Moderator and Board Chair Peter Kafka’s message in his Low/Intermediate Prostate Cancer virtual group reminder this week, is very applicable to ALL PCa patients .,.. and maybe other conditions too; this same topic came up recently in the context of MS!

Speaking of MS, we are kicking off our new MS virtual group on Tuesday, Sept 24 … please make anyone you know dealing with this condition aware. Like all our meetings, the meeting is free and drop-in. Sign up by visiting www.ancan.org.

Kudos, Peter ….

As I sit down and write this evening, I find myself at the annual PCRI (Prostate Cancer Research Institute) conference in Los Angeles.  It has been a very full two days thus far and another day coming up tomorrow to conclude.  This is no doubt the largest patient oriented prostate cancer conference to be found anywhere and quite a remarkable and impressive assembly of patients, care givers and medical professionals.  I am understandably overwhelmed.

I think the old phrase, “leave no stone unturned” has taken on new meaning for me this weekend.  I am not sure I fully grasped just how complex the disease of prostate cancer is and how many facets there are to the development, diagnosis, and treatment there are to this condition.   I have been dealing with my own situation for some 6 years or so as well as trying to help many other men find their way through the maze which prostate cancer can be sometimes.  But this weekend it became clearer to me that we have outgrown all the old treatment modalities and understandings of this disease.
 
I know that there are still lone urologists out there who believe that they can diagnose, treat and guide men through any aspect of prostate cancer.  And perhaps you have relied on such a medical professional or still do.  But I believe that the model of one man – one doctor is way out of date.  So much has changed and is changing in the world of prostate cancer in the past few years that no one doctor can possibly keep up to date with all the advancements.  It takes a team; it takes collective knowledge.