Cancer: Uncontrolled cell growth which may threaten the life of the host.
Carcinoma: Cancer which arises from epithelial (surface lining) cells. Examples: prostate carcinoms, breast carcinoma, colonic carcinoma.
Castration: Treatment which results in elimination of androgens. Examples: surgical castration by removal of the testicales; medical castration by use of androgne deprivation therapy.
CAT scan: Non-invasive method of imaging the body using computer-generated methods. Synonyms: Computed Tomography scan, CT scan.
Catheter: Hollow tube inserted into an organ. Examples: urinary catheter inserted through the urethra into the bladder to drain urine; warming catheter inserted during cryosurgery to protect the urethra from freezing during the operation.
cGy: Abbreviation for centigray, a unit of radiation equivalent to one rad.
Chemoprevention: Preventing development or progression of cancer with drugs.
Chemotherapy: Treatment with drugs that kill cancer cells.
Clinical Stage: Burden and extent of cancer based on physician judgement and diagnostic tests. Compare with pathologic stage.
Clinical Trial: Planned experiment involving patients to test treatment.
Combination Hormone Therapy: The use of multiple complementary treatments to halt androgen production, including orchiectomy and antiandrogens. Synonyms: total androgen blockade, total androgen deprivation.
Computed Tomography: Non-invasive method of imaging the body using computer-generated methods. Synonyms: CT scan, CAT scan.
Conformal Therapy: Method of external-beam radiation therapy that uses a careful map of the individual patient’s prostate to optimize delivery of radiation to the prostate.
Corpus Cavernosum and Corpus Spongiosum: Penile chambers that engorge with blood to result in erection.
Cryosurgery: Treatment which freezes the prostate with liquid nitrogen-filled probes to kill cancer cells. Synonyms: cryoablation, cryotherapy.
CT scan: Non-invasive method of imaging the body using computer-generated methods. Synonyms: Computed Tomography scan, CAT scan.
Cure: Treatment which results in complete destruction of cancer.
Cystoscope: Tubal instrument used to visually inspect the bladder and urethra.