Treatment Choices for Men With Early-Stage Prostate Cancer

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.

Words that may be new to you appear in bold type. For a complete list of

• Words to Know, see pages 35 to 38.