Gerald Chodak - Winning the Battle Against Prostate Cancer: Get The Treatment Thats Right For You

Second Edition

Gerald Chodak, MD

Visit our website at www.demoshealth.com

ISBN: 978-1-936303-54-0

e-book ISBN: 978-1-61705-185-2

Acquisitions Editor: Julia Pastore

Compositor: Exeter Premedia Services Private Ltd.

2013 Gerald Chodak. All rights reserved. This book is protected by copyright. No part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Medical information provided by Demos Health, in the absence of a visit with a health care professional, must be considered as an educational service only. This book is not designed to replace a physicians independent judgment about the appropriateness or risks of a procedure or therapy for a given patient. Our purpose is to provide you with information that will help you make your own health care decisions.

The information and opinions provided here are believed to be accurate and sound, based on the best judgment available to the authors, editors, and publisher, but readers who fail to consult appropriate health authorities assume the risk of injuries. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions. The editors and publisher welcome any reader to report to the publisher any discrepancies or inaccuracies noticed.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Chodak, Gerald W., 1950

Winning the battle against prostate cancer : get the treatment that is right for you / Gerald Chodak, MD.Second edition.

p. ; cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-936303-54-0ISBN 978-1-61705-185-2 (e-book)

1. ProstateCancerPopular works. I. Title.

RC280.P7C545 2013

616.99'463dc23

2013020150

Printed in the United States of America by Edwards Brothers.

13 14 15 16 17 / 5 4 3 2 1

FOR ALL MEN WITH PROSTATE CANCER OR
YET TO BE DIAGNOSED WITH IT,
HOPING THOSE NEEDING TREATMENT GET CURED
AND ALL THE REST ARE NOT HARMED.

Dr. Chodak has made a valuable contribution in writing this comprehensive book and his revised edition updates this important resource. I am pleased to see this revised edition because we live in a time of rapid new developments in treating prostate cancer. This book is a much-needed tool for men, their friends, family, and others, as they battle this deadly, under-recognized disease and attempt to live with pride and a winning, positive attitude. I know from the thousands of men and women I see that this book provides useful information with regards to the fight.

Prostate cancer took the life of my wife Margarets father when she was a young mother and her younger sister was still in high school, and it places our family at risk now and in the future. As America and the world ages, more men are at risk of prostate cancer than ever before. It is the next most diagnosed cancer in men after skin cancer. It is diagnosed at a similar or higher level than breast cancer is in women. This fact is becoming more recognized and Winning the Battle Against Prostate Cancer will provide information to millions of men, as well as those who care about and love them, who need to know their risk and what they can do about it.

As Dr. Chodak points out, being empowered and learning to cope comes through knowledge and hope. Us TOO was founded on that principle 20 years ago, and today thousands of volunteers continue to help support each other, learn, and together make their voices heard. Dr. Chodak is one of the well-informed good guys in the battle against prostate cancer with a long history of contributions. His book provides a comprehensive view of a complex and often controversial disease and he continues to be an active leader who shows sensitivity and a commitment to patients being active in their own care and finding the latest information necessary to fight on.

My personal Thank you goes out to him.

Thomas N. Kirk
President/CEO
Us TOO International
Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network
Downers Grove, Illinois

For this second edition of Winning the Battle Against Prostate Cancer I have many people to thank and acknowledge.

First, I dedicate this book to my mother Roslyn Oestreich Chodak, who died unexpectedly in February 2013. She was a source of inspiration for living life to the fullest and I was fortunate to have her in my life for so many years.

To my agent Bob Silverstein, who succumbed to an illness in the fall of 2012, I am thankful for all his past advice and support, may he rest in peace!

To my wife, Robin, for providing her support, her love, and her editing prowess throughout this project. I am truly a lucky man to have such a wonderful partner in my life.

To Beth Barry who in her new role at Demos has given me the opportunity to write this second edition so soon after the first one was published.

Lastly, to men with prostate cancer who will benefit from the many advancements in the management of this challenging disease. I hope that this book will help guide them down the right path for their treatment.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, many emotions and questions probably are going through your head. You might be scared, anxious, and uncertain about what to do and what may happen. If youre the patient, you may want answers to questions such as:

How dangerous is my cancer?

Can I be cured?

Which is the best treatment for me?

How much will the treatment affect my quality of life?

Will my cancer recur?

Who can I trust to give me the best advice?

Winning the Battle Against Prostate Cancer will help you by giving you answers to these questions and letting you know what other questions you should be asking.

For many men, learning about prostate cancer can be overwhelming and confusing. There are so many opinions on what to do and way too much information to read. In the beginning of April 2013, surfing the Internet with the words prostate cancer information and treatment had over 70 million hits! Unfortunately, many of them contained outdated information. In addition, advertisements in newspapers and magazines, and those on television and even roadside billboards are constantly promoting different treatments by using incomplete or biased information. One of the major reasons for writing this second edition is that even more options are now available due to the approval of new therapies and drugs by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the last three years. These are important changes that can significantly improve mens survival and quality of life. Also, many important studies that started 10 or more years ago have been completed and the results are now available. None of the books published before 2012 have this information. Unfortunately, you cannot count on all doctors to give this new information because too many of them also are not keeping up to date. One of the major strengths of this second edition of