Words you will hear
Glossary, in plain language.
Definitions are written for patients and families and are deliberately brief. A term can mean slightly different things in different situations, so ask your care team how it applies to you. Each entry links to the guide or guides where it appears.
158 terms
A
- ACTH
A pituitary hormone that tells the adrenal glands to make cortisol. It is low when an adrenal tumor makes cortisol on its own.
FromAdrenal tumors
- Active surveillance
Regular PSA tests, exams, MRI and repeat biopsies for lower-risk cancer, with the plan to offer curative treatment if the cancer changes.
- Adenoma
A benign (non-cancerous) tumor of the adrenal cortex; the most common adrenal mass.
FromAdrenal tumors
- Adjuvant therapy
Treatment given after complete surgery to lower the chance the cancer returns.
FromBladder cancerKidney cancerUpper tract urothelial cancer
- Adjuvant treatment
Extra treatment given after surgery to lower the chance that cancer comes back, even though no cancer can be seen.
- Adrenal cortex
The outer layer of the adrenal gland, which makes cortisol, aldosterone and androgens.
FromAdrenal tumors
- Adrenal glands
Two small hormone-making glands that sit on top of the kidneys.
FromAdrenal tumors
- Adrenal insufficiency
When the body cannot make enough of its own steroid hormones, treated with hydrocortisone and sometimes fludrocortisone.
FromAdrenal tumors
- Adrenal medulla
The inner part of the adrenal gland, which makes adrenaline and noradrenaline.
FromAdrenal tumors
- Adrenal vein sampling
A test that takes blood from each adrenal vein through a thin tube to see which side makes too much aldosterone.
FromAdrenal tumors
- Adrenalectomy
An operation to remove an adrenal gland, done through small incisions (minimally invasive) or a larger open incision.
FromAdrenal tumors
- Adrenocortical carcinoma
A rare cancer that starts in the adrenal cortex.
FromAdrenal tumors
- AFP (alpha-fetoprotein)
A blood tumor marker made by some non-seminoma cells. It is never made by pure seminoma.
- Alpha blockade
Medicines such as doxazosin or phenoxybenzamine given before pheochromocytoma surgery to control blood pressure.
FromAdrenal tumors
- Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)
Hormone therapy that lowers testosterone, by injections, implants or removal of the testicles.
FromProstate cancer
- Angiomyolipoma
A benign kidney tumor that usually contains fat, which helps identify it on imaging.
FromKidney cancer
- Aristolochic acid
A plant chemical found in some herbal remedies that damages the kidneys and can cause upper tract cancer.
B
- BCG
Bacillus Calmette-Guérin, a weakened bacterium placed in the bladder to stimulate the immune system against cancer.
FromBladder cancer
- BCG-unresponsive
High-grade cancer that persists or returns soon after adequate BCG, meaning more BCG is unlikely to help.
FromBladder cancer
- BEP
A chemotherapy combination of bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin.
- Biochemical recurrence
A rise in PSA after treatment, without cancer yet visible on scans.
FromProstate cancer
- Bladder cuff
The small piece of bladder wall around the ureter opening, removed with the ureter to lower the risk of recurrence.
- Blue light cystoscopy
Cystoscopy after a dye is placed in the bladder so tumors glow under blue light and are easier to see.
FromBladder cancer
- Bosniak classification
A system that sorts kidney cysts from I (benign) to IV (likely cancer) based on how complex they look on imaging.
FromKidney cancer
- Brachytherapy
Radiation placed inside the prostate, either as permanent low-dose-rate seeds or temporary high-dose-rate sources.
C
- Calyx (plural calyces)
Small cup-shaped spaces inside the kidney that collect urine and drain into the renal pelvis.
- Carboplatin
A platinum chemotherapy drug, given as one or two doses as an option after orchiectomy for stage I seminoma.
- Carcinoma in situ (CIS)
A flat, high-grade cancer confined to the bladder lining that can spread quickly if untreated.
- Castration-resistant
Prostate cancer that grows even though testosterone has been lowered to castrate levels.
