By Mark Scholtz and Ralph Blum
“A provocative and frank look at the bewildering world of prostate cancer, from the current state of the multibillion-dollar industry to the range of available treatments…Prostate cancer is a dark and mysterious country, and Mr. Blum and Dr. Scholz are good, levelheaded guides through these thickets. In telling men to slow up and take a deep breath after they learn they have prostate cancer, they provide an invaluable service.” —New York Times
Every year, nearly a half-million men in the United States and Europe are diagnosed with prostate cancer. Most are under the terrifying impression that they are about to die. In reality, only about one out of seven with the disease are at risk. The most common varieties of prostate cancer are not life threatening at all.
One of the most important discoveries in the last 15 years is that aggressive types of prostate cancer can be clearly distinguished from the Low-Risk types that don’t spread. These Low-Risk forms and some types of Intermediate-Risk prostate cancer are best managed with observation alone. The tragedy is most men don’t know this.
Out of the 75,000 radical prostatectomies performed every year in the United States, more than 40,000 are unnecessary.
When the authors were brainstorming for this book they talked about the difficulties people face in comprehending the complicated prostate cancer world. How could they convey such vast amounts of information to patients under-the-gun from a new cancer diagnosis? They decided to offer a patient’s first-hand experience, intermixed with the insights of a medical expert in alternating chapters.
The information they assembled amounts to a road map for safe passage through this treacherous medical terrain. Their aim is to present a better, more accurate way of thinking about prostate cancer that deals effectively with the disease and still preserves a man’s quality of life.
