What are your primary prostate cancer needs?

[Darryl]

I would love your first response when I ask “What are the top 3-5 areas of need in prostate cancer from your perspective”. Please reply below. Thanks!

[Vitruviusman]

ED treatment that actually works. Support for Being subsequently isolated in the dating scene because of ED

[RJ-MN]

1. The feeling that I am working with an oncologist who is creative in caring for me as an individual and not just managing my jumping through the institution's SOC hoops. 2. A willingness to combine therapies and/or revisit drugs to avoid the simple sequential dance towards death. 3. An Oncology department that is willing to work with Nutrition, and Physical Therapy, and even Urology to help the patient be as healthy as he can be rather than simply monitoring blood #s and drugs.

[JLINSCHEID]

1. A gay/trans/queer friendly doctor. I’ve been fortunate—surgeon and oncologists have all been great, but the first urologist I was referred to radiated discomfort with the presence of my husband. 2. A better system for considering all options. Although I later learned that my medical history militated against any radiation-type treatment, even early on, there was a strong push toward surgery.

[NYTwin]

1. Doctors and medical institutes should have the obligation to inform PC patients of all treatment options available based on the patient's staging and scores.

2. All those diagnosed with PC also need to become personally pro-active in seeking viable treatments appropriate to them. There is a contingent of people that automatically say "cut it out" if they get a cancer diagnosis (i.e., surgery)

3. Have a more functional medicine approach toward care of cancer patients in general. We are more than just a prostate and PC impacts lots of other aspects of life from both a physical and psychological perspective.

4. Treat yourself kindly. Watch your nutrition and stay physically active as best as possible.

5. Seek support services and sites such as this one!

[Miccoman]

1. A gay-friendly doctor who will work with me to manage my condition

2. Gay friendly clinic staff who give me credit for knowing about my disease and are not afraid of me for not being incapacitated

3. Universal Health care to pay all med costs so I do not end up alone and penniless, under state care in a nursing home at the end.

[CPGeek]

Long-term data on the physical and emotional effects of PC treatments on gay men, even if that data aligns with the data on straight men. I once had a physician's assistant scoff at the idea that there might be a difference. I asked her: How do you know? Without that data, how does anyone know?

[Terp2017]

1. Real follow up!

2. Effective urinary control.

3. Mental and emotional support for the loss sexuality, identity, and relationships.

[EdinBmore]

1) Docs who understand that being gay IS different than being straight (I have different issues - such as gay sex - than a straight man); 2) Docs who treat the WHOLE person. I'm not just parts for them to radiate, medicate, and cut. No one took time to really explain what ADT would do to me; all its nasty side effects. No one asked about my emotional being. PCa changed my life and I sure could have used some emotional support. The sense of loss and grief that I felt because of the ADT and treatment side effects was a very dark time for me. Btw, glad I found this site; the guys here are empathetic and supportive and knowledgeable. Lucky to find Malecare. 3) More effective follow up post treatment.

EdinBaltimore