There are currently 9 terms in this directory beginning with the letter R.
R
Radiation (External Beam)
Treatment that uses carefully aimed doses of radiation from a source outside the body that is focused on the cancer. Also known as EBRT, for external beam radiation therapy.
Radiation Oncologist
A radiation oncologist is a highly trained physician specializing in the treatment of prostate cancer using the various types of radiation approved to treat the disease.
Radical Prostatectomy
Surgery that removes the entire prostate gland and some of the tissue around it. This is used most often if the cancer is thought to be confined to the prostate.
Radioligand Therapy
Radioligand therapy, or RLT, is an innovative approach to treating certain types of cancer, including prostate cancer. It works by delivering a precise dose of radiation directly to a specific target, with the hope of avoiding as many normal cells as possible.
Radiologist
A doctor with special training in diagnosis of diseases by interpreting or reading x-rays and other types of diagnostic imaging studies such as CT and MRI scans.
Radiopharmaceuticals
A group of drugs that include radioactive elements or radioisotopes, such as strontium-89 or samarium-153, which are given into a vein (intravenously or IV) to treat bone pain related to cancer that has spread to the bones.
Recurrence
The return of cancer after treatment. Local recurrence means that the cancer has come back at the same place as the original cancer (primary site). Regional recurrence means that the cancer has come back after treatment in the lymph nodes near the primary site. Distant recurrence is when cancer spreads (metastasizes) after treatment to distant organs or tissues (such as the lungs, liver, bone marrow, or brain).