Abdomen - The part of the body that includes the stomach, intestine, liver, bladder and kidneys. The abdomen is located between the ribs and hips.
Alternative therapy - Therapy used instead of standard medical treatment. Most alternative therapies have not been scientifically tested, so there is little proof that they work and their side effects are not always known.
Bladder - A sac with an elastic wall of muscle; found in the lower part of the abdomen. The bladder stores urine until it is passed from the body.
Brachytherapy - A type of radiotherapy treatment that implants radioactive material sealed in needles or seeds into or near the tumour.
Cancer - A term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control.
Carer - A person who helps someone through an illness or disability such as cancer.
Catheter - A hollow, flexible tube through which fluids can be passed into the body or drained from it.
Complementary therapy - Therapy used together with standard medical treatment. Examples include counselling, relaxation therapy, massage, acupuncture, yoga and meditation, aromatherapy, and art and music therapy.
Cultural engagement - Actively involve people with respect to their cultural needs.
External beam radiotherapy (EBRT) - Uses x-rays directed from an external machine to destroy cancer cells.
Incontinence - Inability to hold or control the loss of urine or faeces.
Multidisciplinary team - A team approach to cancer treatment and planning.
PBS - Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
Pelvic - The area located below the waist and surrounded by the hips and pubic bone.
Pelvic floor muscles - The floor of the pelvis is made up of muscle layers and tissues. The layers stretch like a hammock from the tailbone at the back to the pubic bone in front. The pelvic floor muscles support the bladder and bowel. The urethra (urine tube) and rectum (back passage) pass through the pelvic floor muscles.
Penis - The male reproductive organ consists of a body or shaft which starts deep inside the body and extends externally to the end of the penis at the glans (head).
Primary care - Primary Care is a sub-component of the broader primary health care system. Primary care is provided by a health care professional who is a client’s first point of entry into the health system (for example: a general practitioner, practice nurse, community nurse, or community based allied health worker). Primary care is practised widely in nursing and allied health, but predominately in general practice.
Prostate cancer - Cancer of the prostate, the male organ that sits next to the urinary bladder and contributes to semen (sperm fluid) production.
Prostate gland - The prostate gland is normally the size of a walnut. It is located between the bladder and the penis and sits in front of the rectum. It produces fluid that forms part of semen.
Psychosocial care - Treatment that is intended to address psychological, social and some spiritual needs.
Quality of life - An individual’s overall appraisal of their situation and wellbeing. Quality of life encompasses symptoms of disease and side effects of treatment, functional capacity, social interactions and relationships, and occupational functioning.
Self-management - An awareness and active participation by people with cancer in their recovery, recuperation, and rehabilitation, to minimise the consequences of treatment, promote survival, health and wellbeing.
Shared decision making - Integration of a patient’s values, goals and concerns with the best available evidence about benefits, risks and uncertainties of treatment, in order to achieve appropriate health care decisions. It involves clinicians and patients making decisions about the patient’s management together.
Side effect - Unintended effects of a drug or treatment.
Support group - People on whom an individual can rely for the provision of emotional caring and concern, and reinforcement of a sense of personal worth and value. Other components of support may include provision of practical or material aid, information, guidance, feedback and validation of the individual’s stressful experiences and coping choices.
Supportive care - Improving quality of life for people with cancer from different perspectives, including physical, social, emotional, financial and spiritual.
Surgery - Treatment that involves an operation. This may involve removal of tissue, change in the organisation of the anatomy or placement of prostheses.
Survivorship - In cancer, survivorship focuses on the health and life of a person with cancer beyond the diagnosis and treatment phases. Survivorship includes issues related to follow-up care, late effects of treatment, second cancers, and quality of life.
Therapy - Another word for treatment, and includes chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormone therapy and surgery.
Urethra - The tube that carries urine from the bladder, and semen, out through the penis and to the outside of the body.
Sources
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