I concur that dealing with mental health issues is significant, if not vital, with regard to PCa diagnoses, as I think it would be for all potentially chronic diseases. But, as I have indicated before, although in a somewhat different context, the concern for mental health issues should be raised prior to that visit to the urologist, but with the PCP when a recommendation is made to see a urologist because of a suspicious PSA. I think that for many the anxiety, if it appears, may in fact be greatest when the possibility of a cancer diagnosis is raised. I think a sensitive PCP can help her/his patient to deal with anxiety before it festers in that time between the recommendation to visit a urologist because there might be an issue of PCa (CANCER!!!). Even for those patients who are not overly anxious, a sensitive and meaningful discussion with the PCP could do much to assist the patient as he takes the next step.
Thanks, Allan. We did a survey last year of about 170 people on AnCan and ASPI email lists. About one-third complained about anxiety. About half of them were anxious before being diagnosed. The anxiety can be high enough that people will leave AS--in fact the dropout rate is quite high. (I'll be writing about that.) Good point about family docs. They probably deliver more mental health care than any other profession, but we may not think of them doing that. Howard
This mental health topic is a vital consideration for any healthcare journey - but especially for one in the prostate cancer arena.
> the cancer label itself will knock most men and their families senseless because most will think its a death sentence - what do I do? how long do I have? who can I trust? etc etc etc. For the majority, it is not a death sentence - even without treatment.
> waiting for appointments and results is torture.
> some so-called cancers are not cancers - the Gleason 3+3=6 is called a cancer but actually LACKS the hallmarks of a cancer according to both clinical and molecular biology findings.
> many other cancers are slow growing and will be outlived without need for treatment.
> trying to understand the prostate cancer lingo is impossible for many men because of its complexity and because different medical camps recommend different "treatments" - this represents another level of torture.
> trying to empower yourself with knowledge is difficult as most prostate cancer tests and treatments lack irrefutable and reproducible supporting scientific data. Little wonder most patients in the prostate cancer arena are nervous, anxious and depressed - how could you not be with all of this very suspect information?
I concur that dealing with mental health issues is significant, if not vital, with regard to PCa diagnoses, as I think it would be for all potentially chronic diseases. But, as I have indicated before, although in a somewhat different context, the concern for mental health issues should be raised prior to that visit to the urologist, but with the PCP when a recommendation is made to see a urologist because of a suspicious PSA. I think that for many the anxiety, if it appears, may in fact be greatest when the possibility of a cancer diagnosis is raised. I think a sensitive PCP can help her/his patient to deal with anxiety before it festers in that time between the recommendation to visit a urologist because there might be an issue of PCa (CANCER!!!). Even for those patients who are not overly anxious, a sensitive and meaningful discussion with the PCP could do much to assist the patient as he takes the next step.
Thanks, Allan. We did a survey last year of about 170 people on AnCan and ASPI email lists. About one-third complained about anxiety. About half of them were anxious before being diagnosed. The anxiety can be high enough that people will leave AS--in fact the dropout rate is quite high. (I'll be writing about that.) Good point about family docs. They probably deliver more mental health care than any other profession, but we may not think of them doing that. Howard
Thanks, Bert. This is something all patients, families, urologists and other specialists need to consider. Howard
This mental health topic is a vital consideration for any healthcare journey - but especially for one in the prostate cancer arena.
> the cancer label itself will knock most men and their families senseless because most will think its a death sentence - what do I do? how long do I have? who can I trust? etc etc etc. For the majority, it is not a death sentence - even without treatment.
> waiting for appointments and results is torture.
> some so-called cancers are not cancers - the Gleason 3+3=6 is called a cancer but actually LACKS the hallmarks of a cancer according to both clinical and molecular biology findings.
> many other cancers are slow growing and will be outlived without need for treatment.
> trying to understand the prostate cancer lingo is impossible for many men because of its complexity and because different medical camps recommend different "treatments" - this represents another level of torture.
> trying to empower yourself with knowledge is difficult as most prostate cancer tests and treatments lack irrefutable and reproducible supporting scientific data. Little wonder most patients in the prostate cancer arena are nervous, anxious and depressed - how could you not be with all of this very suspect information?