The diagnose from prostate cancer could be relatively new and you’re not certain of what’s going on or how to get assistance. That’s normal. Whatever your situation you’re going through, it’s a good odds that you’re not alone. Many people experience a mixture of confusion, surprise, and fear , in addition to other emotionswhen they learn they’ve been diagnosed with cancer.

You can make certain of: The next steps following the diagnosis will affect your outlook or how you’ll be coping in the fight against prostate cancer as time passes.

“It’s important to remember not to panic,” says Steven E. Canfield, MD, the chief of urology at the McGovern Medical School located at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and The Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center. Make sure you get all the information you require and talk with all the people you’ll need, says.

Although you might know people who were able to (or did not) perform well following having a prostate cancer diagnosis take note that your circumstances could be totally different.

“Prostate cancer represents a spectrum of disease,” says Peter Carroll, MD MPH Professor and Chairman for the department of Urology of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). “Not all [ prostate cancers] are the same, and not all need the same type of treatment.”

He recommends “not to rush to a decision regarding treatment” and states”that “very, very few prostate cancers require urgent treatment.”

Prostate Cancer

1. Ask These Key Questions About Your Cancer

The first step is to become informed. Doctor. Carroll recommends seeking multidisciplinary opinions from experts.

When speaking with your doctor when you visit your doctor, it’s a great idea to bring a few other people present along with you. Families and friends can be part of an emotional support system that is often useful, Carroll explains, since “people hear different things and tend to ask different questions.”

Doctor. Canfield adds that taking notes when looking over information found on the internet is important as “you are going to see so many things that may or may not apply to your specific cancer; it’s so common to forget what you were going to ask the doctor.”

For a start, Carroll suggests the following questions that can aid you in getting to the core of your problem.

• How serious is the cancer? In most instances prostate cancer develops slowly. However certain men might have more aggressive types. There are a variety of methods to determine this. Your doctor might make use of the Gleason score which, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, is an average of two scores that vary between 2 and 10 and 10, being considered the least difficult. The majority of patients diagnosed by prostate cancer are diagnosed with prostate cancer and have scores that is between 7 and 6. Another method to assess the aggressiveness for prostate cancer can be measured using that of Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment (CAPRA) score that was created at UCSF.
• Do I need an additional scan? The tests and procedures that are that are designed to pinpoint precisely where cancer is located in your body are becoming more precise and sophisticated in diagnosing cancer. These comprise Magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI), computed tomography (CT) and the positron electronic tomography (PET). Canfield states that “it’s important to be diagnosed somewhere that has access to the newest technology in imaging.” He declares that MRI combination biopsy is among the most advanced techniques doctors use to detect cancer significantly more precisely.
• Do I need to consider having my tumor evaluated by using customized medical treatment? Also referred to as genomic profiling or genomic testing the concept of personalized medicine is a relatively new method that allows cancer specialists to create an individual plan of cancer treatments that is based on prostate cancer cells that are analyzed in the procedure of a biopsy. Knowing the specific characteristics of cancer cells can aid in knowing the way your prostate cancer particularly might respond to various treatment options.

Other tools can also be used to determine your disease and aid in predicting probable outcomes of various treatments. For instance the prostate cancer predictors, referred to as nomograms, can be found via institutions such as the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Institute located in New York City.

2. Consider All Your Treatment Options

The most important question to ask, suggests Carrol The most important question to ask would be “Do I need to be treated?” Between 20-40 per cent of all prostate cancers that are discovered in today’s men are non-indolent (cause very little or any discomfort) Carrol states, and they will develop slowly or not change in any way in comparison to where they are currently.

For many men, a method known as “active surveillance” in place of treatment immediately is a very secure and tested alternative. This is a viable alternative if the cancer is not spreading and you are over 50 years old as well as if your Gleason score is not very high. According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation points out that this method of treatment is not a substitute for being inactive. Many follow-up procedures are part of active surveillance when it is done properly and safely.

If you are in need of medical attention beyond that of the scope of active monitoring, Carroll advises that you speak to your doctor:

• What do I need to know about my options for treatment? my options for treatment?
• If I’m diagnosed, what should I anticipate in terms of treatment, survival and adverse negative side effects? Carroll says that all treatments come with negative side effects, and that you must be aware of these before deciding on the best treatment method.
• What experience do you have with these treatment options?
• In your personal experience What is your opinion on how men like me performed in relation to the outcomes that were discussed? What are your thoughts on the results?

3. Get a Second Opinion

Consult your doctor for recommendations on other physicians or clinics you could visit for a second opinion. If your doctor isn’t willing to listen, Carroll says, you need to find a different doctor that you can locate at local clinics, hospitals as well as cancer centers, or by contacting sources such as The American Medical Association and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

The prostate cancer patients who suffer from cancer might be treated too much or not treated, Carroll says. Particularly, those who have advanced prostate cancer aren’t receiving adequate treatment, while some patients with local disease are treated too often. Learn more about the disease, and seek as many opinions and inputs as you require.

4. Find a Doctor You Like

Find the urologist you’re at ease with. “Believe it or not, you’re going to be seeing your urologist for a long time,” Canfield says. Canfield, “so you should choose someone who is an ideal one for you. You must like the person. You should be able to trust them and trust that they will be there to support you in any situation.”

It’s not a guarantee He says, “but at least you can rely on the fact that your doctor will be available and there to care for you — no matter what.”

5. Make Smart Lifestyle Moves

A balanced diet regularly exercising and weight management are crucial to keep you healthy during menopausal cancer treatment as well as preventing other ailments which can be a result of ageing.

Another way to think about the issue, according to Canfield The other approach can be it is that diet and exercise boost the immune system and prostate cancer appears to be slightly affected by this immune system. An active lifestyle can certainly hinder your treatment and could be beneficial.

Below are some particular diet suggestions from the UCSF:

• Consume a wide variety of vegetables that include cooked tomatoes (which have the antioxidant lycopene) as well as cruciferous veggies like cabbage and broccoli. certain studies suggest could reduce the chance for developing prostate cancer.
• Avoid eating processed meats and poultry. Instead, opt for healthier sources of protein such as salmon and other fish that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
• Concentrate on healthy fats. Instead of frying food items or saturated fat opt for nuts, olive oil as well as other sources of vegetable fats.
• Get ample calcium from low-fat sources like skimmilk and vegetables such as the kale as well as spinach as well as high-quality foods such as whole-grain cereals, soy or nut milks.

In addition to the food you eat, try to do intense physical activity for minimum 30 minutes every day when you’re able to do so, keep an appropriate weight and do not smoke.