A to Z of medical words
The information on this page comes from our Tool Kit fact sheet - 'A to Z of medical words'. To order your own tailored copy of the Tool Kit, visit our publications page. You can also download and print a PDF version of this fact sheet.
This page explains some of the medical words that you may read or hear when you are finding out about prostate problems and prostate cancer. If you would like more information about anything you read here you can call our free and confidential Helpline on 0800 074 8383.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
Active monitoring
This term can be used to describe both Active surveillance and Watchful waiting.
Active surveillance
A relatively new way of monitoring prostate cancer which aims to avoid unnecessary treatment in men with low-risk cancer. It also detects cancers that are starting to behave more aggressively and need treating.
Read more about active surveillance.
Adenocarcinoma
Cancer that occurs in the cells of a gland, such as the prostate gland. The majority of prostate cancers are adenocarcinomas.
Adjuvant therapy
Treatment given straight after the main treatment to increase the likelihood of the treatment being successful.
Advanced prostate cancer
Prostate cancer that has spread outside the prostate gland to other parts of the body.
Aggressive
This word may be used to describe a cancer that is more likely to develop and spread quickly.
Alpha-blockers
Drugs that can be used to help treat Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) by relaxing the muscles of the prostate gland and the neck of the bladder. This allows urine to flow out of the bladder more easily.
Androgens
Hormones that are responsible for male characteristics. The male sex hormone ‘testosterone’ is an androgen.
Anti-androgens
Drugs that block the effects of testosterone and stop prostate cancer cells from growing. Anti-androgens are a type of hormone therapy.
B
Benign
Not cancerous.
BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia)
A non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate. It is a common condition that mainly affects men over the age of 50.
Bilateral orchidectomy
An operation to remove both testicles. See Orchidectomy.
Biopsy
A procedure that involves taking samples of tissue to be looked at under a microscope. Samples of tissue from the prostate gland may be used to help diagnose prostate cancer.
Bisphosphonates
A group of drugs which may be used by men with prostate cancer that has spread to the bones. They do not treat the cancer but may help with symptoms.
Read more about bisphosphonates.
Bladder neck incision
A procedure to help improve the flow of urine and relieve urinary symptoms by making a small cut in the neck of the bladder.
Bone marrow
Soft tissue found inside the bones that makes red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Chemotherapy treatment for prostate cancer affects the way your bone marrow works.
Bone scan
A scan of the body, similar to an x-ray, which uses a radioactive dye to highlight the bones. Any areas of damaged bone show up on the scan as a ‘hot spot’. A bone scan may be used to find out whether prostate cancer has spread to the bones.
Brachytherapy
A treatment for localised prostate cancer that uses radiation inside the prostate gland to destroy cancer cells.
Read more about brachytherapy.
C
Cancer
The abnormal or uncontrolled growth of cells in the body. Cells may spread to surrounding tissue and other parts of the body.
Carcinoma
Cancer which begins in the tissues that cover the outside and line the inside of the body’s organs. Carcinomas are the most common type of cancer.
Catheter (urinary)
A tube passed into the bladder to help drain urine from the bladder.
Chemotherapy
Drugs used to destroy cancer cells. This type of treatment may be used to treat prostate cancer that has spread outside the prostate gland and is no longer responding to hormone therapy. Men with an earlier stage of prostate cancer may be offered chemotherapy as part of a clinical trial.
Clinical trial
A research study that involves people to investigate new drugs, technology or medical procedures.
Read more about clinical trials.
Complete androgen blockade (CAB)
See Maximal androgen blockade.
Cryotherapy
A treatment that uses freezing and thawing to destroy cancer cells. This is a newer type of treatment for prostate cancer and you may be offered it as part of a clinical trial or national study. Also known as ‘cryosurgery’ or ‘cryoablation’.
Read more about cryotherapy.
CT scan
A scan that uses a computer linked to an x-ray machine to take a series of pictures of the body. You may have a CT scan if there is a risk of your cancer spreading and you are considering active treatment options such as radiotherapy or radical prostatectomy.
Cystitis
Inflammation of the bladder that causes a burning sensation when you pass urine.
D
Diagnosis
Identifying that someone has a particular health problem or condition.
Digital rectal examination (DRE)
A physical examination in which a doctor or nurse feels the prostate gland with a gloved, lubricated finger through the back passage. The DRE is used to help diagnose prostate problems.
E
Enlarged prostate
see Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.
Erectile dysfunction
The frequent inability to get an erection strong enough for sexual intercourse or other sexual activity. Read more about sexuality and prostate cancer.
External beam radiotherapy
Radiotherapy using high energy x-ray beams directed at the prostate gland from outside the body. This type of treatment may be used to treat localised or locally advanced prostate cancer.
F
5-alpha reductase inhibitors
Drugs that are used to treat Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) by shrinking your prostate or stopping it getting any bigger.
