PCAF "Best Practices": Empower yourself / Learn key PC terms

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Patient Advocate and Member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and SWOG

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PCAF "Best Practices": Empower yourself / Learn key PC terms Dec 19, 2013 13:31:15 GMT -8

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Post by Admin on Dec 19, 2013 13:31:15 GMT -8

Prostate Cancer-Related Abbreviations & Acronyms
(Also please note the selected Glossary of terms in posts which follow this list of Abbreviations & Acronyms)

Updated: 2014-06-26

AAT - androgen ablation therapy (same as ADT and HT)
AAWR – anti-androgen withdrawal response
ABDCTSCAN - abdominal CAT scan
ACS - American Cancer Society
ACTH - adrenal corticotropic hormone, also known as corticotropin
ADT - androgen deprivation therapy (same as AAT and HT)
ADT2 - androgen deprivation therapy using two agents (typically the same as just ADT)
ADT3 - triple androgen deprivation therapy (same as ADT but with the addition of finasteride/Proscar or dutasteride/Avodart)
AG - aminoglutethemide
ALK PHOS - alkaline phosphatase
ALT - alanine aminotransferase
ANEUP – aneuploid
ART - Adjuvant Radiotherapy, or Adjuvant Radiation Therapy (also see additional discussion in Glossary section, below)
AS – active surveillance (also see additional discussion in Glossary section, below)
ASCO - American Society of Clinical Oncologists
AST - aspartate aminotransferase
ASTRO - American Society for Radiation Oncology
AT - aneuploid/tetraploid
AUA - American Urological Association
AUS - artificial urinary sphincter
BCR - biochemical recurrance (also see additional discussion in Glossary section, below)
BILI - bilirubin
BMD - bone mineral density
BMI - Body Mass Index
BP - Bluestein prediction
BPH - benign prostatic hyperplasia (also hypertrophy)
BPSA - baseline PSA (used to mean an initial PSA value taken long before any risk of prostate cancer is suspected or a PSA value at the time of diagnosis)
BRACHY - brachytherapy
BS - bone scan
BT - brachytherapy
BTW - by the way
BUN - blood urea nitrogen
BYOBA - "Become Your Own Best Advocate," motto of this web site
B/P - blood pressure
BX - biopsy
CAB - complete androgen blockade (the combination of either surgical or medical castration with an antiandrogen like bicalutamide/Casodex)
CADT - continuous androgen deprivation therapy
CaP - cancer of the prostate
CATH - catheter
CAT SCAN - computerized axial tomography (same as CT scan)
CBC - complete blood count
CDUS - color-flow Doppler ultrasound
CEA - carcinoembryonic antigen
CGA - chromogranin A
CHB - combined hormone blockade (see also CAB, CHT, CHB2, CHT2)
CHB2 - CHB with 2 medications (e.g., Lupron + Casodex)
CHB3 - CHB with 3 medications (e.g. CHB2 + Proscar)
CHBNDT - CHB non-detectable [PSA] time
CHEMO - chemotherapy
CHT - combined hormonal therapy or treatment (see also CAB, CHB)
CHTx3 or CHT3 - see CHB3
CIS - cancer information service (of the National Cancer Institute)
CPA - cyproterone acetate
CP - capsular penetration
CRPC – castration-resistant prostate cancer
CREAT - creatinine
CRYO - cryotherapy, cryoablation, cryosurgery
CS - clinical stage
CT SCAN - computerized tomography (also known as CAT scan or CT scan)
CTC - circulating tumor cell
D - diploid
DES – diethylstilbestrol (an estrogen)
DHEA - dihydroepiandrosterone
DHEA-S - DHEA-sulfate
DHT - dihydrotestosterone
DI - diploid index
DIP - diploid
DNA - deoxyribonucleic acid
DRE - digital rectal examination
DX - diagnosis
DXM - dexamethasone (Decadron)
EBR - external beam radiation
EBRT - external beam radiation therapy
ED – erectile dysfunction
EKG - electrocardiogram
ELISA - enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
EPE - extra prostatic extension
EPO - erythropoeitin (Procrit, Epogen)
EXBT - external beam therapy
EXRT - external radiation therapy
FDA - Food and Drug Administration (USA)
FP – family practitioner
fPSA - Free PSA   (also see additional discussion in Glossary section, below)
FYA - for your amusement
FYI - for your information
G - Gleason's score
GG - Gleason's grade
GNRH - gonadotropin-releasing hormone (see also LHRH)
GP - general practitioner
GS - Gleason score
GY - Gray - an amount of radiation absorbed (One Gy = 100 rad)
HA - hormone ablation
HB - hormone blockade
HC - hydrocortisone
HCT - hemotocrit
HDK - high dose ketoconazole (Nizoral)
HDR – high dose rate (usually pertains to brachytherapy)
HEM/ONC – hematologic oncologist
HGB - hemoglobin
HGPIN - High Grade Prostate Intraepithelial Neoplasia (cancer precursor)
HIFU- high intensity focused ultrasound
HMO - health maintenance organization
HPF - high powered field (under a microscope)
HRPC – hormone-refractory (or hormone-resistant) prostate cancer
HT - hormone therapy (same as AAT and ADT)
HX – medical history
IADT – intermittent androgen deprivation therapy
IAS - intermittent androgen suppression
IHT – intermittent hormone therapy
ICHT - intermittent combined hormone therapy
IGRT – image guided radiation therapy
