{a}

abdomen: The part of the body that contains the pancreas, stomach, intestines, liver, gallbladder, and other organs.

adrenal glands: A pair of small glands, one located on top of each kidney. The adrenal glands produce sex hormones and hormones that help control heart rate, blood pressure, the way the body uses food, and other vital functions.

aminoglutethimide: An anticancer drug that belongs to the family of drugs called nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitors. Aminoglutethimide is used to decrease the production of sex hormones (estrogen or testosterone) and suppress the growth of tumors that need sex hormones to grow.

androgens: A family of hormones that promote the development and maintenance of male sex characteristics.

antiandrogens: Drugs used to block the production or interfere with the action of male sex hormones.

anus: The opening of the rectum to the outside of the body.

{b}

benign: Not cancerous; does not invade nearby tissue or spread to other parts of the body.

benign prostatic hyperplasia: A benign (noncancerous) condition in which an overgrowth of prostate tissue pushes against the urethra and the bladder, blocking the flow of urine. Also called benign prostatic hypertrophy or BPH.

bicalutamide: An anticancer drug that belongs to the family of drugs called antiandrogens.

biological therapy: Treatment to stimulate or restore the ability of the immune system to fight infection and disease. Also used to lessen side effects that may be caused by some cancer treatments. Also known as immunotherapy, biotherapy, or biological response modifier (BRM) therapy.

biopsy: A procedure used to remove cells or tissues to look at them under a microscope and check for signs of disease. When an entire tumor or lesion is removed, the procedure is called an excisional biopsy. When only a sample of tissue is removed, the procedure is called an incisional biopsy or core biopsy. When a sample of tissue or fluid is removed with a needle, the procedure is called a needle biopsy or fine-needle aspiration.

bladder: The organ that stores urine.

brachytherapy: A procedure in which radioactive material sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters is placed directly into or near a tumor. Also called internal radiation, implant radiation, or interstitial radiation therapy.

buserelin: An anticancer drug that belongs to the family of drugs called gonadotropin-releasing hormones. In prostate cancer therapy, buserelin blocks the production of testosterone in the testicles.

{c}

cancer: A term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control. Cancer cells can invade nearby tissues and can spread through the bloodstream and lymphatic system to other parts of the body.

chemotherapy: Treatment with anticancer drugs.

clinical trial: A research study that tests how well new medical treatments or other interventions work in people. Each study is designed to test new methods of screening, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of a disease.

cryosurgery: Treatment performed with an instrument that freezes and destroys abnormal tissues. This procedure is a form of cryotherapy.

cystoscopy: Examination of the bladder and urethra using a thin, lighted instrument (called a cystoscope) inserted into the urethra. Tissue samples can be removed and examined under a microscope to determine whether disease is present.

{d}

digital rectal examination: DRE. An examination in which a doctor inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum to feel for abnormalities.

dry orgasm: Sexual climax without the release of semen.

{e}

ejaculation: The release of semen through the penis during orgasm.

external radiation: Radiation therapy that uses a machine to aim high-energy rays at the cancer. Also called external-beam radiation.

{f}

finasteride: A drug used to reduce the amount of male hormone (testosterone) produced by the body.

flutamide: An anticancer drug that belongs to the family of drugs called antiandrogens.

{g}

gene: The functional and physical unit of heredity passed from parent to offspring. Genes are pieces of DNA, and most genes contain the information for making a specific protein.

genitourinary system: The parts of the body that play a role in reproduction, getting rid of waste products in the form of urine, or both.

goserelin: A drug that belongs to the family of drugs called gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues. Goserelin is used to block hormone production in the ovaries or testicles.

grade: The grade of a tumor depends on how abnormal the cancer cells look under a microscope and how quickly the tumor is likely to grow and spread. Grading systems are different for each type of cancer.

{h}

hormonal therapy: Treatment of cancer by removing, blocking, or adding hormones. Also called endocrine therapy.

hormones: Chemicals produced by glands in the body and circulated in the bloodstream. Hormones control the actions of certain cells or organs.

{i}

imaging: Tests that produce pictures of areas inside the body.

implant radiation: A procedure in which radioactive material sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters is placed directly into or near the tumor. Also called

impotent: Unable to have an erection adequate for sexual intercourse.

incision: A cut made in the body during surgery.

incontinence: Inability to control the flow of urine from the bladder (urinary incontinence) or the escape of stool from the rectum (fecal incontinence).

internal radiation: A procedure in which radioactive material sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters is placed directly into or near the tumor. Also called brachytherapy, implant radiation, or interstitial radiation therapy.

intravenous pyelogram: IVP. A series of x-rays of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder. The x-rays are taken after a dye is injected into a blood vessel. The dye is concentrated in the urine, which outlines the kidneys, ureters, and bladder on the x-rays.

{k}

ketoconazole: A drug that treats infection caused by a fungus. It is also used as a treatment for prostate cancer because it can block the production of the male sex hormone.

