Helpful Links – A list of highly respected prostate cancer resources that you and your loved ones can explore to learn more about your condition.
Advocacy Groups – Connecting with others facing the same illness is not only comforting—it’s empowering. Here’s a sampling of support groups and resources to help you stay connected.
Glossary – The medical management of prostate cancer has its own special language, which can be challenging for patients and caregivers alike. We’ve compiled a list of terms—along with their definitions—to make communication easier for you.
Useful educational materials you can download now!
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A brochure that includes |
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Handy card with all the basic facts about VANTAS. |
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To help you take care of the incision site after receiving the VANTAS implant. |
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To view or print these documents, you must use the Adobe® Reader®, which is free and available directly from the Adobe Web site at www.adobe.com. |
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Helpful links at your fingertips
"Knowledge is Power," as the saying goes, and it’s especially true when it comes to maintaining your health. No matter whether you are a patient with prostate cancer, a family member, or friend, it’s important to have access to the latest, most reliable facts about the disease.
To help you learn more about prostate cancer, we’ve compiled a handy list of highly respected resources you can explore to learn more about the disease.
As always, be sure to discuss all of your options and questions with your doctor.
The American Cancer Society
1-800-ACS-2345
www.cancer.org
CancerCare
1-800-813-HOPE
www.cancercare.org
National Cancer Institute
prostate cancer page
www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/prostate
OncoLink
www.oncolink.com
Prostate Cancer Foundation
1-800-757-2873
www.prostatecancerfoundation.org
The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
www.canceradvocacy.org
American Urological Association
1-800-828-7866
www.urologyhealth.org
US TOO International
www.ustoo.org
Support is just a few clicks away
When faced with a diagnosis of prostate disease, it’s reassuring to know you don’t have to go through it alone. Millions of men just like you are managing their disease and living healthy, productive lives, thanks in part to advances in cancer treatment such as VANTAS.
In addition to support from your doctor, family, and friends, you can find help from specialized organizations and support groups. Connecting with others facing the same illness is not only comforting—it’s empowering.
Below is a sampling of support groups and other resources to help you stay connected. And remember, if you are a caregiver for a patient with prostate disease, there are special groups created just for you.
In addition to these national groups, contact your local hospital or cancer care center to see about any support groups they might offer.
Support Groups and Resources
US TOO International Prostate Cancer Education & Support Network
www.ustoo.org
The Prostate Cancer Research Institute (PCRI)
www.prostate-cancer.org
American Cancer Society Man to Man—Support for Survivors and Patients
www.cancer.org
PSA Rising
www.psa-rising.com
The National Prostate Cancer Coalition (NPCC)
www.pcacoalition.org
Malecare
www.malecare.com
Prostate Cancer Education Council (PCEC)
Prostate Cancer Awareness Week
www.PCAW.com
American Urological Association
www.auafoundation.org
www.UrologyHealth.org
Prostate cancer treatment glossary
The medical management of prostate cancer has its own special language, which can be confusing for patients and loved ones who care for them. Here are some useful definitions of words and phrases that may come up during your discussions of treatment options, including VANTAS.
A
Adjunctive Therapy: Additional treatment added to a primary therapy to achieve a better outcome
Androgen: A hormone that promotes the development and maintenance of male sex characteristics
Androgen Suppression: Treatment that suppresses or blocks the production of male hormones
(also called Androgen Ablation)
B
Benign: Not cancerous
Biopsy: Removal of a small tissue sample for microscopic examination
Bone Scan: A picture of the skeleton that determines if cancer has spread to the bone
Brachytherapy: Procedure to insert radioactive material, which is sealed in seeds, wires, catheters, or needles, directly into or near a tumor (also called Internal Radiation, Implant Radiation, or Interstitial Radiation Therapy)
C
Cancer: A growth made up of abnormal cells that can invade nearby organs and spread to other parts of the body (also called a Malignant Tumor or Neoplasm)
Castration: Destruction of the testes by radiation, surgery or other means
Chemotherapy: Use of chemicals to destroy cancer cells
Computed Tomographic Scan (CT Scan): Cross-sectional images of the body created by a computer linked to an x-ray machine
Cryotherapy: The treatment used to destroy cells by freezing them
D
Digital Rectal Examination (DRE): Insertion of a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum to feel the prostate
E
External Beam Radiation: Radiation therapy that uses a machine to aim high-energy rays at cancer cells to kill them (also called External Radiation)
F
No Terms
G
Gland: An organ that makes substances such as hormones, sweat, tears, or milk and releases them directly into the body
Gleason Score: A system of grading prostate cancer cells based on how they look under the microscope—a high Gleason score means the tumor is more likely to grow and spread than a tumor with a low Gleason score
H
Histrelin: A testosterone-blocking agent that slows the growth of prostate cancer
Hormone Suppression Therapy: Treatment to prevent male hormones from stimulating further growth of prostate cancer (also called Androgen Deprivation Therapy)
HYDRON® polymer: A soft, flexible material, similar to the material in a soft contact lens, that acts as a slow-release reservoir for histrelin, the medicine inside the VANTAS implant
I
Impotence: The inability, occasionally or all the time, to have or maintain an erection adequate for sexual intercourse (also called Erectile Dysfunction)
Incision: The cutting of skin made during a surgical procedure
J
No Terms
K
No Terms
L
Localized Prostate Cancer: Cancer confined locally within the prostate
Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone (LHRH): A hormone that in men stimulates production of testosterone by the testes
Lymph Nodes: Small glands located throughout the body where immune cells gather to defend against microbes (such as bacteria)
M
Malignant: Cancers that can invade and spread throughout the body
Metastasize: The spread of cancer cells from one part of the body to another
N
No Terms
O
Orchiectomy: Surgical removal of the testicles
P
Prostate: A walnut-sized gland of the male reproductive system that produces part of the semen
Prostate Cancer: Cancer of the prostate gland
Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA): A substance produced by the prostate gland sometimes found in increased amounts in the blood of men with prostate cancer, infection or inflammation of the prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia
Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Test: A blood test that measures the level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA)
Prostatectomy: An operation to remove part (or all) of the prostate gland
Q
No Terms
R
Radical Prostatectomy: Surgical removal of the entire prostate
Radiation Therapy: Use of radioactive material to destroy cancer cells
S
No Terms
T
Testosterone: A hormone needed for the development and maintenance of male sex characteristics
Transrectal Ultrasonography: An image of the prostate produced when a probe is inserted into the rectum and directs sound waves to the prostate
Tumor Grade: A labeling system indicating how quickly a cancer is growing and how a patient will respond to therapy
Tumor Stage: A labeling system describing the extent of cancer within the body—stages range from I, the most microscopic, to IV, the most widespread
U
Urologist: A surgeon who specializes in diseases of the urinary tract in men and women and the reproductive system of males
V
No Terms
W
Watchful Waiting: A treatment approach for localized, slow-growing prostate cancer that involves having regular checkups instead of immediate therapy
X
No Terms
Y
No Terms
Z
No Terms