IHT - intermittent hormone therapy
IMNSHO- in my not so humble opinio
IMPT - intensity modulated proton therapy
IMRT – intensity modulated radiation therapy
IVP - intravenous pyelogram
IV - intravenous, into a vein
Keto - ketoconazole (Nizoral)
LAFB - Left Anterior Fascicular Block
LARP – laproscopic robotic prostatectomy
LF - laser fulguration (also: left side or flank)
LHRH - luteinizing hormone releasing hormone
LNCaP - cell line of human prostate cancer used in laboratory studies
LRP - laparoscopic radical prostatectomy
M0-1 – Status of cancer metastasis, subset of staging
MAB - maximal androgen blockade (same as CAB)
MAD - maximal androgen deprivation (same as CAB)
MCP - modified citrus pectin
MCRPCA - metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer
MD - moderately differentiated, medical doctor
MED/ONC – medical oncologist
MIP - Molecular Imaging Program
MIRs - micro RNA's
MRI - magnetic resonance imaging
MX - in regard to TNM staging, presence of distant metastasis cannot be assessed
N0-N3 - status of cancer in the lymph nodes (subset of staging)
NDPSA - non-detectable PSA
NDX - new diagnosis
NEG - negative
NHT - neoadjuvant hormone therapy (also see additional discussion in Glossary section, below)
NIH - National Institutes of Health (USA)
NL - nil (non-detectable response)
NP - Narayan prediction
NSAID - Non-Seroidal Anti-Inflamatory Drug (Ibuprophen, Aspirin)
NSE - neuron-specific enolase
NX - in regard to TNM staging, regional lymph nodes cannot be assessed
ONC - oncologist
ORCH - orchiectomy
P53 - p53 gene
PAACT - Patient Advocates for Advancement in Cancer Therapy
PAP - prostatic acid phosphatase
PARP - poly(adenosine diphosphate [ADP]-ribose) polymerase
PBRT - proton beam radiation therapy, or also, prostate bed radiation therapy
PBT - proton beam therapy
PC - prostate cancer
PCa - prostate cancer
PCAF - Prostate Cancer Advocates Forum (this web site)
PCA3 - prostate cancer gene 3 (a genetic marker for prostate cancer), also used to mean a urine test designed to indentify the presence or absence of this genetic marker (properly “PCA3 test”)
PCD - prostate cancer [personal] digest
PET Scan - Positron emission tomography scan
PD - poorly differentiated
PDQ - Physician's Data Query (a service of the National Cancer Institute)
PIN - prostatic intraepithelial (or intraductal) neoplasia
PNI - perineural invasion
POS - positive
PP - Partin prediction
PPI - post prostatectomy incontinence
PPO - preferred provider organization
PRL – prolactin
PRP – see RPP
PSA - prostate specific antigen   (also see additional discussion in Glossary section, below, regarding free PSA)
PSA II - prostate-specific antigen type II assay
PSA RT-PCR - PSA reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction
PSADT - PSA doubling time
PSAV - PSA velocity
PSM - prostate specific membrane
PSMA - prostate specific membrane antigen
PV - prostate volume
QCT - quantitative computerized tomography (bone density scan)
QOL – quality of life
RAD/ONC – radiation oncologist
RALP – robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (similar to LRP but with “robotic” assistance)
RO – radiation oncologist
RP - radical prostatectomy
RPP - radical perineal prostatectomy
RRP - radical retropubic prostatectomy
RT - radiation therapy; also: right side
RT-PCR or RTPCR - reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction
RT PCR PSA - reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction done on PSA
RT PCR PSM - reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction done on PSM
RX – prescription
SBRT - stereotactic body radiation therapy
SE – side effects
SEEDS - brachytherapy
SI - seed implantation
SRT - salvage radiation therapy (also see additional discussion in Glossary section, below)
STP - stereotactic transperineal prostate biopsy
SV - seminal vesicles
SVI - seminal vesicle invasion (or involvement)
SWOG - Southwest Oncology Group
T - testosterone, also tetraploid
T0-T4 - status of cancer in the prostate itself (subset of staging)
TAB - total androgen blockade
TETRA - tetraploid
TFT - targeted focal therapy
TIP - timed intervention period (time in period)
TNM - staging system referring to Tumor, Nodes and Metastisis
TOP - time off period
TRT - testosterone replacement therapy
TRUS - transrectal ultrasound
TRUS-P or TRUSP - transrectal ultrasound of the prostate
TTND - time to non-detectable
TURP, TUR/P - transurethral resection of the prostate
TX - treatment; also in regard to TNM staging, primary tumor cannot be assessed
TZ - transition zone (of prostate)
URO - urologist
US - ultrasound
UTI - urinary tract infection
URL - universal resource locator; e.g., an address on the intranet
UTI - urinary track infection
VED - vacuum erection device
WBC - white blood cell count
WBC/HPF - white blood cells counted per high powered field (of a microscope)
WD - well differentiated
WPRT - whole pelvic radiation therapy
WW - watchful waiting (also see additional discussion in Glossary section, below)
XRT - external radiation therapy
YO - year(s) old

