With ProtonBob's permission I'm posting a page out of his book, You Can Beat Prostate Cancer. It has to do with the subject matter at hand in our group - Did your doctor tell you about or refer you to the Proton Center?
PalJoe
Become Your Own Advocate
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.
Bob Marckini's Advice
(1 post) (1 voice)-
Posted 1 year ago #
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