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11 anniversaries since diagnosis of stage 4 prostate cancer
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Sep 2 6:11pm | Replies (113)Comment receiving replies
Well put. The patient chooses the destination, but the oncologist drives the bus.
That said, I don't think it's a bad thing that we patients are sharing info here. It's clear from posts that not everyone is getting the same quality of care — some of us are lucky enough to be under the care multidisciplinary teams at big research centres following the latest best practices, while others have a single small-town urologist who might or might not have kept up to date on developments over the past 5–10 years.
Knowing what questions to ask helps level the playing field a bit
Replies to "Well put. The patient chooses the destination, but the oncologist drives the bus. That said, I..."
Excellent point. Having been a physician for about 45 years, I have witnessed first hand the disparity in skills and knowledge among physicians. As quickly as the treatment of prostate cancer has changed over the last 5-10 years, it is imperative to have a team that is up to date on the latest treatment regimens. It is very difficult for a general oncologist to keep up with treatment of all cancer types. A medical/radiation oncologist and urologist that specializes in GU cancer treatment at a major medical center is likely most qualified, but, of course, there are always exceptions.
I would hope that some less informed men on this forum do not take the information and/or recommendations as gospel and try to apply that to their own situation. Each is different. As you say, this forum does provide some excellent information to jump start conversations with treatment teams or maybe question if some need a new team with more specialized care.
Good luck in your journey.
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Sharing info on who has the latest and best practices, or what works is indeed a great benefit on site like this. Does not mean what is good for the goose is good for the gander. But at least it is one place to start.