The list above is acronyms & abbreviations only, but a useful glossary (definitions) of PC terms may also be found here:
   * Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) website

Last Edit: Jul 1, 2014 10:11:01 GMT -8 by admin: refresh

KC
Veteran Member

Posts: 10,133

PCAF "Best Practices": Empower yourself / Learn key PC terms Jan 14, 2014 9:12:23 GMT -8

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Post by KC on Jan 14, 2014 9:12:23 GMT -8

The acronyms "AS" (for Active Surveillance) and "WW" (for Watchful Waiting) have very different meanings but are sometimes mistakenly used interchangeably. Here are definitions for each term:

“Watchful Waiting” is a strategy of using less intensive follow-up (fewer monitoring tests) and relying on changes in a man’s symptoms to decide if a treatment is needed. If symptoms appear, whether it is a lower urinary tract obstruction or bone pain from metastatic disease, treatment is introduced to relieve symptoms…so it is a palliative (not curative) therapy. This strategy is usually applied to an individual who has fewer years of life expectancy and/or has other concomitant health problems. “Watchful waiting” has been around a long time, but the fundamental basis for modern forms of this strategy is that one is trying to avoid receiving treatment of any type for as long as possible so that the patient may optimize his quality of life, while recognizing that it may be necessary in the long term to intervene so that he has minimal impact from the potential morbidity and mortality associated with prostate cancer.

