Prostate Cancer: Dealing with Diagnosis

Being diagnosed with cancer, prostate or other, is a life-altering event. It is the beginning of a difficult journey filled with lots of information that doesn't always make sense, and tough decisions that are, ultimately, up to you.

Prostate cancer is very common. One in six American men is diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their life. If you're dealing with a diagnosis of prostate cancer, there are some things you should know.

Firstly, you should get a lot of information from your doctor. Don't be afraid to ask questions, even if they come with more questions. As the shock starts to fade and you realize you can deal with this, things will start to make more sense. Your doctor will advise you of your treatment options, the stage of your prostate cancer, the risks associated with your options, and any clinical trials you may be eligible for.

You don't have to make a decision right away in many instances. Take the information you've received to your loved ones and talk it through with them. They can sometimes offer you different a perspective to help you deal with your diagnosis as well as determine which route you should take with treatment. Your family will have a lot of questions once they get over their shock, just as you did, so if you can have information available to them or can tell them where to go to get information. The Prostate Cancer Foundation is a good place to start. They can help you and your loved ones understand and deal with your diagnosis.

Be aware that grief can get in the way of your ability to deal with your diagnosis, process information, or make decisions. Your loved ones can help, and so can support groups. Try to find other people affected by a diagnosis of prostate cancer either locally or online. There are organizations that can help you with all of this. The Prostate Cancer Foundation is one group that can help.

When you start making sense of your diagnosis, you'll need to determine which direction to take with your treatment. Prostate cancer treatment is determined by the stage of the cancer, and the treatments come with side effects that you should discuss with your doctor. Don't rely on the opinion of one specialist because you feel you have to. If you want a second opinion on your treatment options, you should get it.

Radiation and surgery are treatment options for prostate cancer, but so is active surveillance in some instances. Sometimes doctors catch prostate cancer early, or find that it's a slow-growing variety. In these instances, some men choose active surveillance. Learn more about your treatment options and try to figure out what your next step might be.

Once you've established what you may want to do to treat your prostate cancer, you should discuss the side effects of that treatment with your doctor, as well as the potential success, and what you can do to increase your chances of success with the treatment option you may choose.

Dealing with a diagnosis of prostate cancer won't be easy, but there is lots of help and support available. Don't be afraid to ask for the help and information you need. Over time, you'll come to grips with your diagnosis and hopefully life will start to get back to some semblance of normal. Friends and loved ones can help, and many of them want to. Let them, so you can focus on what you need to do.

For more information on prostate cancer as well as support, you can visit these groups on the web:

prostatecancerfoundation.org

ustoo.com

cancer.org (Man to Man support groups by the American Cancer Society)

psa-rising.com

In the UK

prostate-cancer.org.uk