In the old model of prostate cancer care, you were rushed into
radical treatment--usually surgery or radiation--often without
fully understanding all your options, or the risks and side effects
involved. The entire process was focused on the tumor; minimal attention was
given to you as a person, and little effort was made to explore the benefits of
healthy lifestyle choices, immune-enhancing treatments, reasonable delays, and
emotional support.
The emerging new model of prostate cancer care recognizes the
important role you can, and should, play in your recovery. The emerging model
comprehends that simply attacking the cancer is not enough. Greg Anderson, who
after surviving "terminal" lung cancer founded the Cancer Recovery Foundation, has said
that "Retaining a medical team without doing everything you can to help
yourself is like attempting to walk on one stilt."
So what do you need to know in order to take charge of your
recovery?
There are three common misperceptions about prostate cancer:
*The
assumption that the disease is as dangerous as other cancers.
*The
assumption that the urologist who did your biopsy is a prostate cancer expert.*The assumption that a quick treatment decision is necessary before the cancer spreads.
First of all, prostate cancer is unique among cancers because the
mortality rate is so low. Around two hundred thousand men in the U.S. alone are
diagnosed with the disease every year, and less than 15% will eventually die
from it, usually over a decade down the line, while a majority of men who have
the far more common low-risk, slow-growing prostate cancer can anticipate
living a normal life span, or dying of something else.
Your local urologist has a busy medical practice that involves
treating problems like impotence, infections, incontinence, and kidney stones.
He also does biopsies. But the average urologist performs fewer than five prostate removals (prostatectomies)
a year--far too few to be considered proficient. He may be a talented doctor,
but he is unlikely to be a prostate cancer expert. So once you have your biopsy
results, it is best to consult a prostate cancer specialist, either at a major
medical center, or at a high-volume prostate cancer clinic.
As for the third misperception, it is essential, before committing
to any form of treatment, that you do your own research, and are
convinced the treatment you choose is the right one for you. Do not
let anyone rush you into making a bad decision. Once your category of prostate
cancer is identified (Low, Intermediate,
or High Risk), get on the
Internet and learn about every treatment option--including no treatment
whatsoever--for your type of disease. If you are over 70, and have
low-risk disease, my advice to you is to find a doctor who has experience
monitoring an active surveillance protocol.
Your role in your recovery, however, doesn't end with choosing
your treatment. The emphasis on lifestyle changes has been one of the most
significant shifts in cancer care in the last decade. A study at UCSF showed
that improving your nutrition, reducing stress and getting more exercise, can
lower PSA levels. And according to a relatively new field of health
psychology called "illness representation," your beliefs and
expectations also impact the outcome of your disease. So take charge of your
recovery, and have faith in your
choice of treatment.
