Newly Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer?
This little gem I picked up from the FOXMEDIA site at:
http://foxnews.webmd.com/content/article/65/72812.htm
and, having gone through this cancer alert thing three times for different cancer types over the years, I would very much agree with the requirement for getting a variety of second opinions from medical specialists but would also include opinions from natural health professionals. From my perspective, it is only when you have gone through the information gathering stage that will you be able to fully appreciate the many confused and diverse opinions ranging throughout the medical fraternity. Not only concerning an accurate diagnosis and prognosis, but also as regards the most appropriate treatment.
Yes, it is a laborious process and yes, it will make you totally frustrated and invariably angry but it’s your future health prospects you are trying to evaluate and ONLY you can do this. Too many people you will talk to along the way will have their own, hidden, agenda, and their advice may well be biased. Moreover, no other individual can possibly be as diligent or as interested in determining what is best and most appropriate for YOU.
Day One …
We’re here to help.
One in six American men will hear the words “You’ve got prostate cancer,” and what they do next affects the rest of their lives.
Most men who hear these words will learn that they have a relatively early stage of prostate cancer. Men with early prostate cancer must choose among a wide range of different treatment options. Men with more advanced prostate cancer have a different set of options. There is no disease in which it is more important for a patient to be well informed.
Having options is a good thing, but having to choose can be hard. Each choice has its advantages - and its disadvantages.
Of the men today diagnosed with prostate cancer, 90% have localized cancer. The dilemma they face is, “What shall I do about this? Should I treat prostate cancer at all? Is the word cancer scaring me into taking potentially dangerous treatments?” It is an agonizing decision.
To make this decision, you have to be aware of the risks as well as the possible benefits of treating — or not treating — prostate cancer. You need to research your options. If you aren’t comfortable doing your own research, you should plan to sit down and spend a lot of time with your doctor.
Even if you’re a “go-it-alone” kind of guy, take someone you trust with you to see the doctor. There’s simply too much information and emotion involved for just one person. This will help you make the most of your next visit.
More than for any other disease, the choice of treatment for early-stage prostate cancer depends on you. So there are questions every man must ask himself: Which treatment for prostate cancer has the best chance of success? Which side effects of treatment would bother me the most? Which would bother me the least?
It’s equally important to talk with different types of doctors who treat prostate cancer. A urologic surgeon, for example, may overestimate benefits of surgery and underestimate benefits of radiotherapy. A radiation oncologist may take the opposite perspective. Try to talk with a urologist, radiation oncologist and a medical oncologist. Make sure to get a second opinion before starting your treatment for prostate cancer. There is no single right or wrong decision.
Remember this: Most men with prostate cancer don’t die of the disease. It’s time to focus on your future.
Yours in health,
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