FromProstate cancer
- Chronic kidney disease (CKD)
Long-term loss of kidney function, graded by stage using eGFR and protein in the urine.
FromKidney cancer
- Clear cell RCC
The most common type of RCC, named for how its cells look under the microscope.
FromKidney cancer
- Contrast washout
How quickly contrast dye leaves a mass on CT. Washout above 60% at 15 minutes suggests a benign tumor.
FromAdrenal tumors
- Corpora cavernosa
The two erection chambers running along the top of the penis.
FromPenile cancer
- Corpus spongiosum
The spongy tissue around the urethra that forms the glans.
FromPenile cancer
- CT urography
A CT scan with contrast dye timed to show the kidneys, ureters and bladder.
- Cushing syndrome
The effects of too much cortisol, such as weight gain around the trunk, weakness, high blood pressure and high blood sugar.
FromAdrenal tumors
- Cystoscopy
A look inside the bladder with a thin camera passed through the urethra.
- Cytoreductive nephrectomy
Removing the kidney tumor in someone whose cancer has already spread.
FromKidney cancer
D
- Digital rectal exam (DRE)
An exam in which a clinician feels the back of the prostate with a gloved finger through the rectum.
FromProstate cancer
- Distal ureterectomy
Removal of the lower part of the ureter, with the remaining ureter reattached to the bladder.
- Dynamic sentinel node biopsy (DSNB)
A procedure using a tracer to find and remove only the first lymph nodes draining the tumor.
FromPenile cancer
E
- eGFR
Estimated glomerular filtration rate, a blood-test estimate of how well the kidneys filter.
FromKidney cancer
- EP
A chemotherapy combination of etoposide and cisplatin, without bleomycin.
- External beam radiation therapy (EBRT)
Radiation delivered from a machine outside the body over a series of sessions.
FromProstate cancer
- Extranodal extension
Cancer that has broken through the outer capsule of a lymph node.
FromPenile cancer
F
- FDG-PET/CT
A scan that uses a sugar-based tracer to show active tumor anywhere in the body.
FromAdrenal tumors
- Frozen section
A quick microscope check of tissue edges during surgery to confirm the tumor is fully removed.
FromPenile cancer
- Functional tumor
A tumor that makes too much of a hormone.
FromAdrenal tumors
G
- GCNIS
Germ cell neoplasia in situ: abnormal, non-invasive cells inside the sperm-making tubes that can become invasive cancer.
- Germ cell tumor
A tumor that starts from the cells that normally develop into sperm. Over 90 percent of testicular cancers are germ cell tumors.
- Germline testing
A blood or saliva test for inherited gene changes, such as BRCA2, that may affect treatment and family members.
FromProstate cancer
- Gerota's fascia
The thin wrapping around the kidney and its fat; growth beyond it means stage T4.
FromKidney cancer
- Glans
The head of the penis.
FromPenile cancer
- Glans resurfacing
Removing the surface layer of the glans and covering it with a thin skin graft.
FromPenile cancer
- Glansectomy
Removing part or all of the head of the penis, usually with a graft to form a new glans.
FromPenile cancer
- Gleason score
A pathologist's score of how abnormal the cancer's growth patterns look, now translated into a Grade Group.
FromProstate cancer
- Grade
How abnormal the cancer cells look under a microscope; urothelial tumors are called low grade or high grade.
- Grade Group
A scale from 1 (least aggressive) to 5 (most aggressive) used to describe prostate cancer under the microscope.
FromProstate cancer
H
- Half-life
The time it takes for a marker level in the blood to fall by half once its source is removed.
- hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin)
A blood tumor marker made by choriocarcinoma, embryonal carcinoma and some seminomas.
- HIFU
High-intensity focused ultrasound, which uses focused sound energy to heat and destroy prostate tissue.
FromProstate cancer
- Hounsfield units (HU)
A measure of tissue density on CT. Fat-rich benign adenomas usually measure under +10 HU without contrast.
