Collaborating With Your Doctor on Your Prostate Cancer Care Plan
Collaborating With Your Doctor on Your Prostate Cancer Care Plan from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.
How can you engage in your prostate cancer care? In this animated video, you will learn about factors that may impact a prostate cancer care plan and tools for partnering with your healthcare team on treatment decisions.
See More From Shared Decision Making: Navigating Prostate Cancer Care
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Transcript:
Niki:
Hi, thanks for joining us! I’m Niki, and I’m a prostate cancer nurse practitioner. And here with me is Anthony, who is living with advanced prostate cancer.
Anthony:
Throughout this video, Niki and I are going to discuss factors that may impact a patient’s prostate cancer care plan.
And as we’ve mentioned in previous videos, it’s important to set goals with your team and understand all of your options before deciding on an approach.
Niki:
Right, Anthony. So, what could impact a treatment plan decision? Factors may include:
- Your age and overall health, including any existing conditions that you may have.
- Disease-related symptoms may also affect your options.
- The stage and grade of your prostate cancer and whether you need to be treated right away.
- Test results, including genomic testing, which identifies the presence of genetic mutations in the cancer and may inform how your cancer will behave.
- Possible side effects, both short term and long term, may also affect your choices.
Anthony:
And, of course, your personal preference should guide the decision as well as how the option may impact your lifestyle. Be open with your care team about what’s important to you and be clear with your goals, including life plans and personal commitments.
Here are some tips to take a more proactive role in your care:
- Talk with close family members and friends about your options.
- Consider a second opinion to help confirm your approach.
- Talk to your healthcare team about your condition and care options. And ask them for resources available to you, including financial help and emotional support, when making decisions.
- You can also visit advocacy group websites that have information about prostate cancer, treatment options, and support groups, to help you understand what’s available.
Niki:
Those are great tips! It’s also a good idea to ask your doctor what they feel is the best approach for you and why. Remember, there is no one-size-fits all approach, and what works for one person may not work for you.
Anthony:
Thanks for joining us! Be sure to download the guide that accompanies this video to help you review what you learned.
And visit powerfulpatients.org/pc to access more videos with Niki and me.
