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Advice for the newly diagnosed: A diagnosis of prostate cancer is life-changing. But breathe. You are not alone. Fellow patients on our Patient Council have identified the key questions that they deal with during their diagnosis and in the days following.

  • What are the major risk factors?
  • What did I do to cause it?
  • How can I prevent it?
  • Who should be screened?
  • Should I get a second opinion, and if so, with whom?
  • What is my prognosis (after diagnosis)?

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR

1. What is the clinical stage and Gleason score of my cancer?

2. Is my cancer low-, medium-, or high-risk?

3. What treatment do you recommend?

  • Active surveillance
  • Surgery
    What type of surgery? Can the nerves be spared? How often do you do this procedure? What will my recovery be like?
  • Radiation
    What type of radiation? What are the risks? What can be done to reduce side effects? What is my recovery? What are you doing to limit radiation to other structures?

    • 4. What are the short- and long-term side effects of this treatment?

    5. What are my chances of:

  • Becoming incontinent?
  • Developing erectile dysfunction?
  • Having other bladder or bowel problems?

    • 6. What are the chances of the cancer coming back if I have this treatment? What are the short- and long-term side effects of this treatment?

    7. What are my chances of survival?

    8. May I have a copy of my pathology report?

    9. If I want to have another pathologist look at my prostate biopsy results, how do I get the slides?

    10. Should I get a second opinion, and if so, with whom?