FromAdrenal tumors
- HPV
Human papillomavirus, a common sexually transmitted virus linked to many penile cancers.
FromPenile cancer
- Hydronephrosis
Swelling of a kidney because urine flow is blocked, sometimes by a bladder tumor.
- Hypofractionation
Radiation given in fewer, larger daily doses than traditional schedules.
FromProstate cancer
- Hypogonadism
Low testosterone production, which can cause tiredness, low sex drive and other symptoms.
I
- IGCCCG risk group
A good, intermediate or poor risk rating for cancer that has spread, used to choose chemotherapy.
- Ileal conduit
A urinary diversion using a piece of bowel to carry urine to a stoma on the belly, where it drains into a bag.
FromBladder cancer
- IMDC risk group
A score from six clinical and blood test factors that sorts metastatic kidney cancer into favorable, intermediate or poor risk.
FromKidney cancer
- Immune checkpoint inhibitor
An immunotherapy drug that releases the brakes on the immune system so it can attack cancer.
FromKidney cancer
- Imperative indication
A situation, such as a single kidney or cancer on both sides, where removing a kidney would seriously threaten kidney function.
- Incidentaloma
An adrenal mass found by chance on a scan done for another reason.
FromAdrenal tumors
- Induction and maintenance
Induction is the first weekly course of bladder treatment; maintenance is repeated shorter courses afterward to keep the effect.
FromBladder cancer
- Inguinal lymph node dissection (ILND)
An operation to remove the lymph nodes and fatty tissue of the groin.
FromPenile cancer
- Inguinal lymph nodes
The lymph nodes in the groin, the first place penile cancer usually spreads.
FromPenile cancer
- Intravesical instillation
Placing a drug directly into the bladder through a catheter.
- Intravesical therapy
Medicine placed directly into the bladder through a catheter, such as BCG or chemotherapy.
FromBladder cancer
K
- Ki-67
A lab measure of how many tumor cells are dividing; higher values suggest faster growth.
FromAdrenal tumors
- Kidney-sparing surgery
Treatment that removes or destroys the tumor while keeping the kidney, such as ureteroscopic ablation or segmental ureterectomy.
L
- LDH (lactate dehydrogenase)
A non-specific blood marker that reflects how much cancer is present.
- Lichen sclerosus
A long-term inflammatory skin condition that scars the foreskin and glans.
FromPenile cancer
- Lymph node dissection
Removal of lymph nodes that drain the area, to check for and remove cancer spread.
- Lymphedema
Long-lasting swelling of the legs or genitals after lymph nodes are removed or treated.
FromPenile cancer
- Lymphovascular invasion (LVI)
Cancer cells seen inside small blood or lymph vessels of the tumor; a key risk factor for relapse in non-seminoma.
- Lynch syndrome
An inherited condition affecting DNA repair genes that raises the risk of colorectal, endometrial, upper tract urothelial and other cancers.
M
- Metanephrines
Breakdown products of adrenaline and noradrenaline measured in blood or urine to test for pheochromocytoma.
FromAdrenal tumors
- Metastasectomy
Surgery to remove one or a few sites of cancer spread.
FromKidney cancer
- Metastasis
Cancer that has spread from where it started to another part of the body.
FromAdrenal tumors
- MIBC
Muscle-invasive bladder cancer: stage T2 or higher, grown into the muscle wall of the bladder.
FromBladder cancer
- Mitomycin gel
A chemotherapy gel placed into the renal pelvis to treat low-grade tumors; also called UGN-101.
- Mitotane
An oral drug that destroys adrenal cortex tissue, used for adrenocortical carcinoma.
FromAdrenal tumors
N
- Neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Chemotherapy given before surgery to shrink the cancer and treat hidden spread.
- Neoadjuvant therapy
Treatment given before surgery.
- Neobladder
A new bladder made from bowel and connected to the urethra so urine leaves the usual way.
FromBladder cancer
- Nerve-sparing
A surgical technique that preserves the nerves beside the prostate that control erections, when it is safe to do so.
