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One simply needs to look at the advertisements for different treatment that are presented to the public to see the source of the misconceptions on benefits of treatment. The “cure rate” is featured prominently in many… without clarification.
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positive |
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We still need a new tool to find out if these cancers are low risk or not. The PSA and
Gleasonscore
are famous for inaccuracy.
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negative |
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Perhaps we need prostate cancer active “surveillists,” a sub-specialty committed to minimizing the risk of inaccurately diagnosing an indolent prostate cancer as prostate cancer that requires treatment, managing cases of low-risk, low-grade prostate cancer to minimize the risk of too early and excessive treatment, and providing pre- and post-medical management and educational support to minimize quality-of-life-destroying side effects for men whose prostate cancer does progress to the point of productively and rationally requiring invasive, radical intervention.
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positive |
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... there needs to more and better education for patients and families of those diagnosed with prostate cancer about active surveillance. I participate in several on-line prostate cancer support groups. The suggestion of active surveillance is almost seen as insulting by many members of the group.
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positive |
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Doctors are paid for doing procedures. That is what the "P" in CPT (the billing code) stands for. If a patient wants to get unbiased information, he’s got to seek it out. I think a series of videos, podcasts, etc., can provide this better than harried doctors who aren’t paid for the substantial time it takes to educate, and who might very well have a bias in doing a type of procedure in which they have invested much time and perhaps quite a deal of money.
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positive |
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… repeated biopsies do cause a lot of trauma to the prostate and an increased risk for other infections. I find the prospect of regular biopsies stressful and they also have an impact on one’s sex life.
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negative |
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I believe the key to increasing the use of active surveillance is to adopt a patient-centered care approach. First determine what the patient’s life goals are. Provide all the necessary information for the patient to make a decision about treatment options to meet those goals. Have shared decision-making on how to attain those goals. The key is to put the patient in the center of the process.
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positive |
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I have been on [AS] for two years. [My doctor] told me I may live for 15 years with no problems, until a recent biopsy [indicated] I needed treatment. So I just had robotic surgery and am now left with a 3mm positive margin. If I had taken action straight away, I would have had a complete removal of the cancer. In my view had I the choice again I would not have worried about the side effects. .
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negative |
