|
ADT
|
Androgen
Deprivation Therapy - the correct term for Hormone Therapy. The prostate cancer
is deprived of the testosterone androgen that fuels growth.
|
|
AI |
Androgen
Independent - see AIPC |
| AIPC |
Androgen-Independent
Prostate Cancer - late stage prostate cancer which no longer responds to ADT (Androgen
Deprivation Treatment) |
AS |
Active Surveillance, where no conventional treatment is undertaken but careful
monitoring is undertaken looking for disease progression |
| Brachytherapy |
A
form of radiation therapy in which radioactive seeds are inserted into the prostate
gland. Also known as SI (Seed Implants) or HDR (High Dose Rate Brachytherapy). |
| CAB |
Combined
Androgen Blockade - see CHT |
| | Computer
Axial Tomography scans. An advanced form of X-ray scan that creates detailed images
of the prostate |
| CHB | Combined
Hormone Blockade - see CHT |
| CHT | Combined
Hormone Therapy - where more than one method of ADT (Androgen Deprivation Therapy)
treatment is used |
| CM | Conservative
Management - the term used by men who have elected not to have conventional treatment
but are using alternative therapies |
|
Cryotherapy
Cryo | This
is a treatment where the prostate gland is frozen following the insertion of thermal
probes, the aim being to destroy the cancer cells |
|
DRE | Digital
Rectal Examination - the standard basic examination of the prostate where a finger
is inserted into the rectum |
| EBRT | External
Beam Radiation Therapy - the normal radiation therapy which uses a beam from a
machine, focussed on the prostate gland |
|
HIFU | High
Intensity Focused Ultrasound. This is a treatment where the prostate gland is
heated following the insertion of probes, the aim being to destroy the cancer
cells |
| HT | Hormone
Therapy - more correctly ADT (Androgen Deprivation Treatment) |
| HDR
| High
Dose Rate Brachytherapy - a form of radiation therapy in which radioactive seeds
are inserted into the prostate gland and then withdrawn. Not available in South
Africa at present. |
| HRPC
| Hormone
Refractory Prostate Cancer - see AIPC above |
|
IADT | Intermittent
Androgen Deprivation Therapy - see IHT |
| IHT
| Intermittent
Hormone Therapy, also known as Pulse Therapy, where ADT (Androgen Deprivation
Treatment) is given for a short time and then stopped. The theory is that this
reduces the chance of AIPC (Androgen Independent Prostate Cancer) developing |
| LUTS
| Lower
Urinary Tract Symptoms - the generic term covering urinary problems such as nocturia,
urgency and incontinence |
| Nocturia | The
term used to describe the frequency of urination at night |
| Metastasis
Mets | The
spread of the cancer from its original site. The secondary cancers are referred
to as metastases and the disease is said to have metastasised |
| MRI | Magnetic
Resonance Imaging - this type of scan uses a very strong magnetic field, rather
than X-rays to create pictures of internal organs |
|
Orchiectomy
Orchidectomy | The
surgical removal of the testicles. This is a form of hormone therapy to remove
the primary source of testosterone |
| Partin
Tables | A
set of tables which uses collected data to demonstrate the potential for the disease
having spread beyond the prostate organ |
|
PSA | Prostate
Specific Antigen - the standard blood test used as a marker to indicate the possibility
of a disease of the prostate. It is not cancer specific, therefore an elevated
PSA does not always mean that the man has cancer |
|
fPSA,
Free PSA, PSA II | Free
PSA is "unbound" PSA and differs chemically from normal PSA. The amount of fPSA
is usually shown as a percentage of the total PSA. The higher the percentage,
the less the chance of prostate cancer being present. A fPSA of 25% or greater
is usually regarded as indicative of a low probability that malignancy is present |
| SI | Seed
Implants - a form of radiation therapy in which radioactive seeds are inserted
permanently into the prostate gland. Also known as brachytherapy |
| TRUS | Transrectal
Ultrasound - the imaging technique used to guide a biopsy |
| RP | Radical
Prostatectomy - the surgical removal of the prostate gland |
| WW | Watchful
Waiting, also known as Active Surveillance, where no conventional treatment is
undertaken unless the disease progresses |