- NMIBC
Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: tumors (Ta, T1 or CIS) that have not grown into the bladder muscle.
FromBladder cancer
- Non-seminoma
Germ cell tumors that include embryonal carcinoma, yolk sac tumor, choriocarcinoma and teratoma, alone or mixed.
O
- Oncocytoma
A benign kidney tumor that can look like cancer on scans and can be hard to tell apart on biopsy.
FromKidney cancer
P
- p16
A lab stain on the tumor that shows whether HPV is active in it.
FromPenile cancer
- Paraganglioma
A tumor like a pheochromocytoma that grows outside the adrenal gland along nerve chains.
FromAdrenal tumors
- Partial nephrectomy
Surgery that removes the tumor and a rim of normal tissue while keeping the rest of the kidney.
FromKidney cancer
- Partial penectomy
Removing the end of the penis with a safe margin, keeping the rest of the shaft.
FromPenile cancer
- PeIN
Penile intraepithelial neoplasia: precancerous cells limited to the surface layer, staged as Tis.
FromPenile cancer
- Pelvic lymph node dissection
Removal of lymph nodes in the pelvis during prostatectomy to check whether cancer has spread.
- Pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND)
An operation to remove lymph nodes inside the pelvis.
FromPenile cancer
- Perineal urethrostomy
A new opening for urine in the area between the scrotum and anus.
FromPenile cancer
- Pheochromocytoma
A tumor of the adrenal medulla that makes catecholamines (adrenaline-type hormones).
FromAdrenal tumors
- Phimosis
A tight foreskin that cannot be pulled back over the glans.
FromPenile cancer
- PI-RADS
A standard 1 to 5 score radiologists use to describe how suspicious an area on prostate MRI looks.
FromProstate cancer
- Primary aldosteronism
Too much aldosterone from the adrenal glands, causing high blood pressure and sometimes low potassium.
FromAdrenal tumors
- PSA (prostate-specific antigen)
A protein made by the prostate and measured in the blood. It can rise with cancer, benign enlargement or inflammation.
FromProstate cancer
- PSA density
PSA divided by prostate volume. A lower value suggests a lower chance of significant cancer.
FromProstate cancer
- PSA doubling time
How long it takes PSA to double. A shorter doubling time suggests faster-growing cancer.
FromProstate cancer
- PSMA PET
A scan using a tracer that attaches to a protein on prostate cancer cells, able to find small deposits that CT or bone scans may miss.
FromProstate cancer
R
- Radical cystectomy
Surgery to remove the bladder and nearby lymph nodes, and usually the prostate in men or some reproductive organs in women.
FromBladder cancer
- Radical inguinal orchiectomy
Removal of the testicle and spermatic cord through a groin incision.
- Radical nephrectomy
Surgery that removes the whole kidney, usually with the surrounding fat.
FromKidney cancer
- Radical nephroureterectomy
Surgery that removes the kidney, the whole ureter and a small cuff of bladder around the ureter opening.
- Radical prostatectomy
Surgery to remove the whole prostate and seminal vesicles, often with nearby lymph nodes.
FromProstate cancer
- Renal cell carcinoma (RCC)
The most common kidney cancer, starting in the lining of the kidney's tiny tubes.
FromKidney cancer
- Renal mass
Any growth or lump in the kidney seen on imaging. It may be benign or cancer.
FromKidney cancer
- Renal mass biopsy
Taking small cores of tissue from a kidney mass with a thin needle guided by CT or ultrasound.
FromKidney cancer
- Renal pelvis
The funnel-shaped space inside the kidney where urine collects before draining into the ureter.
- Repeat (restaging) TURBT
A second resection a few weeks after the first, to remove leftover tumor and check for deeper growth.
FromBladder cancer
- Retroperitoneum
The area at the back of the abdomen, around the kidneys and large blood vessels, where testicular cancer usually spreads first.
- RPLND
Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection: surgery to remove the lymph nodes at the back of the abdomen.
S
- Salvage radiation
Radiation given to the area where the prostate was after PSA rises following prostatectomy.
