Medical Dictionary: Prostate Disease

More than half of men in their sixties have enlarged prostates. Prostate cancer is second only to lung cancer as a fatal malignancy. And prostatitis is a condition that affects even young men. This medical dictionary covers the terms used in the report, Prostate Disease: Finding the Cause and Cure, and includes details on prostate problems such as cancer, enlarged prostate, prostatitis, and the causes, symptoms, treatments, and research.

acute urinary retention: An inability to squeeze any urine past the enlarged prostate because the bladder has become distended and its muscular wall has weakened.

benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH): A noncancerous enlargement of the prostate that can interfere with urination.

biopsy: A procedure in which small samples of tissue are removed for analysis under a microscope.

brachytherapy: Treatment using seeds or pellets of radioactive material, which are implanted in the prostate to destroy cancer cells.

digital rectal examination (DRE): A screening test in which the physician inserts a gloved finger into the rectum to feel the prostate for abnormalities.

5-alpha reductase: An enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. The latter stimulates prostate growth.

open prostatectomy: A surgical procedure in which prostate tissue is removed through an incision in the abdomen.

orchiectomy: A surgical procedure to slow the growth of prostate cancer that involves the removal of the testosterone-producing testicles.

prostate-specific antigen (PSA): A protein produced by the prostate. Elevated PSA levels may indicate the presence of cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, or prostatitis. A PSA test measures the level of this protein in the blood.

prostatic carcinoma: Cancer of the prostate gland.

prostatic urethral stent: A small, springlike cylinder, typically made of titanium, designed to relieve pressure from prostatic tissue and improve urine flow. It is positioned in the narrowed area of the urethra and released to widen the channel.

prostatitis: Inflammation or infection of the prostate, which may result in painful or difficult urination.

radiation therapy: Treatment with high-energy rays (from x-rays or other sources) designed to destroy cancer cells.

radical prostatectomy: A surgical procedure in which the entire prostate is removed.

resectoscope: An instrument that permits a surgeon to view the prostate during transurethral resection.

retrograde ejaculation: An adverse effect of prostate surgery and some medications that causes semen to flow back into the bladder rather than out through the penis.

transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS): A procedure that uses sound waves to create an image of the prostate as a means of detecting cancer. Sound waves are directed to the prostate from a probe inserted in the rectum.

transurethral incision of the prostate (TUIP): An operation used to treat BPH in which incisions are made in the prostate tissue to relieve pressure on the urethra and alleviate urinary difficulties.

transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT): A heat therapy for BPH that uses microwaves to destroy prostate tissue that obstructs urine flow.

transurethral needle ablation (TUNA): A procedure that uses radio waves to heat and destroy prostate cells obstructing the urethra.

transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP): The most common procedure for BPH, in which excess prostate tissue is cut away.

urethra: The tube that transports urine from the bladder (and semen from the prostate and seminal vesicles) out through the penis.

urinary incontinence: The inability to control urine flow, resulting in involuntary discharge or leakage.

vasectomy: An operation that ties off or cuts the tubes through which sperm travel from the testicles to the urethra.

visualized laser-assisted prostatectomy (VLAP): A technique used to treat BPH that allows the surgeon to view the prostate directly while it is being shrunk by a laser beam.