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Glossary
Understand key terms
Reviewing the terms below may help you prepare for conversations with your care team. Click on them to get definitions for these frequently used phrases.
A biomarker is something that can tell your doctor more about your cancer.1
A bone scan is an imaging test that can be used to detect cancer that has spread to the bone from the tumor's original location. It uses small amounts of radioactive substances called radioactive tracers, a special camera that can detect the radioactivity, and a computer.2
Chemotherapy is treatment that uses chemicals to kill fast-growing cells in the body. This includes cancer cells, but chemotherapy can also damage healthy cells (especially those that grow fast, like the hair or blood cells).3
A complete response is when tumors disappear from scans with treatment. This doesn't always mean that cancer has been cured.4
A CT scan, also called a computed tomography scan, is an imaging test that uses a computer linked to an x-ray machine to make a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body.5
Hormone therapy is treatment that interferes with the effects of testosterone.6
mAPMN/S PC is a type of advanced prostate cancer that has spread beyond the prostate (metastatic).7 It can be newly diagnosed or have come back as metastatic while still responding to hormone therapy.8 It is also known as metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) or metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC).9,10
mAPMR PC is a type of advanced prostate cancer that has spread beyond the prostate (metastatic) and has stopped responding to hormone therapy that lowers testosterone.11 It is also known as metastatic hormone-resistant prostate cancer (mHRPC) or metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).10
mCRPC is a type of advanced prostate cancer that has spread beyond the prostate (metastatic) and has stopped responding to hormone therapy that lowers testosterone.11 It is also known as metastatic hormone-resistant prostate cancer (mHRPC) or metastatic androgen pathway modulation-resistant prostate cancer (mAPMR PC).10
mCSPC is a type of advanced prostate cancer that has spread beyond the prostate (metastatic).7 It can be newly diagnosed or have come back as metastatic while still responding to hormone therapy.8 It is also known as metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) or metastatic androgen pathway modulation-naïve or -sensitive prostate cancer (mAPMN/S PC).9,10
mHRPC is a type of advanced prostate cancer that has spread beyond the prostate (metastatic) and has stopped responding to hormone therapy that lowers testosterone.11 It is also known as metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) or metastatic androgen pathway modulation-resistant prostate cancer (mAPMR PC).10
mHSPC is a type of advanced prostate cancer that has spread beyond the prostate (metastatic).7 It can be newly diagnosed or have come back as metastatic while still responding to hormone therapy.8 It is also known as metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC) or metastatic androgen pathway modulation-naïve or -sensitive prostate cancer (mAPMN/S PC).9,10
Overall response rate is the total percentage of patients whose cancer responds to treatment in a clinical trial. These responses include either a partial response (tumors shrink) or a complete response (tumors disappear).12
Overall survival is a measure of how long patients live after they are assigned treatment in a clinical trial.13
A partial response is when a treatment decreases a tumor’s size.14
A PET scan, also called a positron emission tomography scan, is an imaging test in which a small amount of radioactive tracer is injected into a vein, and a scanner is used to make detailed, computerized pictures of areas inside the body where the tracer has gone.15
PSA is a protein made by the prostate gland that is measured with a blood test. It may be higher than normal in men who have prostate cancer. This is different than PSMA.16
PSMA is normally found on prostate cells, and its levels are up to 1000 times higher in prostate cancer cells.17,18 PSMA may be used as a target in imaging to help find prostate cancer cells, including those that have spread to other parts of the body.17 A PSMA-PET scan can show where the cancer has spread, and it also informs whether PLUVICTO can be a treatment option.17,19
A PSMA-PET is an imaging test that can help find PSMA-positive (PSMA+) prostate cancer cells in the body.20
In a clinical trial, radiographic progression-free survival shows how long patients live without their cancer getting worse after being assigned treatment. This is determined by imaging tests.21,22