Prostate Gland Terms - Definitions - Glossary

Prostate Gland Glossary -Terms - Definitions

antigen - a protein marker on the surface of cells. It will identify the cell.

anus - opening at the end of the digestive tract where colon contents leave the body.

benign prostatic hyperplasia - BPH or benign prostatic hypertrophy. - an enlargement of the prostate gland caused by disease or inflammation.

benign tumor - a non-cancerous abnormal growth that doesn't spread or metastasize to other areas of the body.

biopsy - a procedure in which tissue samples are removed (with a special needle or during surgery) from the body for examination to show if cancer or other any abnormal cells are present.

cancer - term for a large group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth, invasion, and spread of abnormal cells

carcinoma - cancer that begins in the tissues that line or cover an organ.

chemotherapy - treatment with drugs to destroy cancer cells and destroys good cells in the process.

cryosurgery or sometimes called cryoprostatectomy -a  freezing of the prostate gland through the use of liquid nitrogen probes guided by transrectal ultrasound of the prostate.

digital rectal exam - procedure in which the physician or proctologist inserts a finger into the rectum to examine the rectum and the prostate gland for any signs of prostate cancer or secondary cancer

erectile dysfunction ( impotence.)  inability to achieve an erection and/or not being able to achieve the desired size, rigidity, and/or duration of erections.

fine needle aspiration - the use of a thin, hollow needle to withdraw tissue from the body. In the case of suspected prostate cancer it may be used in conjunction with transrectal ultrasound of the prostate.

impotence  see  erectile dysfunction

orchiectomy also called castration.) -is the surgical removal of the testicles.

prostatalgia - pain in the prostate gland.

prostate gland - a sex gland in men about the size of a walnut and surrounds the neck of the bladder and urethra, which is the tube that carries urine from the bladder. It has three lobes, a center lobe with one lobe on each side.

prostate acid phosphatase (PAP) - an enzyme that'd produced by the prostate gland  that is elevated in some prostate cancer patients when prostate cancer has spread outside the prostate.

prostatectomy - surgical procedure for the partial or complete removal of the prostate.

prostate-specific antigen (PSA) - an antigen made by the prostate gland and that's found in the blood; it may or may not indicate cancer in the prostate gland and is now considered unreliable.

prostate-specific antigen (PSA) a common blood test used to help detect prostate cancer by measuring a substance called prostate-specific antigen produced by the prostate.

prostatitis - an inflamed condition of the prostate gland that may be accompanied by pain, frequent urination, infrequent urination, and, sometimes, fever.

radical prostatectomy - surgery to remove the prostate gland along with the two seminal vesicle glands attached to the prostate.

radical retropubic prostatectomy - an operation or surgery to remove the entire prostate gland and seminal vesicles through the lower abdomen.

testosterone - a male sex hormone produced for the most part by the testicles, although a small amount is made in the adrenal glands.

transrectal ultrasound of the prostate - a test that uses sound wave echoes to create an image of an organ or gland to visually inspect for abnormal conditions, including prostate gland enlargement, nodules, penetration of tumor through capsule of the gland, and/or invasion of seminal vesicles. It may also be used for guidance of needle biopsies of the prostate gland and guiding the nitrogen probes during cryosurgery.

transurethral surgery -a type of prostate surgery in which no external incision is needed. For prostate transurethral surgery, the surgeon reaches the prostate by inserting an instrument through the urethra.

transurethral hyperthermia - an investigative procedure that uses heat, usually provided by microwaves, to shrink the prostate gland.

transurethral incision of the prostate (TUIP) - a common procedure that widens the urethra by making some small cuts in the bladder neck, where the urethra joins the bladder, and in the prostate gland.

transurethral laser incision of the prostate (TULIP) - the use of a laser through the urethra that melts the tissue.

transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) - a common surgical procedure in which portions of the prostate gland are removed through the penis.

urology - the branch of medicine concerned with the urinary tract in both genders, and with the genital tract or reproductive system in the male and often includes the prostate gland.

watchful waiting - close monitoring of prostate cancer by a physician or proctologist instead of prostate surgery, radiation or chemotherapy