FromProstate cancer
- Sarcomatoid features
An aggressive growth pattern within a kidney cancer, counted as grade 4.
FromKidney cancer
- SBRT
Stereotactic body radiation therapy: very precise, high-dose radiation given in a few sessions.
FromKidney cancer
- Seminoma
A type of germ cell tumor that tends to grow slowly and is very sensitive to chemotherapy and radiation.
- Small renal mass
A kidney mass 4 cm or smaller (clinical stage T1a).
FromKidney cancer
- Sperm banking
Freezing semen samples so they can be used later to try to have children.
- Squamous cell carcinoma
The most common type of penile cancer, starting in the flat cells covering the skin surface.
FromPenile cancer
- Stoma
An opening on the belly where urine exits after some types of urinary diversion.
FromBladder cancer
- Stress-dose steroids
Extra steroid medicine given around surgery when the body may not make enough cortisol on its own.
FromAdrenal tumors
- Surveillance
Close monitoring with visits, blood tests and scans instead of immediate extra treatment.
- Systematic biopsy
Biopsy cores taken in a set pattern from across the prostate, regardless of MRI findings.
FromProstate cancer
T
- Targeted biopsy
Biopsy cores taken from a specific suspicious area seen on MRI, often using MRI-ultrasound fusion.
FromProstate cancer
- Teratoma
A germ cell tumor component that does not respond to chemotherapy and is cured only by surgical removal.
- Testicular prosthesis
A soft implant placed in the scrotum to restore its appearance after a testicle is removed.
- Thermal ablation
Destroying a tumor in place with cold (cryoablation) or heat (radiofrequency or microwave), usually through needles placed through the skin.
FromKidney cancer
- TIP
A chemotherapy combination of paclitaxel, ifosfamide and cisplatin.
FromPenile cancer
- Total penectomy
Removing the whole penis, with a new urine opening behind the scrotum.
FromPenile cancer
- Transperineal biopsy
A biopsy taken through the skin between the scrotum and anus rather than through the rectum.
FromProstate cancer
- Trimodality therapy
Bladder-sparing treatment that combines maximal TURBT, radiation and radiosensitizing chemotherapy.
FromBladder cancer
- Tumor thrombus
Tumor that has grown into the renal vein or vena cava.
FromKidney cancer
- TURBT
Transurethral resection of bladder tumor: removing a bladder tumor through the urethra under anesthesia for diagnosis and treatment.
FromBladder cancer
U
- Ureter
The narrow tube that carries urine from each kidney to the bladder.
- Ureteroscopy
A procedure using a thin camera passed up into the ureter and kidney to see, sample or treat tumors.
- Urine cytology
A microscope test that looks for cancer cells in urine, either voided or collected directly from the upper tract.
- Urothelial carcinoma
The most common type of bladder cancer, starting in the cells that line the urinary tract.
FromBladder cancer
- Urothelium
The lining of the urinary tract, from the inside of the kidney to the urethra.
- UTUC
Upper tract urothelial carcinoma: urothelial cancer of the renal pelvis, calyces or ureter.
V
- Variant histology
Less common microscopic subtypes of bladder cancer, such as micropapillary or plasmacytoid, that may behave more aggressively.
FromBladder cancer
- VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor (VEGF-TKI)
A targeted drug, usually a pill, that blocks signals tumors use to build new blood vessels.
FromKidney cancer
W
- Warm ischemia
The time the kidney's blood supply is clamped during partial nephrectomy; shorter is better for kidney function.
FromKidney cancer
- Watchful waiting
No routine cancer testing; treatment is given only to relieve symptoms if they develop. Used when life expectancy is limited.
FromProstate cancer
- Wide local excision
Removing the tumor with a rim of normal-looking skin around it.
FromPenile cancer
Appointments
Schedule a consultation
Dr. Khandekar sees new and returning patients across the University of Miami Health System and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
- SoLé Mia, North Miami
- Sylvester at Plantation
- Sylvester Main, Miami