If you have a family history of prostate cancer, or have any reason to be concerned about it, you are not alone. Each year, over 1 million biopsies are performed, and the National Cancer Institute projects 164,690 new cases in 2018.
To meet the education and support needs of men and their partners, there are a number of national organizations that address various aspects from information to advocacy to funding. Although some of them represent a more “traditional” or conventional view of treatment options (e.g. you may find that focal therapy such as Focal Laser Ablation is not listed, or is considered “experimental”) they offer excellent general information about the prostate gland and the disease of prostate cancer. Each of the following is well established and reputable:
- National Institutes of Health/Prostate Cancer – In addition to general information, you can find statistics, research, and a link to clinical trials. https://www.cancer.gov/types/prostate
- ZERO (The End of Prostate Cancer) – Want to join the fight against prostate cancer? This organization has a warrior mentality, encouraging action to raise awareness and funds. In addition, they offer a wealth of resources in terms of free testing, local support chapters, how to understand health insurance, etc. https://zerocancer.org/
- Urology Care Foundation – This affiliate of the American Urological Association provides free patient education materials on urologic health for patients, caregivers, the general public, and community organizations. You can search “prostate cancer” under Urologic Conditions. http://urologyhealth.org/
- National Comprehensive Cancer Network – The value of NCCN is the guidelines it offers for detection and treatment of cancers. Their guidelines are based in research and the consensus of experts. You might like their free 2018 Prostate Cancer Patient Guide. Want to know if your doctor is following the best standards of care? Check it out at https://www.nccn.org/
- Patient Advocates for Advanced Cancer Treatment – This Michigan-based patient advocacy group features a free quarterly magazine, “Prostate Cancer Communication.” Dr. Mark Moyad, who specializes in supplements and nutrition for prostate health, has a regular column, and each issue features one or more in-depth topical articles with important updated information (Dr. Sperling has been published in this periodical). http://paactusa.org/
The above list does not constitute a recommendation of these organizations over others. There are many other associations and programs that offer excellent service, including local programs such as those offered by hospitals or medical centers. We just want patients (and potential patients) to be aware of some of the additional resources available to them.
The Sperling Prostate Center is proud of our ongoing blogs, which are backed by research. In fact, last year our blog was chosen as one of the top 10 prostate cancer blogs for the excellent caliber and range of our content.
In terms of clinical services, we provide a total-care protocol of advanced 3T mpMRI for tumor detection, in-bore MRI-guided targeted biopsy, and biomarker evaluations. If a patient is a candidate for focal therapy, our Center is the recognized pioneer in Focal Laser Ablation (FLA).
Explore our website or contact us for more information.
About Dr. Dan Sperling
Dan Sperling, MD, DABR, is a board certified radiologist who is globally recognized as a leader in multiparametric MRI for the detection and diagnosis of a range of disease conditions. As Medical Director of the Sperling Prostate Center, Sperling Medical Group and Sperling Neurosurgery Associates, he and his team are on the leading edge of significant change in medical practice. He is the co-author of the new patient book Redefining Prostate Cancer, and is a contributing author on over 25 published studies. For more information, contact the Sperling Prostate Center.