Fistula
An abnormal opening between two parts of the body that may be caused by injury, infection, or inflammation, or may be created during surgery. This is a rare complication of some treatments for prostate cancer, where a hole forms between the back passage and the tube that carries urine through the penis.
Flare
A temporary rise in the level of testosterone caused by the first injection of some types of hormone therapy.
Fraction
A single session of a course of radiotherapy treatment.
Frequency
The frequent need to pass urine, usually more than about eight to ten times a day. This can be a symptom of a prostate problem.
G
GP (General Practitioner)
A medical doctor sometimes described as a ‘family doctor’ who provides primary care.
Genes
Your genes are the biological information that act as an instruction manual for your body and control how your body works. Each cell in the body contains thousands of genes.
Genetics
Used to describe the way genes are passed on from your parents (inherited).
Grade
See Gleason grade.
Gleason grade
Cancer cells in a biopsy sample are given a Gleason grade to show how active they are. The cells are given a grade of between 1 and 5. Non-aggressive cells are grade 1 and the most aggressive are grade 5.
Gleason score
A scale that shows how aggressive a cancer is. The Gleason score is worked out by adding together the Gleason grades of the two most common types of cell in a biopsy sample. Gleason scores run from 2 to 10. The higher the score, the more aggressive the cancer. Very few men with prostate cancer have Gleason scores of less than 6.
H
Hesitancy
The need to wait a while before being able to pass urine, even when the bladder is full.
HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound)
A treatment that uses ultrasound to heat and destroy cancer cells. HIFU is a fairly new treatment for prostate cancer and you may be offered it as part of a clinical trial or national study.
Hormones
Chemicals found in the body which help control some of the body’s functions. The male hormone testosterone can cause prostate cancer to grow more quickly.
Hormone refractory/hormone independent
Cancer is described as hormone refractory when it no longer responds to hormone therapy. This can also be called hormone independent or castration resistant cancer.
Hormone therapy
Cancer specialists use hormone therapy to stop testosterone from reaching the prostate cancer cells. There are three main types of hormone therapy using surgery, injections or tablets.
Hot flushes
A common side effect of hormone therapy for prostate cancer. Hot flushes give a sudden feeling of being very warm, but can affect each man differently, from feeling overheated for a few seconds to an hour of sweating and discomfort.
I
IGRT (Image guided radiotherapy)
Radiotherapy treatment that uses scans immediately before or during each session of treatment.
Impotence
See Erectile dysfunction.
IMRT (Intensity-modulated radiotherapy)
A type of radiotherapy using radiation beams that can be adjusted to give different doses of radiotherapy to different parts of the treatment area.
Incidence
The number of people that get a particular disease each year.
L
Laparoscopic prostatectomy
Surgery to remove the whole of the prostate gland using instruments inserted through small cuts in your abdomen. Also known as ‘keyhole surgery’.
Laser prostatectomy
A procedure that may be used to treat Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). A laser is used to remove tissue from the prostate gland that is pressing on the urethra.
Laser enucleation
LHRH agonists (luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists)
Injections that block the production of testosterone from the testicles. LHRH agonists are a type of hormone therapy.
Libido
Sexual desire. Prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment can affect your desire for sex.
Localised prostate cancer
Prostate cancer that is contained within the prostate gland.
Locally advanced prostate cancer
Prostate cancer that has spread to the area just outside the prostate gland.
Lymph nodes
Small bean shaped structures that are part of the body’s lymphatic system that help the body to fight disease and infection. Also known as lymph glands.
M
Malignant
This is used to describe a tumour that is cancerous and has the ability to spread. The opposite of benign.
Maximal androgen blockade
Also called ‘combined androgen blockade’. Both injections and tablets are used to stop testosterone reaching prostate cancer cells.
Metastasis
The spread of cancer from where the cancer started to other parts of the body. Cancers that have spread are called ‘metastases’ or ‘secondaries’. A cancer that has spread is said to have ‘metastasised’.
Metastatic
Cancer that has spread from the main tumour to another part of the body. See Metastasis.
Morbidity
This can be used to describe disease itself or the side effects caused by treatment. It is also used to describe the number of people who have a disease in a particular population.
Mortality
A word used to describe the number of people who die from a disease. It is often used in cancer statistics.
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
An imaging technique that uses magnets to take scans of the body. You may have an MRI if there is a risk of your cancer spreading and you are considering active treatment options such as radiotherapy or radical prostatectomy.
Multi disciplinary team (MDT)
The team of health professionals or specialists involved in your care. The team may include a specialist nurse, a consultant oncologist and a consultant urologist.
N
Neoadjuvant
Treatment given before the main treatment to increase the likelihood of the treatment being successful.
Neoplasm
Another word for cancer.
Nerve-sparing
A surgical technique during a radical prostatectomy that aims to avoid damaging the nerves that help control erections.
Nocturia
The need to get up frequently at night to pass urine.
