Prostate Health Basics: Glossary of Key Terms and Treatments
Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2009/02/18 - Updated: 2025/08/07
Publication Type: Glossaries, Definitions
Category Topic: Glossary and Definitions - Academic Publications
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates
Synopsis: This information represents a comprehensive medical glossary specifically focused on prostate health terminology, compiled by a disability advocacy organization to serve as an accessible educational resource. The authority of this glossary stems from its systematic organization of over 80 medical terms, ranging from basic anatomical definitions to complex surgical procedures, presented in clear, layperson-friendly language that makes specialized urological terminology understandable to general audiences.
This resource proves particularly valuable for men over 40 who face increasing prostate health risks, their caregivers, and healthcare advocates, as it demystifies often confusing medical jargon encountered during prostate examinations, diagnoses, and treatment discussions. The glossary addresses practical needs by including definitions for common conditions like benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatitis, diagnostic procedures such as PSA tests and digital rectal exams, and various treatment options from watchful waiting to radical prostatectomy, making it an essential reference tool for informed healthcare decision-making - Disabled World (DW).
Introduction
When a man reaches the age of 40, he should make an effort to have a formal prostate exam. Prostate diseases mainly affect men 50 and older due to changes in prostate size as we age. A PSA test measures the amount of PSA in the blood. Elevated PSA levels may indicate prostate cancer, a non-cancerous condition such as prostatitis, or an enlarged prostate.
Main Content
Definitions and Terminology Describing Male Prostate Problems and Surgery
Adenocarcinoma
Cancer that develops in an organ's lining or inner surface.
Adjuvant treatment
Treatment that is added to other therapies to increase effectiveness.
Angiogenesis
The formation of new blood vessels.
Angiogenesis inhibitors
A chemical that signals angiogenesis to stop.
Antigen
A protein marker on the surface of cells that identifies the cell.
Anus
Opening at the end of the digestive tract where bowel contents leave the body.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (Also called BPH or benign prostatic hypertrophy.)
An prostate enlargement caused by disease or inflammation. It is not cancer, but its symptoms are often similar to prostate cancer.
Benign tumor
An abnormal growth that is not cancer and does not spread to other body areas.
Biopsy
A procedure in which tissue samples are removed (with a needle or during surgery) from the body for examination under a microscope; to determine if cancer or other abnormal cells are present.
CAM (Complementary & Alternative Medicine)
Non-conventional approaches to healing, beyond traditional medicine. Complementary medicine is any therapy combined with other alternative or standard/conventional medicine. Alternative medicine is used alone without recommended standard treatment.
Cancer
General term for a large group of diseases (more than 100), all characterized by uncontrolled growth, invasion, and spread of abnormal cells to other body parts.
Capsule
The layer of cells around an organ such as the prostate.
Carcinoma
Cancer begins in the tissues that line or cover an organ.
Treatment with drugs to destroy cancer cells.
Research studies to test new drugs or procedures or to compare current standard treatments (medications, procedures) with others that may be equal or better.
Computed tomography scan
(Also called a CT or CAT scan.) A diagnostic imaging procedure that combines x-rays and computer technology to produce cross-sectional images (often called slices) of the body, both horizontally and vertically. A CT scan shows detailed images of any body part, including the bones, muscles, fat, and organs. CT scans are more detailed than general x-rays.
Cryosurgery or cryoprostatectomy
Freezing of the prostate through liquid nitrogen probes guided by trans-rectal prostate ultrasound.
Cystoscopy (Also called cystourethroscopy.)
An examination in which a scope, a flexible tube, and a viewing device are inserted through the urethra to examine the bladder and urinary tract for structural abnormalities or obstructions, such as tumors or stones.
Diagnosis
Identifying a disease by its signs, symptoms, and laboratory findings.
Procedure in which the physician inserts a gloved finger into the rectum to examine the rectum and the prostate gland for signs of cancer.
Erectile dysfunction (Also called impotence.)
The inability to achieve an erection and dissatisfaction with the size, rigidity, and duration of erections.
External urethral sphincter muscle
A voluntary and involuntary ring-like band of muscle fibers that you voluntarily contract when you want to stop urinating.
Expectant management or therapy
"watchful waiting" or close monitoring of prostate cancer by a physician instead of immediate treatment.
False negative report
False positive report
A positive result when in reality it is negative.
Familial
A clustering of disease in a family with no specific inheritance pattern but more cases than chance alone would predict.
Fine needle aspiration
A thin, hollow needle is used to withdraw tissue from the body. For suspected prostate cancer, it may be used with trans-rectal prostate ultrasound.
Genetics
The study of how traits and diseases are inherited from one generation to the next.
Grading
A diagnostic process done in the lab with cells taken from the prostate to measure how aggressive the tumor is. The cancer cells are measured by how closely they look like normal cells.
Hormone therapy
The use of hormones, medications, or surgery to suppress (block) or mimic hormones and alter the growth of hormone-sensitive cancer.
Impotence (Also called erectile dysfunction.)
The inability to achieve an erection and dissatisfaction with the size, rigidity, and duration of erections.
Investigational new drug
A drug allowed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be used in clinical trials but not approved for sale to the general public.
Repeatedly tightening and releasing the pelvic muscle to prevent urine leakage.
Laparoscopic lymphadenectomy
The removal of pelvic lymph nodes with a laparoscope.