“Active Surveillance” is a very different strategy of proactive, prospective therapy for carefully selected LOW RISK men to measure the pace of disease progression (or lack thereof) by regular monitoring AND instituting treatment with curative intent based on pre-defined change in the monitoring test results. Close observation over time is the best way to distinguish men who can be safely watched from the men who genuinely need treatment. This important element of “time” as an important prognostic guide for men with LOW RISK PC is unavailable at the moment of initial diagnosis…which has led to the mantra given to newly diagnosed LOW RISK men not to “rush” any aggressive treatment decision without understanding the true “benefits” of treatment (many men are unaware of the uncertainty/controversies that aggressive treatment may not improve their survival, especially LOW RISK PC) versus the “costs” (many men are surprised post-op because they didn’t quite understand the gravity of the side effects). “Active Surveillance” is a relatively new term as more-and-more of the experts have realized that not all cases of PC need aggressive treatment.

KC’s PC Case History: HERE

KC
Veteran Member

Posts: 10,133

PCAF "Best Practices": Empower yourself / Learn key PC terms Jun 24, 2014 10:16:26 GMT -8

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Post by KC on Jun 24, 2014 10:16:26 GMT -8

More PC-related terms to know and understand…

“Prostate Cancer Prevalence” refers to the total number of prostate cancers existing in a given population at a certain time. For prostate cancer the true prevalence is unknown. Prevalence is best estimated from incidental findings on autopsy studies or from whole-mount specimens from cystoprostatectomy. The best US data comes from Sakr (In Vivo. 1994 May/June) who reported finding invasive carcinoma at autopsy in 249 cases of men in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s, at a rate of 2%, 29%, 32%, 55%, and 64% with another study reporting 83% between 71-80. It is from this data that the rule of thumb related to prevalence is drawn: “the likelihood of a man having prostate cancer is roughly equal to his age expressed in percent.”

The time from cancer genesis to clinically diagnosable cancer ("sojourn time") is unknown but estimates suggest that this process may take more than 7-14 years. This interval differs from "lag time," which refers to the period between PSA detection of cancer and a clinical diagnosis, generally estimated at 4-9 years depending on the degree of aggressiveness.

“Prostate Cancer Incidence” refers to the number of new cases of prostate cancer diagnosed in a certain period. Incidence figures vary according to the method and thoroughness of the effort to diagnose.

For example a prevalence/incidence hybrid figure was reported regarding the 2950 men in the control arm of the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PSA <4 ng/ml; DRE, normal)."End-of-study" biopsies diagnosed cancer in 15.2% (15% of whom had Gleason sum >7). The 15.2% figure from the PCPT is lower than the prevalence figures found in autopsy/cystoprostatectomy studies because of biopsy "sampling error" and the fact in the earlier period of a tumor's growth it not "biopsydiagnosable."

KC’s PC Case History: HERE

KC
Veteran Member

Posts: 10,133

PCAF "Best Practices": Empower yourself / Learn key PC terms Jun 26, 2014 8:39:49 GMT -8

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Post by KC on Jun 26, 2014 8:39:49 GMT -8

More terms/concepts which are important to the PC community...

Neoadjuvant therapy – Treatment given BEFORE the primary, main or initial treatment. For example, hormone therapy is sometimes given before primary radiotherapy to reduce the size of the prostate.

Adjuvant therapy – Treatment that is given IN ADDITION to the primary, main or initial treatment. An example of adjuvant therapy is the additional treatment given after surgery where all detectable disease has been removed, but where there remains a statistical risk of relapse due to occult disease. In cases of prostate cancer, radiotherapy or systemic therapy (hormone therapy, immunotherapy or chemotherapy) is commonly given as adjuvant treatment after surgery for high-risk cases and/or in cases with unfavorable surgical pathology. Adjuvant Radiotherapy = ART.

Salvage therapy – Treatments given AFTER primary treatment fails. Salvage radiation therapy (SRT) is a common “second attempt” at treatment following post-prostatectomy biochemical recurrence (BCR).

For more information specifically about Adjuvant and Salvage Radiotherapy after prostatectomy, please read THIS joint ASTRO/AUA Guideline. This Guideline specifically discusses ART vs. SRT as one of the most pressing clinical questions regarding care of the post-RP patient.

