What to Expect

Once a diagnosis of cancer has been made, you will probably talk with your primary care physician along with several cancer specialists, such as a surgeon, a medical oncologist and a radiation oncologist. You will want to ask these doctors about all your treatment options.

Because surgery and radiation can both be equally effective curative treatments for prostate cancer, it is important to review all of your treatment options. Ask your urologist about surgery and your radiation oncologist about radiation therapy. For lower risk disease, it is often possible to actively monitor your condition without risking side effects from treatment. When radiation is an option, your doctor can share with you the different types of radiation treatment including some relatively short options that can be completed quickly.

After reviewing your medical record including imaging, as well as completing a thorough patient history and physical examination, your radiation oncologist will discuss with you the potential benefits and risks of radiation therapy and answer your questions. For a list of questions that you may want to ask, please see the section Questions to Ask Your Doctor.