📖 Prostate Cancer Terms
A prostate cancer diagnosis can introduce a lot of unfamiliar words. You may hear them during appointments or see them in pathology reports, test results, and treatment information.
This page explains common prostate cancer terms in plain language. You don't need to learn them all. Use this page when you come across a term you don't understand.
These definitions are meant to help you understand some of the words you may hear or see in medical reports. They cannot tell you what a test result or diagnosis means for your specific situation. If you have questions about a term, test result, or report, ask your doctor or care team to explain what it means for you.
🧪 Diagnosis & Testing
PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen)
A protein made by prostate cells. A PSA blood test measures the amount in the blood. PSA can rise for several reasons, including prostate cancer, but the PSA number alone does not diagnose cancer.
Biopsy
A procedure that removes small samples of prostate tissue so they can be examined for cancer.
Pathology Report
The report from the pathologist who examines tissue from a biopsy or surgery. It provides important information about the cancer, including the Gleason score and Grade Group.
Gleason Score
A grading system that describes how prostate cancer cells look under a microscope. The score helps doctors judge how likely the cancer is to grow and spread.
Grade Group
Another way of describing the grade of prostate cancer. Grade Groups range from 1 through 5. Higher Grade Groups generally indicate more aggressive cancer.
Cancer Stage
Describes how much cancer is present and where it is located, including whether it appears confined to the prostate or has spread beyond it.
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
An imaging test that can provide detailed pictures of the prostate and surrounding tissues. It may be used during diagnosis, treatment planning, or follow-up.
PSMA PET Scan
An imaging test that can help locate prostate cancer cells in the body. It may be used in some patients to determine whether cancer has spread or returned.
📄 What Your Reports May Say
Positive Core
A biopsy sample in which prostate cancer cells were found. A biopsy report may tell you how many cores contained cancer and how much cancer was found in each core.
Localized Prostate Cancer
Cancer that appears to be confined to the prostate.
Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer
Cancer that has grown outside the prostate into nearby tissue or structures but has not spread to distant parts of the body.
Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Cancer that has spread beyond the prostate to other parts of the body, such as lymph nodes or bones.
Extraprostatic Extension
Cancer that has grown through the prostate capsule and into tissue just outside the prostate.
Seminal Vesicle Involvement
Cancer that has spread into one or both seminal vesicles, which are glands located behind the prostate.
Lymph Node Involvement
Prostate cancer cells have been found in one or more lymph nodes.
Surgical Margin
The edge of tissue removed during surgery. A positive surgical margin means cancer cells were found at the edge of the removed tissue. A negative margin means they were not.
🩺 Treatment Terms
Active Surveillance
Careful monitoring of prostate cancer without starting treatment right away. This may include regular PSA tests, imaging, doctor visits, and sometimes repeat biopsies. Treatment can be considered if the cancer changes.
Radical Prostatectomy
Surgery to remove the prostate gland and some surrounding tissue. Nearby lymph nodes may also be removed in some cases.
Radiation Therapy
Treatment that uses high-energy radiation to destroy cancer cells. Several types of radiation therapy are used to treat prostate cancer.
SBRT (Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy)
A type of radiation therapy that delivers precise, high doses of radiation over a small number of treatment sessions.
Brachytherapy
Radiation treatment in which radioactive material is placed inside or near the prostate.
ADT (Androgen Deprivation Therapy)
Treatment that lowers testosterone or blocks its effects. Because prostate cancer often uses testosterone to grow, ADT can help slow or control the cancer. It is also commonly called hormone therapy.
Urologist
A doctor who specializes in the urinary system and male reproductive system. Urologists often diagnose prostate cancer, perform biopsies, and may perform prostate cancer surgery.
Radiation Oncologist
A doctor who specializes in treating cancer with radiation.
Medical Oncologist
A doctor who specializes in treating cancer with medicines and may become part of the care team depending on the diagnosis and treatment needs.
🔬 After Treatment & Follow-Up
PSA Nadir
The lowest PSA level reached after treatment. Doctors may use the PSA nadir along with later PSA results to monitor how the cancer responds to treatment.
Undetectable PSA
A PSA level that is below what a particular laboratory test can reliably measure. What is considered undetectable depends on the test being used.
Biochemical Recurrence
A rise in PSA after treatment that meets specific criteria doctors use to identify a possible return of prostate cancer. The definition differs depending on the type of treatment received.
Recurrence
The return of cancer after treatment. Recurrence may be detected through PSA testing, imaging, or other evaluation.
Testosterone Recovery
The return of testosterone levels after ADT has been stopped. Recovery can vary from person to person and may take time.
Survivorship
The period of living with, through, and beyond cancer. Survivorship care may include follow-up testing, managing treatment side effects, and addressing physical and emotional changes.