Surviving Prostate Cancer: What You Need to Know to Make Informed Decisions.

SURVIVING PROSTATE CANCER: What You Need to Know to Make Informed Decisions E. FULLER TORREY 

Each year, approximately 230,000 U.S. men are diagnosed with prostate cancer, as was Torrey, a research psychiatrist, in 2004. His subsequent search for information on treatment options led him to write this book. In it, he presents the most up-to-date research on the condition, defines commonly encountered terminology, and provides elaborate and personal descriptions of prostate cancer treatments: surgical, radiation, hormonal, and experimental. For each mode of therapy, Torrey includes information on which patients are good candidates, the actual process, the probable outcome, and possible complications. The guidelines for determining which treatment option is the right one for a particular person include such variables as the severity of the cancer, cost, life expectancy, and access to a good hospital. The book provides advice for dealing with common complications of prostate cancer and offers help in dealing with the possibility of recurrence. Finally, Torrey addresses what is known about the causes of prostate cancer, Yale Univ. Press, 2006, 280 p., b&w illus., hardcover, $25.00.