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

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

• ISBN13: 9780300126075
• ISBN10: 0300126077
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2008-01-28
• 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	p. xi
Abbreviations	p. xiii
On Being Diagnosed	p. 1
How Serious Is Your Cancer?	p. 11
What Is Your PSA?	p. 12
Is Your Cancer Palpable?	p. 15
What Is Your Gleason Score?	p. 18
Additional Predictors of Severity	p. 24
Surgical Treatment	p. 27
Who Are Good Candidates?	p. 28
The Procedure	p. 29
Complications	p. 39
Outcome	p. 42
Radiation Treatment	p. 46
Who Are Good Candidates?	p. 48
The Procedure	p. 51
Seed Therapy	p. 51
Beam Radiation	p. 54
Complications	p. 55
Outcome	p. 59
Hormone Treatment	p. 67
Who Are Good Candidates?	p. 68
The Procedure	p. 69
Complications	p. 72
Outcome	p. 76
Cryotherapy	p. 78
Who Are Good Candidates?	p. 78
The Procedure	p. 79
Complications	p. 79
Outcome	p. 80
Alternative and Experimental Therapies	p. 81
Herbal Therapies	p. 82
PC-SPES: A Cautionary Tale	p. 85
Experimental Treatments	p. 87
Treatment Decisions	p. 89
Watchful Waiting	p. 90
Ten Factors to Consider	p. 95
Advantages and Disadvantages of Treatment Options	p. 110
How I Made My Decisions	p. 115
Your Support System	p. 118
Yourself	p. 118
Family and Friends	p. 124
Coworkers and Business Colleagues	p. 128
Support Groups	p. 130
Major Complications and Their Treatment	p. 132
Urinary Incontinence: The Problem	p. 133
Urinary Incontinence: The Solutions	p. 135
Impotence: The Problem	p. 140
Impotence: The Solutions	p. 144
What Happens if the Cancer Spreads or Comes Back?	p. 152
Will It Kill Me, and if So, When?	p. 153
Treatment Options for Recurrent Cancer	p. 159
Weighing Quantity versus Quality of Life	p. 164
What Is Known About the Causes?	p. 169
Clues	p. 169
Genes	p. 175
Viruses and Other Infectious Agents	p. 177
Sexual Activity	p. 178
Hormones	p. 180
Dietary Factors	p. 181
Other Possibilities	p. 183
Summary of Causes	p. 185
Factors That May Prevent Emergence or Recurrence	p. 187
Dietary Factors	p. 188
Vitamins and Minerals	p. 194
Medications	p. 195
Lifestyle Changes	p. 197
So What Should You Do?	p. 198
Science and Politics	p. 199
The National Cancer Institute	p. 200
The Prostate Cancer Research Program	p. 201
Michael Milken's Prostate Cancer Foundation	p. 202
The National Prostate Cancer Coalition	p. 204
Other Players	p. 205
Advice for Men Who Do Not Have Prostate Cancer	p. 208
Should I Be Tested?	p. 208
Biopsies	p. 212
Ten Recommendations	p. 214
Future Research	p. 216
The Anatomy and Function of the Prostate Gland	p. 219
Evaluation of Books About Prostate Cancer	p. 224
Useful Websites on Prostate Cancer	p. 235
Notes	p. 241
Index	p. 167
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