Surviving Prostate Cancer: What You Need to Know to Make Informed Decisions
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When Dr. E. Fuller Torrey was diagnosed with prostate cancer, none of the books he could find was current enough or comprehensive enough to satisfy his need for information. This book is for the hundreds of thousands of other men who each year receive the same frightening diagnosis. It is the book Dr. Torrey wished he had when he was facing the countless questions that a man with prostate cancer, and his family and friends, all confront.Complete, up-to-date, and readable, the book explains how to come to terms with the diagnosis of prostate cancer, evaluate the severity of the disease, and assess the variety of treatment options and their complications. Many chapters provide information other books barely consider, such as a full discussion of the causes of prostate cancer and an evaluation of other books on the subject. Also included is a summary of the most useful Web sites.The author mixes his personal experience with factual material, and he maintains a reassuring sense of humor. His advice is practical, with dozens of tips and lists including “Ten Steps to Sanity for Men Recently Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer.” With Dr. Torrey’s book in hand, readers can now tackle all the important decisions about prostate cancer, confident in having the most accurate and complete information available. Library Journal After Torrey (research psychiatrist & associate director for laboratory research, Stanley Medical Research Inst.; Surviving Schizophrenia) was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2004, his top priority was educating himself about the disease so that he could make informed decisions about treatment options. Much of what he found was outdated, contradictory, or incorrect, so he set out to write a book that would answer the questions he and other men have about this condition. Fuller's comprehensive guide describes his own medical and personal experiences while offering detailed explanations of diagnostic and staging procedures, treatment options, potential complications, recurrence, risk factors, possible causes, and other essential topics backed with numerous references to the professional literature. Matter-of-fact discussions about such sensitive issues as sexuality, impotence, incontinence, and the value of support systems are lightened by cartoon illustrations, "prostate trivia," quotes from other men with the disease, and a comprehensive annotated list of books and web sites that will appeal to both male and female readers. Despite its occasional lapses into medical jargon, this is an essential purchase for consumer health collections, along with Peter T. Scardino and Judith Kelman's Dr. Peter Scardino's Prostate Book and Sheldon Marks's Prostate & Cancer. Karen McNally Bensing, Benjamin Rose Lib., Cleveland Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Acknowledgments xiAbbreviations xiiiOn Being Diagnosed 1How Serious Is Your Cancer? 11What Is Your PSA? 12Is Your Cancer Palpable? 15What Is Your Gleason Score? 18Additional Predictors of Severity 24Surgical Treatment 27Who Are Good Candidates? 28The Procedure 29Complications 39Outcome 42Radiation Treatment 46Who Are Good Candidates? 48The Procedure 51Seed Therapy 51Beam Radiation 54Complications 55Outcome 59Hormone Treatment 67Who Are Good Candidates? 68The Procedure 69Complications 72Outcome 76Cryotherapy 78Who Are Good Candidates? 78The Procedure 79Complications 79Outcome 80Alternative and Experimental Therapies 81Herbal Therapies 82PC-SPES: ACautionary Tale 85Experimental Treatments 87Treatment Decisions 89Watchful Waiting 90Ten Factors to Consider 95Advantages and Disadvantages of Treatment Options 110How I Made My Decisions 115Your Support System 118Yourself 118Family and Friends 124Coworkers and Business Colleagues 128Support Groups 130Major Complications and Their Treatment 132Urinary Incontinence: The Problem 133Urinary Incontinence: The Solutions 135Impotence: The Problem 140Impotence: The Solutions 144What Happens if the Cancer Spreads or Comes Back? 152Will It Kill Me, and if So, When? 153Treatment Options for Recurrent Cancer 159Weighing Quantity versus Quality of Life 164What Is Known About the Causes? 169Clues 169Genes 175Viruses and Other Infectious Agents 177Sexual Activity 178Hormones 180Dietary Factors 181Other Possibilities 183Summary of Causes 185Factors That May Prevent Emergence or Recurrence 187Dietary Factors 188Vitamins and Minerals 194Medications 195Lifestyle Changes 197So What Should You Do? 198Science and Politics 199The National Cancer Institute 200The Prostate Cancer Research Program 201Michael Milken's Prostate Cancer Foundation 202The National Prostate Cancer Coalition 204Other Players 205Advice for Men Who Do Not Have Prostate Cancer 208Should I Be Tested? 208Biopsies 212Ten Recommendations 214Future Research 216The Anatomy and Function of the Prostate Gland 219Evaluation of Books About Prostate Cancer 224Useful Websites on Prostate Cancer 235Notes 241Index 167
