Counseling patients about therapy for localized prostate cancer.
The major therapeutic approaches to localized prostate cancer are radical prostatectomy, external beam radiation therapy, and surveillance or observation. The appropriate treatment for a specific patient depends on tumor stage, grade, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, as well as on patient age, medical status, life expectancy, and patient preference. A patient with localized prostate cancer should understand the nature of these therapeutic approaches and their possible complications. In the absence of good long-term outcome data, patient preference is a significant factor.
Division of Urology, Health Sciences Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA.
R G
RG
Middleton
D002755:Choice Behavior; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome