Managing Prostate Cancer: A Guide for Living Better

by Andrew J. Roth

Overview

The statistics are sobering: over 200,000 men in the United States are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. With this diagnosis, men are expected to psychologically combat the worry, practical concerns, and the emotional and physical changes during an immensely trying time. How to help?

In Managing Prostate Cancer: A Guide for Living Better, Dr. Andrew J. Roth, a psychiatrist specializing in psychological support for cancer patients, provides the emotional skills and strategies necessary to help patients deal with the challenges a prostate cancer diagnosis brings to everyday life. These tools, which Dr. Roth terms "Emotional Judo," effectively teach patients to identify what their fears are rooted in, how to distinguish the rational and irrational aspects of their thoughts and behaviors, make healthier choices to promote a more positive approach, and ultimately transform their lives into a more fulfilling and peaceful journey.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199336920
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	12/01/2015
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	716,156
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 6.10(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Andrew J. Roth, MD, has been the psychiatry liaison to the Genitourinary Medical Oncology Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for the last 20 years. He has helped men and their families navigate the uncertainties of a prostate cancer diagnosis, helping them thrive with, and not just survive, the diagnosis, treatment decisions, and complications of treatments and illness.

Table of Contents

Pregame: Overview and Introduction


Part One: Diagnosis and Early Stage Disease

Chapter One
Why Me? Why Not Me? What Now? And Why Is a Psychiatrist Writing a Book about Prostate Cancer?

Chapter Two
How to Make the Right Treatment Choice When There Is No Perfect Choice

Chapter Three
Lifting the Weight of Waiting and Preparing for Treatment:
Definitive Treatment vs. Watchful Waiting or Active Surveillance

Chapter Four
Prostate Cancer Anxiety, Depression, and Sleep Problems:
Enter the DRAFT and Learn the Emotional Judo (EJ) Playbook

Chapter Five
Do I Really Need a Psychiatric Medicine to Cope with Prostate Cancer?

Chapter Six
Keeping the Flames of Intimacy Alive

Chapter Seven
Urinary, Bowel, and Energy Leaks: This Wasn't Supposed to Happen to Me

Chapter Eight
Not for Patients Only: Spouses or Partners Can Manage Better, Communicate More Effectively, and Help the Whole Family


Part Two: Later Stage Disease and Recurrence of Disease

Chapter Nine
Coping with Recurrence of Cancer If the "Definitive" Treatment Doesn't Work: Going Hormonal

Chapter Ten
Grieving for Loss . . . of Trust, of Physical Wholeness, of Invulnerability and Immortality:
How to Re-Invest in Your Future As a Wise Role Model


Index

Editorial Reviews

"Written by a psychiatrist who has cared for patients with all stages of prostate cancer, this book provides patients and their families an easy to understand guide to successfully manage the emotional angst that accompanies diagnosis and treatment.
Dr. Roth provides patients with insight, understanding, and concrete suggestions to live a meaningful life both as a prostate cancer survivor and as a patient facing a life with prostate cancer." —David M. Nanus, MD, Chief, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College - New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY

"Managing Prostate Cancer provides practical suggestions for coping with all of the common issues men face when diagnosed either with early stage or advanced prostate cancer." —Leslie R. Schover, PhD, Professor of Behavioral Science, University of Texas MD, Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

"Highly recommended to prostate cancer patients and their families, although other cancer patients would benefit from the work, too." —Library Journal

"Roth, a psychiatrist who works at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, effectively zooms in on the emotional toll of prostate cancer, which includes anger, fear, frustration, isolation, regret, and a sense of being overwhelmed. Roth offers a first-rate overview of how best to respond to a diagnosis of prostate cancer." —Booklist

"Managing Prostate Cancer: A Guide for Living Better, provides keen insight into how to live a meaningful life as a patient and survivor of prostate cancer... Dr. Roth's advice and guidance in this vital part of cancer treatment will be of value to both oncologists and caregivers. For that, and other reasons, this accomplished guidebook is highly recommended for readers of The ASCO Post."
—Ronald Piana, The ASCO Post

From the Publisher

11/15/2015
Men, generally, have a different emotional makeup from women. To what extent this is biological vs. cultural remains controversial, but some research suggests a bidirectional relationship of influence. These emotional differences shape how men approach their health and respond to illness, particularly a life-threatening cancer. To make matters worse, prostate cancer and its treatment jeopardizes male sexual performance, which is often an important factor in how men define their masculinity. Roth (clinical professor & attending psychiatrist, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Ctr.), who treats the emotional needs of prostate cancer patients, here shares his advice on a variety of subjects: accepting a dangerous disease; selecting the best treatment plan; sexual intimacy; dealing with anxiety, depression, and sleep problems and when to use medications for these; and more. Roth demonstrates just how important one's emotional life is in battling cancer. He provides a road map for patients, bringing clarity during an emotionally confusing time, while at the same time simplifying the decision process and providing strategies to cope. VERDICT Highly recommended to prostate cancer patients and their families, although other cancer patients would benefit from the work, too.—Scott Vieira, Rice Univ. Lib., Houston

Library Journal