Treatment Choices for Men With Early-Stage Prostate Cancer

The National Institutes of Health Publication 11-4659, Treatment Choices for Men With Early-Stage Prostate Cancer provides information on early-stage prostate cancer (when cancer is confined to the prostate), treatment options, and the benefits and risk of each type of treatment. It discusses the importance of personal preference in weighing the risks and benefits of treatment and provides a list of questions to ask your doctor. As a man with early-stage prostate cancer, you will be able to choose which kind of treatment is best for you. And while it is good to have choices, this fact can make the decision hard to make. Yet, each choice has benefits (how treatment can help) and risks (problems treatment may cause). Treatment often begins a few weeks to months after diagnosis. While you are waiting for treatment, you should meet with different doctors to learn about your treatment choices. Use this booklet to help you talk over treatment choices with your doctor before deciding which is best for you. You will want to think about what is important to you. It's also a good idea to include your spouse or partner in your decision. After all, having prostate cancer and the treatment choice you make affect both of you.