10 Prostate Cancer Terms You Need To Know

“So in your conversations with your doctors, you may come across a lot of terms and abbreviations that are foreign to you but are quite common in conversations in the medical community,” Dr. Matthew Rettig, medical oncologist and chief of hematology-oncology at the VA Medical Center in Greater Los Angeles, said. “In the medical world, a lot of the time doctors don’t recognize that patients don’t know these terms. So first of all, if you come across a term that you don’t know, ask what it means.”

In the meantime, here’s a list of 10 common words related to prostate cancer you’re likely to come across in your cancer journey, along with a simple explanation of what they mean and how they’re used.

Prostate

So what is a prostate anyway?

The prostate is a small, walnut-sized gland located just below the bladder in men. It surrounds the urethra, the tube that urine passes through when you urinate. The prostate’s primary job is to produce a specialized fluid that nourishes and transports sperm. Depending on your age, ethnic group, genetics, and a range of lifestyle factors, you may be at a higher risk for prostate cancer.

PSA Screening

Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) screening is one of the most important tools for the early detection of prostate cancer. PSA, a protein produced by both normal and cancerous prostate cells, is measured through a simple blood test. Higher levels of PSA can indicate prostate cancer, although things like infections or prostate enlargement can also be to blame. Normal PSA values typically range under 4 ng/mL but may be slightly higher with age and other factors. Because veterans are at higher risk for prostate cancer, regular PSA screening is important to help detect cancer. Catching it early can make a big difference in how much treatment you need and how long you live.

Prostate Cancer Staging

Prostate cancer staging is very important for deciding on the type of treatment you will need. Stage I means you have small, often undetectable tumors located only in your prostate. Stage II involves larger tumors, still within the prostate. Stage III means the cancer has spread to nearby tissues but not to lymph nodes. Stage IV, the most advanced, means the cancer has spread to distant body parts like the bones or other organs.

Prostate Cancer Risk

The idea of risk in prostate cancer refers to how likely the cancer is to grow and spread. It takes into account the Gleason score, a number scale used to rate the aggressiveness of prostate cancer based on its microscopic appearance. Risk also takes into account PSA levels and biopsy results. Risk assessment helps your doctor understand how advanced your cancer is, how it may behave over time, and what treatments might work best for you. It differs from staging, which focuses on the extent of cancer spread within the body.

PSMA PET Scan

This is a high-tech scanning technique that uses a special radioactive tracer to detect a protein known as prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) in the body. Doctors use it to help diagnose and stage prostate cancer. During the procedure, you will be given the tracer through an IV tube, and it will travel through your body to pinpoint the exact location and extent of cancerous growth. Your doctor may order a PSMA PET scan when traditional imaging methods don’t provide sufficient information about your cancer.

Prostate Biopsy

A prostate biopsy is a simple medical procedure used to check for signs of prostate cancer. During this procedure, your doctor will take tiny samples of tissue from the prostate gland to examine them for any cancerous cells. This is done by inserting a thin, hollow needle through the rectum or sometimes the area between the scrotum and the anus. Sometimes, a doctor will do a biopsy guided by ultrasound to improve accuracy. Most men describe the experience as uncomfortable but not outright painful. The doctor will send the sample to a lab to see if there are signs of cancer cells in the tissue.

Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC) is a type of prostate cancer that doesn’t respond well to traditional hormone therapies. In CRPC, the cancer cells continue to grow and spread even when the levels of male hormones like testosterone are lowered through treatment. This is a challenging condition for doctors to treat. They may recommend trying targeted therapies and chemotherapy to manage it. This differs from hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, which does respond well to treatments that lower male hormones. This type of prostate differs from Castration-Sensitive Prostate Cancer (CSPC) which responds well to treatments that reduce male hormones.

Hormone Therapy

Hormone therapy plays a crucial role in treating prostate cancer. One common form of hormone treatment is called Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT), which works by reducing the levels of male hormones like testosterone in the body. Since prostate cancer often depends on these hormones to grow, lowering their levels can slow down or shrink the cancer. ADT is given through injections or pills. It is usually the first treatment doctors try for advanced prostate cancer. It helps manage the disease, relieve symptoms, and may be used alone or in combination with other treatments to improve the patient’s outlook.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is a common treatment for prostate cancer that involves the use of high-energy rays to target and destroy cancer cells in the prostate. The goal is to shrink or eliminate the tumor within the prostate gland. Radiation therapy can be administered externally using machines or internally through radioactive implants, allowing for precise targeting of cancerous tissue while protecting the healthy surrounding tissue. It’s a crucial part of prostate cancer treatment, often used alone or in combination with other therapies to effectively manage or completely eliminate the cancer.

Precision Oncology

Precision oncology for prostate cancer is an advanced approach that tailors treatment to the specific characteristics of each patient’s tumor. By analyzing the unique genetic makeup of the cancer, your doctor can identify personalized treatment strategies. This ensures that you get the therapies that are most likely to work for you, minimizing potential side effects. Precision oncology has the potential to revolutionize prostate cancer and offer new hope to patients facing this challenging disease.

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