Prostate Cancer From A Patient's Perspective

Let's face it.  Physicians aren't good communicators.  We train for years to talk in a "foreign" language full of medicalese.  And that's on top of our stereotypically miserable handwriting.  Add to that the fact that science is not exact.  Plus you know what they say about statistics.  So it's not surprising that patients often feel like they've been tossed around when pronouncements come out first advocating something, then refuting it.  Why can't we just make up our minds?

As you'll recall, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently came out w/another controversial announcement, this time recommending against screening for prostate cancer w/PSA in asymptomatic men.  And as expected, urologists were up in arms while those in primary care said hallelujah!  Patients who'd been diagnosed and treated were stunned since it was just this screening that saved them.  

And those who haven't been screened were left confused & bewildered.  Well, I just stumbled upon a well written article published in Men's Health over a year ago before the brouhaha erupted.  It's written from the patient's perspective several years after the author had been diagnosed w/prostate cancer and underwent treatment.  Take a few minutes to sit down and read it in its entirety to get a better understanding of the controversy.  There's also a nicely balanced educational piece available, too.

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