Common terms
The following is a list of some common terms your doctor may use when discussing your treatment.
Active surveillance
Close monitoring of prostate cancer by a physician instead of immediate treatment.
Advanced prostate cancer
When prostate cancer spreads beyond the prostate gland to other parts of the body.
Atrophy
Wasting away of tissue in the body.
Biopsy
The removal of a small piece of tissue, which is then examined under a microscope.
Bladder
An organ that holds urine.
Cancer
A general term for a large group of diseases in which abnormal cells grow and spread throughout the body.
Diagnose
Identify a disease by its signs and symptoms and then confirm with tests.
Digital rectal exam (DRE)
A procedure in which the doctor inserts a gloved finger into the rectum to examine the prostate gland for enlargement or tenderness and signs of cancer.
Erectile dysfunction
The inability to have or maintain an erection; also called impotence.
Fatigue
Extreme tiredness.
Gleason score
A score (2–10) that helps doctors determine how aggressive prostate cancer is.
Hormonal therapy
The use of medications or surgical removal of the testicles to reduce male hormone stimulation of growth of prostate cancer.
Hormones
Chemicals secreted by glands that circulate in the bloodstream and produce specific effects on targeted organs and tissues.
Hot flashes
Rushes of warmth in the face, neck, upper chest, and back lasting for a few seconds to an hour. They may also cause increased sweating.
Impotence
The inability to have or maintain an erection; also known as erectile dysfunction.
Incontinence
The inability to control urine flow.
Infertility
The inability of a man or woman to conceive children.
Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP)
Prostate surgery using several small incisions.
Leuprolide acetate
The generic active pharmaceutical ingredient in ELIGARD (leuprolide acetate for injectable suspension).
Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist
A drug that lowers the amount of testosterone made by the testicles.
Lymph nodes
Small glands that help defend the body against harmful foreign particles.
Male hormones
Substances, such as testosterone, that stimulate specific cells.
Orchiectomy
Surgical removal of the testicles; also called surgical castration.
Prostate cancer
Cancer of the prostate gland. Prostate cancer can also spread to other parts of the body, such as lymph nodes, bone, and seminal vesicles.
Prostate gland
A walnut-sized gland that surrounds the male urethra, located between the bladder and the penis.
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test
A blood test used to help detect and follow the course of prostate cancer.
Prostatectomy
Surgery to remove the prostate (see “Radical retropubic prostatectomy”).
Radiation therapy
The use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells.
Radical retropubic prostatectomy
Surgery to remove the entire prostate gland along with nearby tissue, such as the seminal vesicles (see “Prostatectomy”).
Rectum
The final section of the intestines that ends at the anus.
Robotic-assisted LRP
A laparoscopic prostate surgery that employs robotic arms controlled by a surgeon.
Semen
The thick, whitish fluid released through the penis during orgasm. The prostate makes substances that are present in semen.
Seminal vesicles
A pair of glands near the prostate that add substances to semen.
Sperm
Male reproductive cells produced in the testicles.
Staging
Determining the extent and severity of a disease in a person.
Testicles
The pair of egg-shaped glands contained in the scrotum. They produce sperm and testosterone.
Testosterone
A male sex hormone produced mostly by the testicles, although a small amount is made by the adrenal glands.
Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)
The use of ultrasound waves to visualize the prostate.
Urethra
The duct that carries urine from the bladder.
Important Safety Information
ELIGARD® is used for the palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer. ELIGARD is a prescription medication that must be administered by a health care professional.
- ELIGARD should not be used by anyone who is allergic to any of the ingredients in ELIGARD or to any similar drugs.
- ELIGARD causes an increase in testosterone during the first few weeks of therapy and some men may experience new or worsening symptoms of prostate cancer e.g., bone pain, urinary symptoms, or nerve problems such as numbness, during this period. If your cancer has spread to the urinary tract or spine, urinary blockage or pressure on the spine that can lead to paralysis may occur. Your doctor will discuss with you the benefits and risks of taking ELIGARD.
- Increased risk of heart attack, sudden death due to heart problems and stroke have also been reported in men taking ELIGARD. ELIGARD may also affect electrical activity in the heart that can cause an irregular heartbeat. Your doctor will monitor you for heart conditions.
- Elevated blood sugar and an increased risk of developing diabetes have been reported in men receiving ELIGARD. Your doctor will monitor blood sugar levels.
- Convulsions have been observed in patients taking leuprolide acetate, including patients who have a history of seizures, epilepsy, or brain disorders (related to blood vessels, nerves, or tumors), and in those taking medications associated with convulsions. Convulsions have also been reported in patients without any of these conditions.
- ELIGARD may cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Expected hormonal changes that occur with ELIGARD treatment increase the risk for pregnancy loss.
- ELIGARD may impair fertility in males of reproductive potential.
The most common injection site reactions are transient burning and stinging, pain, bruising, and redness. The most common side effects include hot flashes/sweats, fatigue, weakness, muscle pain, dizziness, clamminess, testicular shrinkage, decreased erections and enlargement of breasts. Other side effects, including thinning of bones that may lead to fracture, and rare but serious problems with the pituitary gland in the brain, have been reported with ELIGARD.
These are not all the possible side effects of ELIGARD. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Full Prescribing Information for additional Important Safety Information.
References
- Key Statistics for Prostate Cancer. American Cancer Society Website. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostate-cancer/about/key-statistics.html. Accessed July 2020.
- Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer. Cancer Treatment Centers of America Website. https://www.cancercenter.com/cancer-types/prostate-cancer/risk-factors. Accessed July 2020.
- ELIGARD® (leuprolide acetate) for injectable suspension, 7.5 mg, 22.5 mg, 30 mg, 45 mg prescribing information. Fort Collins, CO: Tolmar Therapeutics, Inc.; 2019.
- https://www.nccn.org/patients/guidelines/prostate/index.html. Accessed January 2020
- Sartor O. Eur Urol 2006
- Prettyman, Urologic Nursing 2019
Important Safety Information
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ELIGARD® is used for the palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer. ELIGARD is a prescription medication that must be administered by a health care professional.
- ELIGARD should not be used by anyone who is allergic to any of the ingredients in ELIGARD or to any similar drugs.
ELIGARD® is used for the palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer. ELIGARD is a prescription medication that must be administered by a health care professional.