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The journey on which you've embarked is not a solitary one it must
be a cooperative effort between you and your health care team and
your family. It is, after all, your life and you must take an active
role in insuring that it turns out the way you want. You must have
confidence in your doctor, but not give your life over to him/her.
More Important is to consider whether or not the treatment that
may be proposed is appropriate for your lifestyle, aggressiveness
of the disease, etc. We are seeing many new studies that have questioned
the increased use of curative primary therapies (surgery, radiation)
based on an elevated PSA level. Where is the reality in the rising
PSA test level that mandates an agenda for action?
In the words of Dr. Willet Whitmore: "Is cure possible for
men in whom it is necessary? Is cure necessary for men in whom it
is possible?"Screen or Not, Treat or Not - a discussion on the subject of
aggressive treatment after a diagnosis of prostate cancer is made
from a patient's perspective
You should also seek out 2nd, and maybe 3rd, opinions from doctors
in different specialties in order to get a balanced view of your
clinical situation in order to make the decision that is most appropriate
for cure as well as for your resulting quality of life. The doctor
should also welcome your bringing family members or a friend with
you to the consultation to help understand all that is going on
and to help you get all of the information that you need.
In reality, depending on the staging of your tumor, you may have
more than one option to evaluate in potentially achieving a cure.
In addition, you want to have a physician that is very experienced
in the technique that is being recommended. You want to find a doctor
that has done the procedure in significant numbers and with a degree
of frequency.
We have provided a Consultation
Form for you to bring with you to each session in order to get
all of the information you need and to be certain to ask all of
the questions for your own concerns.
Investigate Your Options
National Guideline
Clearinghouse - a public resource that details standard clinical
guidelines for various therapeutic procedures.
Center
for Medical Consumers - information that examines effectiveness
of various procedures and guidelines on rating a physician
Basic Information
Oncology Nursing
Society - provides excellent resources on advanced stage disease
treatment and the quality of care that should be expected.
American
Society of Clinical Oncology - their People Living With Cancer
site provides full discussion of the issues related to chemotherapy
and advanced stage disease therapies
Geriatric Oncology
Consortium - a nationwide group of professionals that are developing
standards of care for older patients
Caring Connections
- provided by the Partnership For Caring to help deal with end-of-life
issues, including pain management
National Hospice
and Palliative Care Organization - information on improving
end-of-life care and hospice care
Duke Institute
on Care at the End of Life - lead by Dr. Richard Payne, the
Institute seeks to improve care a variety of interdisciplinary techniques
Additional Resources
American Association
for Cancer Research
Coalition of National Cancer Cooperative Groups. Myths and facts
about cancer clinical trials.
Medical Study News.
Racial and ethnic minorities, women, and the elderly were less likely
to enroll in cancer clinical trials than whites, men, and younger
patients.
National Institutes
of Health. Glossary of clinical trials terms.
National Medical Association. You've got the power: what you should
know about clinical trials. (booklet)
National Cancer Institute
National Institutes of Health
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Alternative Medicine
Chemotherapy
Clinical Trials
Cytotoxic Therapy
Diagnostics
Hormones
Information Sources
Informed Decision Making
Pain Management
Palliative Care
Radiation Solutions
Dealing with Side Effects
Surgical Solutions
Targeted Therapies
Translational Research
Watchful Waiting
Gleason 7: A New Risk Category?
TREATMENTS
click here to download PDF
Being
Sure you have the Best Doctor
Prostate
Cancer Consultation Form
ALL NEW! Choosing The Right Treatment For Your Prostate Cancer
The Johns Hopkins Prostate Library
A detailed, up-to-the-minute treatment guide so you can know all
your options before making any irrevocable decisions about your
prostate cancer treatment.
1. Expectant Management
2. Brachytherapy
3. Radical Prostatectomy
4. External Beam Radiation Therapy
You have hundreds of questions about your prostate cancer. Johns
Hopkins' specialists have the answers. Access the expertise of
the specialists at America's #1 Urology Center.
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