Prostate Cancer: Not Necessarily a Death Sentence

By Eric Thorne

In 2014, at age 80, I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer.

This story unveils my personal involvements with various members of the medical profession over several months. My narrative is descriptive and reveals all. Penning my story was a therapeutic exercise from which I greatly benefitted.

There is an urgent need for those within th

• Language: English
• Publisher: Echo Books
• Release date: Aug 10, 2017
• ISBN: 9780648110712

Book preview

prostatecancer-cover.jpg

Eric J. Thorne

Prostate Cancer:

Not Necessarily a Death Sentence

Drawing by Glynnis Rout

Three NOT SO Wise Men

Prostate cancer is NOT an old man’s disease.

One in 38 men between 40 and 59 will be diagnosis with prostate cancer!

Dan Zenka, Senior Vice President, Prostate Cancer Foundation of United States.

Dan was diagnosed with prostate cancer when he was 51 years old.

One Man’s Journey through the Depths of Despair!

Prostate Cancer:

Not Necessarily a Death Sentence

ERIC J THORNE

First published in 2017 by Barrallier Books Pty Ltd, trading as Echo Books

Registered Office: 35-37 Gordon Avenue, West Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia. www.echobooks.com.au

Copyright © Eric Thorne

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry (ebook) Creator: Thorne, Eric J., 1934- author.

Title: One man’s experience with prostate cancer / Eric Thorne.

ISBN: 9780648110712 (ebook)

Subjects: Thorne, Eric J., 1934- Prostate--Cancer--Patients--Biography. Prostate--Cancer--Treatment.

Cancer--Patients--Care.

www.echobooks.com.au

Warning

Anatomical and colloquial terminologies are used in this narrative. Bodily functions are described. The author accepts no responsibility or liability for any discomfort, distress, anguish or embarrassment and/or mortification suffered or feigned by any reader.

This book is copywrite. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copywrite Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries should be addressed to the Publishers.

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my wife, Dawn, who has walked hand in hand with me, along this most difficult and stressful journey. I cannot emphasis enough the importance of her being there with me, and the importance of the strength and encouragement she provided throughout my journey.

To my sons, Derek, Paul, Rod and Craig and their partners, to my wider family, to men and their partners in general and those in the medical profession, may lessons be learnt.

Preface

Extract from ABC Lateline: Monday 25 May 2015

Doctors and patients are concerned people with prostate cancer are not being properly informed of their treatment options, leading many to elect to undergo costly surgeries.

Patients and radiologists are concerned urologists, who perform the surgery, are not giving patients the full information they need to choose their treatment.

Radiation oncologist, Sandra Turner, from West Mead Hospital said many of her patients were not told about the option of free radiotherapy:

As somebody who has been treating prostate cancer for 20 years, that’s what we see every day, Associate Professor Turner said.

A lot of men are not fully informed about their options for treatment. I would say men are not in a position to choose their treatment until they have actually heard their treatment options from the experts involved and that is not happening across the board in Australia.

Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand President, Mark Frydenberg, told Lateline surgeons regularly had meetings with radiation oncologists.

Virtually all referrals that radiation oncologists get for treating prostate cancer actually come from urologists, Associate Professor Frydenberg said.

Author’s Comments on These Extracts:

Radical prostatectomy is already available in public hospitals at no cost to the patient;

Any sensible person reading the above could well form a view that urologists and radiation oncologists are on collision course with the patient being a mere pawn in this public debate. In my case, the urologist did NOT discuss any treatment options with me, immediately referring me to a radiation oncologist for treatment.

Another interesting development is currently taking place. Dr Thompson, a Consultant Urologist at the Wesley Hospital, Brisbane has led a two year study in conjunction with Radiologists, Dr Rob Parkinson from Brisbane and Professor Jelle Barentz from The Netherlands. The study results, published in European Urology in July 2014, found that mp-MRI was a very powerful diagnostic tool providing functional anatomical and pathological information with an estimated sensitivity of 92%. 

With further trials scheduled for late 2015 together with the advancements being made in medical imaging, it may be that imaging will replace the necessity of taking biopsies. Biopsies are an intrusive procedure and are also costly. The net result will be a reduction in income of anaesthetists and urologists. The transition from taking biopsies to MRI scanning will be a generational change. This new development will surely lead to many in-depth and interesting discussions between medical imaging technologists, radiographers and urologists. Hopefully, the best interest of the patient will be foremost in the minds of everyone in the medical profession.

My narrative is descriptive and reveals all. Penning my story was a therapeutic exercise from which I greatly benefitted. The content covers this embarrassing, taboo subject of men’s health. Why, I will never know. Men, as a class, have a lot to learn from their women folk when it comes to health issues: why is breast cancer always front page news while prostate cancer is languishing with rarely a public mention? It is time for men to follow the lead given by our women. Men must take responsibility for their own health.

Initially, I intended to circulate My Journey to my immediate families for their edification. Recently a close friend, a practising registered nurse, who was aware of my health issues urged me to allow this manuscript to be distributed more widely. She believes my experiences are not ‘a one off’ and given the disagreements between urologists and radiation oncologists described above, I believe she is correct. In December 2015, another RN entreated me to publish My Journey in book form because it needs to be out there. I am relaxed about having my chronicle used for this purpose. I hope it may be of some use so others may learn from my experience.

My story unveils my personal involvements with various members of the medical profession over several months. It embodies many aspects including deficiencies within that profession and their practices. Examples of these are the necessity to treat each and every client as an individual; attitudinal flaws towards their clients by some doctors; the necessity for both Parties to understand there is a contractual relationship between them; the inherent right to obtain a second opinion, without embarrassment, should there be the slightest misgiving with any medical advice; emotional distress of clients and their

families; impact on individual relationships; the client’s personal responsibility to keep detailed records; the need to effectively research the topic; the duty to seek advice from those who have been there and done that; the obligation for each Party to own responsibility for their decisions whatever the situation faced: lastly, for all males to actively care for all aspects of their health – physical, mental, emotional and sexual.

There is an urgent need for those within the medical profession to effectively communicate and this includes active listening to their clients (patients). There is an urgency for professionals to adopt more personalised approaches and to employ the principles of empathy when dealing with their client and his partner. Likewise, clients and their representatives should not hesitate to question and clarify any aspect of suggested therapies not understood. Similarly, there is a pressing need for the public to accept those practising medicine are human beings. They do not possess the attributes of gods being omnipotent, omnipresent or omniscient.

It is clear those practicing medicine and those being offered medical services need to review the current relationship between them so that each appreciates there is a contractual relationship involved. This contractual relationship demands full and frank

disclosure by both the medical professional and the client. Such disclosures are an integral ingredient for improved outcomes. Mutual respect for each other is fundamental in establishing good working relationships, thus resulting in better outcomes.

Challenges facing the Medical Profession in Prostate Cancer Management in the Twenty-first Century

The prostate gland is an essential part of the male reproductive system. For this gland to work efficiently, male hormones which include testosterone are vital. Testosterone is the key ingredient for normal sexual health in men. It