Prostate Cancer is a family of diseases, which allow for
many patient choices. There are no hard and fast rules that apply in most
cases. It is important for you, the patient, to understand the staging procedures
that help to define the extent and aggressiveness of your disease and the
treatment options available. By understanding the current stage (and likely
progression) of your cancer, you are best able to participate in your treatment
decisions. With comprehensive staging, certain treatment options (or combinations)
may be identified for further investigation while others may be ruled out.
The selection of treatments should be made with full understanding of possible
success rates and side-effects. The treatment selection should also consider
your overall health and your quality-of-life values.
This decision aide is intended to help
you locate and utilize information that is pertinent to your situation. Information
referenced is provided by PCRI and other sources to empower you to take charge
of your treatment plan.
PCRI provides information as a free, educational resource,
to help patients understand their options to facilitate communication with
their doctors and hopefully improve their outcomes. The information
provided should not be considered or construed to be medical advice.
For more information on prostate cancer, contact the PCRI
Helpline at 310-743-2110 or help@pcri.org.
If you have comments regarding this decision aide, please
email them to: johara@pcri.org.
The Basics
1. Your Support Network
To optimize your experience dealing with prostate cancer, you need a strong
support network. This starts with a spouse, significant other, son or daughter
who will learn with you and share the emotional journey. The network should
extend to friends and associates. Some will be unsure of how to approach
you so it helps to be open and candid with them. Many will rally around
you to lend a hand or a prayer. It also includes the members of your medical
team. Again, honest communication is the best way to cement this relationship.
Another good source of comfort is a prostate cancer support group. It really
helps to talk with people who have faced or are facing the problems that
confront you. For access to groups in your area, go to the Support
Groups page. You can also find knowledgeable and caring individuals
to share information with via Internet
Discussion Groups / Lists.
2. Your Medical File
We emphasize the importance of maintaining your own medical file. You should
obtain copies of all medical reports and keep a log that you can share
with any doctors you contact. One format is the PC Digest that originated
with ProstatePointers.org. A good aid for preparing a PCD can be found
at: www.prostatepointers.org/p2p/pcd.html.
The PCD description includes references to algorithms to assist with staging
prostate cancer that can
be found in the Software
section. To aid you in tracking your testing and treatment, we have
provided a number of sample forms in the Forms
section.
3. Your Nutrition and Your Overall
Health
A prostate cancer diagnosis is often wake-up call for men who may be neglecting
their health. Prostate cancer and the treatments for it can cause a great
strain on the body's defenses. You should prepare for a battle and get yourself
into the best fighting shape possible. You will find that many of the suggestions
for battling prostate cancer lead to life style changes that are beneficial
for many of the health conditions that confront us as we age.
Some resources to consider:
• The PCRI pamphlet " What You
Should Know About Prostate Cancer”
4. PCRI Resources
• The PCRI Helpline
The mission of the PCRI Helpline is to help educate people about prostate
cancer, to improve their communication with their doctors in order to arrive
at the best possible outcomes.
• PCRI Insights
Our newsletters provide articles by leading specialists in prostate cancer.
The articles are also indexed by topic in PCRI Papers.
• PCRI Pamphlets
Pamphlets are available on many topics and will be referred to later in the
decision aide. To obtain copies of any pamphlets, contact the PCRI
Helpline.
• PCRI Audio and Video Tapes
PCRI has presented several conferences featuring some of the premier prostate
cancer physicians and researchers. Audio and video tapes are available for
many of the talks and panel sessions. These provide an excellent basis for
individual education and constructing support group programs.
• PCRI PowerPoint Lectures Some of the lectures presented at PCRI events are summarized with PowerPoint
slides that can be viewed online.
• Terminology and more
Understanding prostate cancer requires learning many new terms which are
defined in the PCRI
Glossary and
the Acronyms And Abbreviations.
We also provide a list of suggested Books to Read
• Links to other Resources
PCRI provides links to a variety of the websites of many organizations.
While we believe these organizations to be very reliable, we cannot validate
the contents of their websites. It is up to you, with the help of your medical
team, to evaluate this information and its relevance to your situation.
This is the outline of Decision Aide topics:
Basics of Prostate Cancer
Genetics
Nutrition
Undiagnosed
Pre-Clinical Phase
Newly Diagnosed
Self-Empowerment
Risk Assessment and Algorithms
Staging
Diagnostic Scanning
Local Therapies
Systemic Therapies
Androgen Deprivation Therapy
Androgen
Independent PC
High Risk PC
Novel Therapies
Side-Effects
Bone Integrity