Lymph nodes
Small glands in many areas of the body help defend the body against harmful foreign particles.
Lymphadenectomy
A procedure in which lymph nodes are taken from the body for diagnosing or staging cancer.
Lymphangiogram
An x-ray that uses a special dye to determine whether cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
A diagnostic procedure that uses a combination of large magnets, radio frequencies, and a computer to produce detailed images of organs and structures within the body.
Malignant tumor
A mass of cancer cells that may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant areas of the body.
Metastasis
The spread of cancer cells to distant body areas through the lymph system or bloodstream.
Nerve sparing technique
A surgical technique during a radial prostatectomy where one or both of the neurovascular bundles controlling erections are spared.
Orchiectomy (Also called castration.)
The surgical removal of the testicles.
Leakage of urine occurs when the quantity of urine exceeds the bladder's capacity to hold it.
Palliative treatment
Therapy that relieves symptoms, such as pain, but does not alter the course of the disease. Its primary purpose is to improve the quality of life.
Pelvic node dissection
Lymph nodes near the prostate are removed to determine if cancer has spread.
Prognosis
A prediction of the course of the disease; the prospects for the patient.
Prostatalgia
Pain in the prostate gland.
Prostate
A sex gland in men. It is about the size of a walnut and surrounds the neck of the bladder and urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder. It is partly muscular and glandular, with ducts opening into the prostatic portion of the urethra. It comprises three lobes, a center lobe with one on each side.
Prostate acid phosphatase (PAP)
An enzyme produced by the prostate that is elevated in some patients when prostate cancer has spread beyond the prostate.
Prostatectomy
Surgical procedure for partial or complete prostate removal.
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test
A blood test used to help detect prostate cancer by measuring a substance called prostate-specific antigen produced by the prostate. See our Prostate Specific Antigen Level Chart.
Prostatism
Any condition of the prostate that causes interference with the flow of urine from the bladder.
Prostatitis
An inflamed condition of the prostate gland that may be accompanied by discomfort, pain, frequent urination, infrequent urination, and, sometimes, fever.
The use of x-rays to kill cancer cells.
Radical prostatectomy
Surgery to remove the prostate and the two seminal vesicle glands attached to the prostate.
Radical retropubic prostatectomy
An operation to remove the entire prostate gland and seminal vesicles through the lower abdomen.
Rectum
The large intestine's lower end leads to the anus.
Sporadic
Occurring by chance; a family history with only one affected individual at an older age of onset (not genetic).
Staging
An evaluation of the extent of disease that provides the basis for making treatment recommendations.
The most common type of incontinence involves the leakage of urine during exercise, coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting heavy objects, or other body movements that put pressure on the bladder.
Testosterone
Male sex hormone is produced mostly by the testicles, although the adrenal glands make a small amount.
Trans-rectal ultrasound of the prostate
A test using sound wave echoes to create an image of an organ or gland to visually inspect for abnormal conditions, such as gland enlargement, nodules, penetration of tumor through the capsule of the gland, and invasion of seminal vesicles. It may also be used to guide needle biopsies of the prostate gland and guide the nitrogen probes in cryosurgery.
Transurethral surgery
Surgery in which no external incision is needed. For transurethral prostate surgery, the surgeon reaches the prostate by inserting an instrument through the urethra. See below for different types of transurethral surgery.
Transurethral hyperthermia
An investigative procedure that uses heat, usually by microwaves, to shrink the prostate.
Transurethral incision of the prostate (TUIP)
A procedure that widens the urethra by making small cuts in the bladder neck, where the urethra joins the bladder and the prostate gland.
Transurethral laser incision of the prostate (TULIP)
The use of laser through the urethra that melts the tissue.
Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP)
A surgical procedure by which portions of the prostate gland are removed through the penis.
Ultrasound (Also called sonography.)
A diagnostic imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves and a computer to create images of blood vessels, tissues, and organs. Ultrasounds are used to view internal organs as they function and to assess blood flow through various vessels.
The inability to hold urine long enough to reach a restroom. It is often found in people with diabetes, stroke, dementia, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis. Still, it may indicate other diseases or conditions that warrant medical attention.
Urinalysis
Laboratory examination of urine for various cells and chemicals, such as red blood cells, white blood cells, infection, or excessive protein.
The loss of bladder control.
Urinary tract infection (UTI)
An infection that occurs in the urinary tract, often caused by bacteria such as Escherichia coli. A urinary tract infection often causes frequent urination, pain, burning when urinating, and blood in the urine.
Urine flow study
A test in which the patient urinates into a device that measures how quickly the urine is flowing. A reduced flow may suggest benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH).
Urology
The branch of medicine concerned with the urinary tract in both genders and the genital tract or reproductive system in the male.
Urogenital
Refers to the urinary and reproductive systems.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: While medical terminology can often feel like an impenetrable barrier between patients and their healthcare providers, resources like this glossary serve as vital bridges to health literacy. The comprehensive nature of this reference, spanning everything from basic anatomy to cutting-edge treatment modalities, reflects the reality that prostate health affects virtually all aging men, yet remains poorly understood by many. By presenting complex urological concepts in accessible language, this resource demonstrates that medical knowledge should not be confined to clinical settings but made available to all who need it, regardless of their educational background or physical limitations - Disabled World (DW).
Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.