass created when cells divide too quickly or do not die when they should.
A tumor may be benign or cancerous.
U
Urethra
A canal that carries urine from the bladder out of the body and, in men, serves
as a passageway for semen.
Urologist
A doctor who specializes in diseases of the urinary system, as well as the male
reproductive system.
G
Gland
An organ that produces a substance such as a hormone, digestive juice, sweat, tears,
saliva, semen, or milk.
Gleason system
A way of grading a cancer, or describing how fast a cancer is likely to grow, based
on how abnormal the cells look. In the Gleason system, pathologists assign the most
common type of cancer cell in your prostate a number between 1 and 5. The higher
the number is, the more abnormal the cells are. A second number is then assigned
to the second-most common type of cancer cell. The Gleason score is the sum of these
two numbers, which will be between 2 and 10.
Grade
a number score assigned to a cancerous biopsy sample that describes how aggressive
a cancer is and how fast it is likely to grow and spread.