Last Edit: Jun 26, 2014 8:43:16 GMT -8 by admin

KC’s PC Case History: HERE

KC
Veteran Member

Posts: 10,133

PCAF "Best Practices": Empower yourself / Learn key PC terms Jul 1, 2014 8:15:03 GMT -8

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Post by KC on Jul 1, 2014 8:15:03 GMT -8

What is BCR, biochemical recurrence?

This definition has been recently set forth: Biochemical recurrence is a rise in the blood level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in prostate cancer patients after treatment with surgery or radiation. Biochemical recurrence may occur in patients who do not have symptoms. It may mean that the cancer has come back. Also called PSA failure and biochemical relapse.

Who defines when BCR has occurred?   That depends. Urologists (or more specifically, the American Urological Association, AUA) defines BCR after surgery, and ASTRO (American Society for Radiation Oncologists) defines BCR after radiation treatment.

   * AFTER SURGERY, BCR is defined as an initial PSA value of 0.2 ng/mL or more followed by a subsequent confirmatory PSA value of 0.2 ng/mL or more. LINK

   * AFTER RADIATION, BCR is defined as a PSA value of 2 ng/mL greater than the absolute nadir.   LINK

Last Edit: Jul 2, 2014 7:55:38 GMT -8 by KC

KC’s PC Case History: HERE

KC
Veteran Member

Posts: 10,133

PCAF "Best Practices": Empower yourself / Learn key PC terms Jul 1, 2014 10:07:28 GMT -8

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Post by KC on Jul 1, 2014 10:07:28 GMT -8

How is free PSA (or fPSA) used as a biopsy decision aid?

As important background, an American Urological Association (AUA) guideline says that “consideration should be given to confirming an abnormal PSA before proceeding to biopsy. This is especially true if a normal DRE is combined with either low, but abnormal PSA levels (i.e., <5-6 ng.mL), or with abnormal, but limited fluctuations in PSA at low levels.”

When one has a “PSA test,” the result is actually the undistinguished sum of two components: the complex PSA and the uncomplexed, or free PSA.

The percent free PSA (fPSA) test is the most common method of determining whether a man with slightly elevated PSA (assuming no findings in DRE) should proceed with a biopsy, or whether the biopsy can be avoided.

It wasn’t until 1987 when scientists were performing a molecular sieving process (sifting, or separating elements by size) that two different forms of PSA were discovered—a small one and a large one—but it took several more years to discover the identity of the 2 major molecular forms of PSA in serum.

Since then, it has been demonstrated that fPSA (the smaller sized component of total PSA) is highly correlated with benign prostate disease and a decreased probability of prostate cancer. In other words, fPSA is generally lower in prostate cancer than in benign prostate enlargement, which has led to the development of specific immunosassays (blood tests) for fPSA. The ratio of fPSA to total PSA is, therefore, a useful clinical measurement to increase the predictive value for positive biopsies and cancer detection.

In general, a high ratio of fPSA to total PSA (>25%) greatly reduces the probability of PC. On the other hand, a low percentage of fPSA (<10%) greatly increases the probability of PC. A limitation of fPSA is that most patients will be in the middle (a “gray zone”) with a PSA between 4 and 10 and a percent of fPSA between 10% and 25%. Another limitation is that fPSA (and of course PSA) is a function of prostate size (whereas PCA3/PSA ratio is independent of prostate size). Nevertheless, fPSA is used (for many men, those who are not in the "gray zone") to aid biopsy decisions.

LINK

Last Edit: Jul 2, 2014 7:54:55 GMT -8 by KC

KC’s PC Case History: HERE

PCAF "Best Practices": Empower yourself / Learn key PC terms

Post by Admin on Dec 19, 2013 13:31:15 GMT -8

Post by KC on Jan 14, 2014 9:12:23 GMT -8

Post by KC on Jun 24, 2014 10:16:26 GMT -8

Post by KC on Jun 26, 2014 8:39:49 GMT -8

Post by KC on Jul 1, 2014 8:15:03 GMT -8

Post by KC on Jul 1, 2014 10:07:28 GMT -8

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