{l}

leuprolide: A drug that belongs to a family of drugs called gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues. It is used to block hormone production in the ovaries or testicles.

local therapy: Treatment that affects cells in the tumor and the area close to it.

luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist: LH-RH agonist. A drug that inhibits the secretion of sex hormones. In men, LH-RH agonist causes testosterone levels to fall. In women, LH-RH agonist causes the levels of estrogen and other sex hormones to fall.

lymph node: A rounded mass of lymphatic tissue that is surrounded by a capsule of connective tissue. Also known as a lymph gland. Lymph nodes are spread out along lymphatic vessels and contain many lymphocytes, which filter the lymphatic fluid (lymph).

lymphatic system: The tissues and organs that produce, store, and carry white blood cells that fight infection and other diseases. This system includes the bone marrow, spleen, thymus, and lymph nodes and a network of thin tubes that carry lymph and white blood cells. These tubes branch, like blood vessels, into all the tissues of the body.

{m}

malignant: Cancerous; a growth with a tendency to invade and destroy nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body.

medical oncologist: A doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer using chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and biological therapy. A medical oncologist often serves as the main caretaker of someone who has cancer and coordinates treatment provided by other specialists.

metastasis: The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another. Tumors formed from cells that have spread are called "secondary tumors" and contain cells that are like those in the original (primary) tumor. The plural is metastases.

{o}

orchiectomy: Surgery to remove one or both testicles.

{p}

pathologist: A doctor who identifies diseases by studying cells and tissues under a microscope.

prostate gland: A gland in the male reproductive system just below the bladder. It surrounds part of the urethra, the canal that empties the bladder and produces a fluid that forms part of semen.

prostate-specific antigen: PSA. A substance produced by the prostate that may be found in an increased amount in the blood of men who have prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, or infection or inflammation of the prostate.

prostatectomy: An operation to remove part or all of the prostate. Radical (or total) prostatectomy is the removal of the entire prostate and some of the tissue around it.

prostatic acid phosphatase: PAP. An enzyme produced by the prostate. It may be found in increased amounts in men who have prostate cancer.

{r}

radiation oncologist: A doctor who specializes in using radiation to treat cancer.

radiation therapy: The use of high-energy radiation from x-rays, neutrons, and other sources to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may come from a machine outside the body (external-beam radiation therapy) or from material called radioisotopes. Radioisotopes produce radiation and can be placed in or near a tumor or near cancer cells. This type of radiation treatment is called internal radiation therapy, implant radiation, or brachytherapy. Systemic radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance such as a radiolabeled monoclonal antibody that circulates throughout the body. Also called radiotherapy.

rectum: The last 8 to 10 inches of the large intestine.

recur: To occur again. Recurrence is the return of cancer, at the same site as the original (primary) tumor or in another location, after the tumor had disappeared.

risk factor: A habit, trait, condition, or genetic alteration that increases a person's chance of developing a disease.

{s}

scrotum: The external pouch of skin that contains the testicles.

semen: The fluid that is released through the penis during orgasm. Semen is made up of sperm from the testicles and fluid from the prostate and other sex glands.

seminal fluid: Fluid from the prostate and other sex glands that helps transport sperm out of the man's body during orgasm. Seminal fluid contains sugar as an energy source for sperm.

sonogram: A computer picture of areas inside the body created by bouncing sound waves off organs and other tissues. Also called ultrasonogram or ultrasound.

sperm banking: Freezing sperm for use in the future. This procedure can allow men to father children after loss of fertility.

sperm retrieval: The doctor removes sperm from a man's reproductive tract (testis or epididymis) using a fine needle, biopsy gun, or other instrument.

stage: The extent of a cancer, especially whether the disease has spread from the original site to other parts of the body.

staging: Performing exams and tests to learn the extent of the cancer within the body, especially whether the disease has spread from the original site to other parts of the body.

surgery: A procedure to remove or repair a part of the body or to find out whether disease is present.

systemic therapy: Treatment that uses substances that travel through the bloodstream, reaching and affecting cells all over the body.

{t}

testicles: The two egg-shaped glands found inside the scrotum. They produce sperm and male hormones. Also called testes.

testosterone: A hormone that promotes the development and maintenance of male sex characteristics.

total androgen blockade: Therapy used to eliminate male sex hormones (androgens) in the body. This may be done with surgery, hormonal therapy, or a combination.

transurethral resection of the prostate: Surgical procedure to remove tissue from the prostate using an instrument inserted through the urethra. Also called TURP.

tumor: An abnormal mass of tissue that results from excessive cell division. Tumors perform no useful body function. They may be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

{u}

ultrasonography: A procedure in which sound waves (called ultrasound) are bounced off tissues and the echoes are converted to a picture (sonogram).

urethra: The tube through which urine leaves the body. It empties urine from the bladder.

urologist: A doctor who specializes in diseases of the urinary organs in females and the urinary and sex organs in males.

{v}

vasectomy: An operation to cut or tie off the two tubes that carry sperm out of the testicles.

{w}

watchful waiting: Closely monitoring a patient's condition but withholding treatment until symptoms appear or change. Also called observation.