Words You Might Encouter Concerning Prostate Cancer (2)

Words You Might Encouter Concerning Prostate Cancer (2)

BLOOD COUNT: analysis of blood cells and platelets; abnormal values
can indicate cancer in the bone or side effects of therapy

BONE MARROW: soft tissue in bone cavities that produces blood cells

BONE SCAN: a technique more sensitive than conventional x-rays which
uses a radiolabeled agent to identify abnormal or cancerous growths
within or attached to bone; in the case of prostate cancer, a bone
scan is used to identify bony metastases which are definitive for
cancer which has escaped from the prostate; metastases appear as "hot
spots" on the film; however the absence of hot spots does not prove
the absence of tiny metastases

BOWEL PREPARATION: the cleaning of the bowels or intestines which is normal prior to abdominal surgery such as radical prostatectomy

BPH: see BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA

BRACHYTHERAPY: A form of radiation therapy in which radioactive seeds or pellets which emit radiation are implanted in order to kill
surrounding tissue (e.g., the prostate, including prostate cancer
cells)

CAB: COMPLETE ANDROGEN BLOCKADE (see CHT)

CANCER: the growth of abnormal cells in the body in an uncontrolled
manner; unlike benign tumors, these tend to invade surrounding
tissues, and spread to distant sites of the body vis the blood stream
and lymphatic system

CAPSULE: the fibrous tissue which acts as an outer lining of the prostate

CARCINOMA: a form of cancer that originates in tissues which line or
cover a particular organ; See ADENOCARCINOMA

CASODEX: brand or trade name of bicalutamide in the USA

CASTRATION: the use of surgical or medical techniques to eliminate
testosterone produced by the testes

CAT SCAN: COMPUTERIZED AXIAL TOMOGRAPHY (also CT) is a method of combining images from multiple x-rays under the control of a computer to produce cross-sectional or three-dimensional pictures of the internal organs which can be used to identify abnormalities; the CAT
scan can identify prostate enlargement but is not always effective for
assessing the stage of prostate cancer; for evaluating metastases of
the lymph nodes or more distant soft tissue sites, the CAT scan is
significantly more accurate

CATHETER: a hollow (usually flexible plastic) tube which can be used
to drain fluids from or inject fluids into the body; in the case of
prostate cancer, it is common for patients to have a transurethral
catheter to drain urine for some time after treatment by surgery or
some forms of radiation therapy

CDUS: COLOR-FLOW DOPPLER ULTRASOUND; an ultrasound method that more clearly images tumors by observing the Doppler shift in sound waves caused by the rapid flow of blood through tiny blood vessels that are characteristic of tumors

CGA: chromogranin A; a small cell prostate cancer or neuroendocrine cell marker

CHEMOPREVENTION: the use of a pharmaceutical or other substance to prevent the development of cancer

CHEMOTHERAPY: the use of pharmaceuticals or other chemicals to kill
cancer cells; in many cases chemotherapeutic agents kill not only
cancer cells but also other cells in the body, which makes such agents
potentially very dangerous

CHT: COMBINED HORMONAL THERAPY: the use of more than one hormone in therapy; especially the use of LHRH analogs (e.g., Lupron, Zoladex) to block the production of testosterone by the testes, plus antiandrogens (e.g., Casodex (bicalutamide), Eulexin (flutamide), Anadron (nilutamide), Androcur (cyproterone)) to compete with DHT for cell sites thereby depriving cancer cells of DHT needed for growth

CLINICAL TRIAL: a carefully planned experiment to evaluate a treatment or a medication (often a new pharmaceutical) for an unproven use; Phase I trials are very preliminary short-term trials involving a few
patients to see if drugs have any activity or any serious side effects; Phase II trials may involve 20 to 50 patients and are designed to estimate the most active dose of a new drug and determine its side effects; Phase III trials involve many patients and compare a new therapy against the current standard or best available therapy

COMBINATION THERAPY: see CHT

COMPLICATION: an unexpected or unwanted effect of a treatment,
pharmaceutical, or other procedure

CONFORMATIONAL THERAPY: the use of careful planning and delivery techniques designed to focus radiation on the areas of the prostate and surrounding tissue which need treatment and protect areas which do not need treatment; three-dimensional conformational therapy is a more sophisticated form of this method

CONTRACTURE: scarring which can occur at the bladder neck after a
radical prostatectomy and which results in narrowing of the passage
between the bladder and the urethra

CORPORA CAVERNOSA: a part of a man's penis which fills with blood when he is sexually excited, giving the organ the stiffness required for intercourse

CORPORA SPONGIOSUM: a spongy chamber in a man's penis which fills with blood when he is sexually excited, giving the organ the stiffness
required for intercourse

CRYOABLATION: see cryosurgery

CRYOSURGERY: the use of liquid nitrogen probes to freeze a particular
organ to extremely low temperatures to kill the tissue, including any
cancerous tissue; When used to treat prostate cancer, the cryoprobes
are guided by transrectal ultrasound

CRYOTHERAPY: see cryosurgery

CT SCAN: COMPUTERIZED or COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY; See CAT SCAN

CYPROTERONE: an antiandrogen

CYSTOSCOPE: an instrument used by physicians to look inside the
bladder and the urethra

CYSTOSCOPY: the use of a cystoscope to look inside the bladder and the urethra

CYTOKINES: growth factors important to cellular function