Surviving Prostate Cancer; What You Need to Know to Make Informed Decisions

by E. Fuller Torrey, M.D.; Illustrations by Carlton Stoiber

• ISBN13: 9780300116403
• ISBN10: 0300116403
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2006-10-19
• Publisher: Yale University Press

Summary

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.

Author Biography

E. Fuller Torrey, M.D., is a research psychiatrist and associate director for laboratory research, The Stanley Medical Research Institute. He is also the author of 18 books, including The Roots of Treason: Ezra Pound and the Secrets of St. Elizabeths, a National Book Critics Circle nominee. He lives in Bethesda, MD.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xi
Abbreviations	xiii
1 On Being Diagnosed	1	(10)
2 How Serious Is Your Cancer?	11	(16)
What Is Your PSA?	12	(3)
Is Your Cancer Palpable?	15	(3)
What Is Your Gleason Score?	18	(6)
Additional Predictors of Severity	24	(3)
3 Surgical Treatment	27	(19)
Who Are Good Candidates?	28	(1)
The Procedure	29	(10)
Complications	39	(3)
Outcome	42	(4)
4 Radiation Treatment	46	(21)
Who Are Good Candidates?	48	(3)
The Procedure	51	(4)
Seed Therapy	51	(3)
Beam Radiation	54	(1)
Complications	55	(4)
Outcome	59	(8)
5 Hormone Treatment	67	(11)
Who Are Good Candidates?	68	(1)
The Procedure	69	(3)
Complications	72	(4)
Outcome	76	(2)
6 Cryotherapy	78	(3)
Who Are Good Candidates?	78	(1)
The Procedure	79	(1)
Complications	79	(1)
Outcome	80	(1)
7 Alternative and Experimental Therapies	81	(8)
Herbal Therapies	82	(3)
PC-SPES: A Cautionary Tale	85	(2)
Experimental Treatments	87	(2)
8 Treatment Decisions	89	(29)
Watchful Waiting	90	(5)
Ten Factors to Consider	95	(15)
Advantages and Disadvantages of Treatment Options	110	(5)
How I Made My Decisions	115	(3)
9 Your Support System	118	(14)
Yourself	118	(6)
Family and Friends	124	(4)
Coworkers and Business Colleagues	128	(2)
Support Groups	130	(2)
10 Major Complications and Their Treatment	132	(20)
Urinary Incontinence: The Problem	133	(2)
Urinary Incontinence: The Solutions	135	(5)
Impotence: The Problem	140	(4)
Impotence: The Solutions	144	(8)
11 What Happens if the Cancer Spreads or Comes Back?	152	(17)
Will It Kill Me, and if So, When?	153	(6)
Treatment Options for Recurrent Cancer	159	(5)
Weighing Quantity versus Quality of Life	164	(5)
12 What Is Known About the Causes?	169	(18)
Clues	169	(6)
Genes	175	(2)
Viruses and Other Infectious Agents	177	(1)
Sexual Activity	178	(2)
Hormones	180	(1)
Dietary Factors	181	(2)
Other Possibilities	183	(2)
Summary of Causes	185	(2)
13 Factors That May Prevent Emergence or Recurrence	187	(12)
Dietary Factors	188	(6)
Vitamins and Minerals	194	(1)
Medications	195	(2)
Lifestyle Changes	197	(1)
So What Should You Do?	198	(1)
14 Science and Politics	199	(9)
The National Cancer Institute	200	(1)
The Prostate Cancer Research Program	201	(1)
Michael Milken's Prostate Cancer Foundation	202	(2)
The National Prostate Cancer Coalition	204	(1)
Other Players	205	(3)
15 Advice for Men Who Do Not Have Prostate Cancer	208	(11)
Should I Be Tested?	208	(4)
Biopsies	212	(2)
Ten Recommendations	214	(2)
Future Research	216	(3)
Appendix A The Anatomy and Function of the Prostate Gland	219	(5)
Appendix B Evaluation of Books About Prostate Cancer	224	(11)
Appendix C Useful Websites on Prostate Cancer	235	(6)
Notes	241	(26)
Index	267