After Prostate Cancer: What Comes Next?
Author: Shannon Miller
Dr. Arnold Melman, Chair of the Department of Urology at The Albert Einstein School of Medicine and author of the new book, After Prostate Cancer: A What Comes Next Guide to a Safe and Informed Recovery offers the following –
tips to patients after they receive a diagnosis of prostate cancer:
1. Involve your wife/mate/close friend or family member. Bring her/him to every appointment so you can go through this together.
2. Try to do some reading about the disease before you go to the meeting with your doctor. This is a good time to start reading After Prostate Cancer: A What Comes Next Guide to a Safe and Informed Recovery or go online to:
- Know about the options for treatment
- Know the implications of your PSA
- Know the implications of the extent of your disease at biopsy
- – Be prepared to ask your urologist about his experience in managing prostate cancer
- – Know the different types of surgery
- – Know about the different types of radiation
- – Know about watchful waiting
3. After that meeting take a break for a few weeks to collect your thoughts.
4. Do more reading.
5. Talk to your wife/mate/close friend or family member about your fears discuss the questions you might have.
6. Discuss your medical health with your family doctor to help you decide on choice of treatment.
7. Do not rely on other people who had the disease to help you decide on therapy. Their disease and individual problems may not be equivalent your situation.
TIP: For more information on Dr. Melman’s book, After Prostate Cancer: A What Comes Next Guide to a Safe and Informed Recovery, please visit afterprostatecancer.net
