@jimgaudette It’s not necessarily about trust.
Both you and I were probably very good in our respective professions. But, we probably didn’t know everything (at least I didn’t). It’s no different with doctors (urologists, oncologists, etc.).

I always kept in mind that doctors (and medical teams) are human beings, not gods; they’re just people like you and me, working in an occupation they have an aptitude and passion for; but, they’re not perfect; they’re human, with human frailties; they sometimes make errors.

They also have lives to live outside of work, spouses and children to spend time with, vacations to take, student loans to pay off, and on and on and on……

And, they’re not always right; no one doctor knows everything; they only know as much as they’ve learned and experienced. Whatever they tell you, accept it with some cautious and informed skepticism (and optimism).

On a few occasions we changed my treatment plan based on my inputs (from what I heard and read others experience). In other instances they were able to explain to me why my recommendation was not optimal for my diagnosis.

That’s what self-advocacy and shared decision-making is all about. That’s how I worked with my medical team, and I think (hope?) it led to a better outcome.