7 Keys to Treating Prostate Cancer
Introduction
If you have received a diagnosis of prostate cancer, you are far from alone. Prostate cancer is the second most common form of cancer in men (after skin cancer) and the third most common cause of cancer death (after lung cancer and colon cancer). An American boy born today has a 16% chance of developing prostate cancer and about a 3% risk of dying from it.
Prostate cancer may progress so slowly that some patients live with it for years and end up dying of something else; however, once it spreads to the bones it is often incurable. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 232,000 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States in 2007, with about 30,000 men dying from the disease this year.
The good news is that reliable diagnostic tests and numerous treatment options are available for prostate cancer, and death rates from prostate cancer are on the decline. Moreover, most prostate cancer is slow growing, so usually you can give yourself time to learn about and carefully weigh all the options available to treat prostate cancer. And it's important that you take the time to do so. Of all the cancers, cancer of the prostate is unusual in that there is no consensus among doctors about the best treatment, or even whether any type of treatment is absolutely necessary.
Of course, you will make final decisions about your treatment with your doctor. You should talk to your doctor about the relative risks and benefits of each treatment and consider consulting physicians from different fields to get a broader spectrum of opinion. The information presented here will provide you with the most crucial issues to consider in treating your prostate cancer and the important questions to ask your doctor.
Table of Contents
Key One: Understand Your Prostate Biopsy
Key Two: Get A Second (and Third or Fourth) Opinion about your Prostate Cancer Diagnosis and Prostate Cancer Treatment
Key Three: Choose the Right Treatment for Your Prostate Cancer
Key Four: Restore and Maintain Erectile Performance
Key Five: Seek Extra Help—If Needed
Key Six: Understand the Role of Diet
Key Seven: Consider Complementary Therapies
Read on: Key #1: Understand Your Prostate Biopsy==>
