1 in 7 men, in their lifetime, will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year. If that one is you, you will need to become your own Patient Advocate, because no one cares more about your life than you and the people who love you. You have a responsibility to make the best decision possible and I know that by reviewing the information provided, you will know more than you ever thought possible about prostate cancer, your options and the power you have to choose the option best suited for you.                 YOU get to choose! YOU get to decide who you want for your doctor and if it doesn’t “feel” right, YOU get to walk out! Along our path of searching, there were doctors that we liked a lot. We liked how we were treated, we liked how willing they were to take time and talk about the different options and what they recommended. We always left saying we were going to take our time and make the best decision for us! We gained a tremendous insight from one of our second opinions. As I went through all the options on our list, the doctor talked through each one openly and honestly. He commented on the quality of our questions and he liked it that we were writing down all the thoughts he shared with us. He turned to Larry and said, “You have plenty of time to keep talking and taking notes and deciding because you want to make sure that whatever choice you make, is the very best choice for both of you.” It was reassuring, uplifting and hopeful! And it really made us know that what we were doing made...

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Proton Therapy – Your Home Away from Home When purchasing the Prostate Cancer Workbook, you will be able to review a summary of each of the Proton Centers and find the information that is important to you: Background, What Sets this Proton Center Apart, Housing Options, Transportation, Local Recreation, Golf and other information like Patient Navigation and local or onsite gyms, as well as Support Services and Insurance.  The Prostate Cancer Workbook gives you a One Stop Shop to look at all the Proton Centers and allows you to compare and understand what each one has to offer!  It’s all here in one...

Expectant Management/Active Surveillance also called Watchful Waiting The term ‘expectant management,’ sometimes called ‘watchful waiting,’ as it relates to prostate cancer has become one of the best known treatment methods. It involves the observation, supervision and monitoring of prostate cancer by various tests. Because prostate cancer often grows very slowly, some men (especially those who are older or have other serious health problems) may never need treatment for their prostate cancer. Instead, their doctors may recommend approaches known as expectant management, watchful waiting, or active surveillance.         SURGERY:  Prostatectomy The surgical removal of part or all of the prostate and other nearby areas if necessary including lymph nodes.  Surgery is performed under general anesthesia with a hospital stay of 2-3 days with catheterization (drains the bladder and allows the bladder to heal to the urethra) for 7 – 10 days or longer as determined by your doctor. Pain is managed in the hospital by administration thru your IV, with oral pain medication when you return home.  Insure you discuss the surgery and any concerns you have about surgery with your doctor.       SURGERY:  Minimally Invasive Robotic Assisted Surgery (MIRS) also known as “da Vinci Surgery” With the da Vinci System, surgeons operate through a few small incisions instead of a large open incision – similar to traditional laparoscopy. The da Vinci System features a magnified 3D high-definition vision system and special wristed instruments that bend and rotate far greater than the human wrist. da Vinci enables your doctor to operate with enhanced vision, precision, dexterity and control.  As a result of da Vinci technology, da Vinci Prostatectomy offers many potential benefits when compared to traditional open surgery.           Radiation Therapy Radiation therapy is based on high-energy x-rays which kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. This treatment modality has been used in prostate cancer with varying degrees of success, depending on the type of cancer and its stage. The...

2 Great Options The CyberKnife System is a device that falls into an equipment group called stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). It is the only radiation therapy technology that tracks tumor motion and automatically corrects the aim of the treatment beam when movement is detected. This allows it to deliver radiation with sub-millimeter accuracy. As a result, the radiation is directed to where it counts most, the prostate and the radiation dose falls off steeply around the healthy tissue that surrounds the prostate. The BIG PLUSES: Accurate All CyberKnife facilities follow exactly the same set of procedures Procedure is done over 4 or 5 consecutive days for 1 hour each day Currently, there are over 150 CyberKnife Centers in the United States which offer treatment of prostate cancer Immediate return to daily activities   Tomotherapy® is a mode of radiation which consists of helical radiotherapy using a computed tomography (CT) like gantry and a rotating radiation beam that passes through the prostate tumor.  It offers the highest precision with daily 3D image guidance in the most advanced design for true treatment accuracy. This assures both treating physician and patient of precision and safety from treatment. The BIG PLUSES: Performed on an outpatient basis Daily sessions are given over a period of five to nine weeks. Each session involves a 2-3 minute CT scan to align the image, followed by three to five minutes for beam delivery Precisely guided radiation allows higher doses with theoretically lower...