Category: Doctor-Patient Relationship

"You have prostate cancer." Those words hit hard — and immediately, every part of you wants it gone. At Sperling Prostate Center, we understand that. We treat both the tumor and the man behind it, balancing advanced focal therapy with attention to lifestyle, values, and what matters most to each patient. keep reading

Choosing the right prostate cancer treatment goes beyond medical statistics—it's about aligning therapy with individual lifestyles, priorities, and long-term well-being. Shared decision-making, patient-reported outcomes, and emerging therapies offer hope for better cancer control with fewer side effects. keep reading

Is great care only about medical results? A large study suggests not. Patients consistently rated doctors higher when they felt listened to, understood, and respected, while poor communication and long wait times fueled dissatisfaction. keep reading

Prostate cancer trials often prioritize long-term survival data, but some experts say this narrow focus slows innovation and overlooks the patient experience. A growing call for change highlights the need for shorter, patient-centered studies that measure progress while protecting quality of life. keep reading

If you were told you have prostate cancer, who gave you the news? Your doctor, right? But that doesn’t mean he or she made the ultimate diagnosis. In fact, your doctor may have suspected you have prostate cancer (PCa) based on your PSA blood test, a DRE (digital rectal exam in which an abnormality was keep reading

I was alarmed by a recent article about patients who feel like their doctors ignore or dismiss their symptoms or problems. Not only would this be frustrating—even infuriating—in some cases the patients come away wondering if they’re crazy. If so, it’s called medical gaslighting, a term that traced to a dark 1938 stage play (and keep reading

Shared decision-making (SDM) is the new hot ticket for choosing a prostate cancer (PCa) treatment. I posted a 2023 blog about the importance of doctor-patient conversations that enable patients to ask questions and share their concerns, while doctors take on the role of neutral educator and empathic listener. This collaboration helps patients avoid treatment regret keep reading

Decisions, decisions. Virtually every action you make, no matter how small, is preceded by a choice or decision. If it doesn’t work out, most have only minor consequences. English muffin or whole wheat toast? Solid tie or striped? Drive or take the commuter train? Coffee or tea? These are small decisions. The stages of life keep reading

“Physicians are valued for being brilliant diagnosticians and they now have more information and tools and technology at their disposal than ever before; yet patients don’t feel cared for, and doctors don’t feel like they can care for patients enough.”[i] Abraham Verghese, MD is hardly a household name, but among many doctors he is something keep reading

“One of my pet peeves is over-reliance on science and technology at the expense of a caring doctor-patient relationship.” Abraham Verghese, MD[i] Dr. Abraham Verghese holds a prominent place among my medical heroes because of the way he champions the doctor-patient relationship. Today, medicine seems to be dominated by devices, tests, procedures, reports, records, and economics. keep reading