O
Oestrogen
A female sex hormone that may be used as a type of hormone therapy for men with advanced prostate cancer by controlling testosterone levels.
Oncologist
A doctor who specialises in cancer treatment.
Orchidectomy
A type of hormone therapy for prostate cancer which uses an operation to remove the testicles to stop the production of testosterone.
Osteoporosis
Bone thinning. This can have many causes. In prostate cancer it is a possible side effect of some types of hormone therapy.
P
Palliative care
Care given to improve the quality of life of people who have a serious or life-threatening disease. The goal of palliative care is to control pain and other symptoms and to meet a person’s psychological, social and spiritual needs.
Palliative radiotherapy
Radiotherapy given to help control symptoms and pain caused by cancer, rather than treating the cancer itself.
Pathologist
A doctor who specialises in studying the body’s cells and tissue to identify diseases.
Pelvis
The lower part of the abdomen found between the hip bones.
Perineum
The area of the body between the back of the scrotum and the anus.
Proctitis
Inflammation of the lining of the bowel. This can be caused by radiotherapy for prostate cancer.
Prognosis
The expected outcome or end result of treatment. Often used to describe life expectancy.
Prostatectomy
Prostatitis
Inflammation or infection of the prostate gland.
PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen)
A protein that is produced by some of the cells in the prostate gland.
PSA density
This is used as a way of measuring your PSA level in relation to the size of your prostate gland.
PSA test
A blood test that can be used alongside other tests to help diagnose a prostate problem.
Read more about the PSA test.
Q
Quality of life
A term often used to describe how treatment might affect an individual’s life. If an individual has a good quality of life, then they are likely to have a feeling of general well being, be untroubled by pain and symptoms and able to carry out normal daily activities.
R
Radical prostatectomy
An operation to remove the whole prostate gland. Used to treat prostate cancer that is contained within the prostate gland (localised disease).
Read more about radical prostatectomy.
Radiotherapy
The use of radiation to destroy cancer cells. The term ‘radiotherapy’ is used to describe all types of radiotherapy including external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy.
Rectum
Sometimes described as the ‘back passage’, this is the last part of the large intestine before the anus.
Recurrence
A term used to describe cancer that has returned after treatment.
Risk factor
Something that may make you more likely to develop a particular disease. For example, the risk of getting prostate cancer increases with age, so age is a risk factor for prostate cancer.
Robotic prostatectomy
Laparoscopic prostatectomy, when it is carried out with the help of a robot.
S
Screening
Testing the general population to find out if people have a particular disease at an early stage, before anyone could be aware of it through symptoms.
Scrotum
The pouch of skin that contains the testicles.
Sphincter (urinary)
The circular muscle that surrounds the tube which you pass urine through (urethra).
Secondary cancer
Cancer that has spread from where it first started to another part of the body. Also called ‘metastases’.
Seminal vesicles
The two sacs near the prostate gland that store and produce some of the fluid in semen.
Stage
How far the cancer has spread. The most common method used in prostate cancer is the TNM system (Tumour-Nodes-Metastases).
Steroids
A type of drug used to control swelling and inflammation. Steroids may be used for advanced prostate cancer to help reduce inflammation in areas where the tumour has spread.
Stricture
Narrowing of the tube that carries urine from the bladder and out of the body (urethra). Can be caused by Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), inflammation of the prostate gland or prostate cancer.
T
3D conformal radiotherapy
Radiotherapy treatment that uses 3D images to shape the radiotherapy beams to fit the size and shape of the prostate.
Testicles/ testes
Part of a man's reproductive organs and the main source of testosterone and sperm.
Testosterone
Male sex hormone.
Tumour
Abnormal growth of cells. The word ‘tumour’ is commonly used instead of saying ‘cancer’.
TURP (Trans Urethral Resection of the Prostate)
Surgery to treat Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) which involves removing the part of the enlarged prostate gland that is pressing against the urethra.
TRUS (Trans Rectal Ultrasound Scan)
A procedure that uses sound waves to make an image of the prostate gland. A probe is inserted into the rectum at the same time as a biopsy to help to diagnose prostate cancer.
U
Urethra (male)
The tube that carries urine from the bladder and semen from the seminal vesicles through the penis and out of the body.
Urgency
A strong need to pass urine, almost immediately.
Urinary incontinence
Not being able to control your bladder. This can range from leaking a few drops of urine to not being able to control when you pass urine at all.
Read more about urinary incontinence.
Urology
The speciality of medicine that diagnoses and treats diseases of the urinary system including the prostate gland.
W
Watchful waiting
A way of monitoring men with prostate cancer with the aim of avoiding treatment unless symptoms develop. This type of treatment may be an option for men with prostate cancer who may not benefit from treatment, for example men with other serious health problems. This is different from active surveillance.
Written and edited by The Prostate Cancer Charity Information Team.
Reviewed by:
- The Prostate Cancer Charity Information Volunteers
- The Prostate Cancer Charity Support and Information Specialist Nurses