Decisions Leading To Treatment

By Dennis E. Golden

1 min read

In this video Dennis discusses how he and his wife jointly made the decision on which treatment would be the best for him. He points out that there are many factors that need to be considered, ranging from the patient's wishes to the aggressiveness of the cancer, as well as the initial MRI scans that can be helpful in determining if the cancer has spread beyond the prostate capsule.

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Jim Early Moderator & Contributor
Dennis your video was nicely done and covered a very difficult decisional process in as straightforward a way as can be done in 3 minutes! Especially important is gathering information and even getting second opinions if you feel you aren't quite comfortable with the choices you've been offered. A second opinion may be warranted even if you are comfortable with your treatment decision but you're unsure about the choice of surgeon or radiation center. We have an increasing number of members of the support group I facilitate that are attending BEFORE they have locked down their decisions. Almost every meeting I hear appreciative comments about how important it has been to hear from others who are going through the same process or who have already gone through it and now have the benefit of retrospection. You also mentioned Active Surveillance. In the past patients were almost uniformly advised not to wait and even with Gleason scores of 6 or 3 + 4 they were advised that it was just too dangerous to wait. Today over 30% of men with prostate cancer are being carefully observed and many never develop disease that will demand surgery or radiation and its potential complications. Thankfully, we have many primary treatments for PC and a huge number of secondary treatments available if the cancer isn't amenable to initial cure. The main advice is to take your time; don't panic. Let the process play out, get other opinions and only make your decision once you feel confident that you have done your homework and are comfortable to proceed.
Dennis E. Golden Moderator & Contributor
When you hear the words "prostate cancer" you are lucky if you hear a quarter of what is said after that. If you learn its aggressive an easy quick knee jerk reaction can be " how fast can I get this out of me". The biggest benefit for folks who come here seeking information after after receiving a prostate cancer diagnosis is to understand that you have time and you do not have to immediately jump into decision mode. My advice is 1) Ask questions of MD's and stay away from Dr Google ... 2)Give yourself a week or so to get over the emotional shock ...3) Get a second opinion ... 4) Realize there are no 100% right answers. 5) Educate yourself, make a decision and never look back. Dennis(ProstateCancer.net TEAM)