Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among American men after skin cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Based on this statistic, most people might assume that the majority of
American men are well educated about how best to fight prostate cancer,
where to turn for more information and what support group an uncle or
golf buddy relied on during their respective battles with the disease.
Unfortunately, this is not the case. While women regularly host breast
cancer awareness and fund-raising walks across the country, men have
been less proactive on matters related to their health, including
essential measures such as soliciting second opinions and researching
treatment options. The result of this passive approach is that the
average man does not always make good, informed decisions about his own
health care.
A new program is encouraging men to alter their approach to health
care, at least when it comes to battling prostate cancer. Us TOO
International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network, along with
Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization, have founded the "Partner's
Program" to help men with prostate cancer and their partners face the
diagnosis together, encourage them to seek information regarding
treatment options, and ultimately, make more well-informed treatment
decisions.
This program clearly responds to an unmet need. Recently, an Us TOO-
and Y-ME-commissioned survey found that, although the majority of men
with prostate cancer have heard of both surgery and radiation as
treatment options, up to 38 percent don't know that other treatments,
such as hormonal therapy, even exist. Even more alarming, less than 50
percent of men with prostate cancer take the time to get a second
opinion on their diagnosis or proposed treatment. These facts are sure
to concern anyone who loves a man at risk of developing prostate cancer.
The good news for wives and partners is the survey found that men don't
want to face prostate cancer treatment choices alone, making a resource
like the "Partner's Program" attractive for both men and women. While
men are not typically as open as women on subjects such as prostate
cancer, the survey found that almost 70 percent of men age 50 and older
indicated that they would like their partner to play an active role in
the process of choosing an appropriate course of therapy.
Now, with the help of the "Partner's Program," the average American man may become more proactive about his health.
