News from ProtonPals

"This is perhaps the most important message of this book. You need to take charge of your own treatment decision. No single treatment is best for everybody. In the case of prostate cancer, you have several treatment alternatives, and there is only one person on this planet who is qualified to choose the option that is best for you. You! But you need to do your homework first, so that you are comfortable with your decision.

Most of us were brought up to believe the doctor knows best. One of the most common questions a prostate cancer patient asks his doctor is "What would you do if you were me, doctor?" And the doctor will tell you. But what you need to realize is that doctors in different specialties will often give you different answers to that question. Let me repeat this very important point:

Doctors in different specialties will often give you different answers to the question, "What would you do doc?" And most are biased to their specialty.

       In the course of my interviews of hundreds of prostate cancer patients, the vast majority of them reported that when they met with their urologist, who is fundamentally a surgeon, surgery was recommended. The radiation oncologist typically recommended radiation. Those who met with doctors specializing in brachytherapy were generally encouraged to do seed implants. Cryo-surgeons
recommended freezing, and so on. How can surgery, external beam radiation, seeds and liquid nitrogen all be best for the same patient?
They can't.
       Does this mean that doctors are intentionally misleading their patients for their own personal gain? No. Most doctors will act in terms of what they believe is in the best interest of their patients. Sadly, many doctors are not knowledgeable about some of the developing technologies. Therefore it is up to you, the patient, to do your own homework, and make the treatment decision that is best for
you.
      I happened to choose proton beam therapy (a form of external beam radiation) for my treatment. My own urologist, who is chief of urology for a major hospital in the Northeast, admitted lack of knowledgeof proton beam treatment and encouraged me to have surgery. Why? Because he was very experienced, he had done several hundred surgeries, he believed that considering my age, physical condition, PSA, and Gleason score, surgery offered me the best chance for a cure.
      The radiation oncologist, said, "Considering your age, cancer stage, and general health, I recommend Conformal External Beam Radiation Therapy."
      The brachytherapist felt similarly about his specialty. He told me that I was "the poster boy for brachytherapy." Why? Because of my relatively young age, good health, non-enlarged prostate, early stage cancer, and his experience and expertise at his specialty.
       The doctor I spoke with about cryosurgery felt the same way. If he were in my shoes he would choose to freeze the prostate.How could each of these treatment options be best for me? I knew they couldn't. They might all have worked, but what about such issues as impotence, incontinence, fatigue, pain, convenience, cost, treatment time, recuperation time, and other factors that were important to me?
      I quickly learned one of the most important lessons of this journey: The only way I can know for sure what is best for me is to jump in with both feet, learn everything I can about each option and then make my own decision. I did this, and my ultimate decision surprised everyone - especially me.
      When I was first diagnosed with prostate cancer and did my preliminary research, proton beam therapy wasn't even on my radar screen. I didn't know it existed. I now head up an international support group for men who have chosen PBT. I therefore admit a built-in prejudice toward this option. But I do not think it is for everybody. And I truly believe that by reading and understanding what is presented in this book, you too will make the decision that is best for you.

You can order your copy of ProtonBob's book here You Can Beat Prostate Cancer.