"The nicest thing about writing this book has been the thanks I've received from patients -- that's been very gratifying," says Dr. Larry Goldenberg.
Goldenberg's readers are men with prostate cancer, a disease affecting one in eight men and the most common cancer among North American men.
Called Prostate Cancer: All you need to know to take an active part in your treatment, the book is a step-by-step guide designed to help patients better understand their condition and prospective treatment.
"Patients are faced with an enormous and often confusing amount of information," says Goldenberg, director of UBC's Prostate Clinic. "Learning about their disease can help restore a sense of control, giving them confidence to make decisions that are right for them."
The guide is the third in a series written by doctors from the patient's perspective in simple everyday language. It describes risk factors, symptoms, tests, medications and treatments such as radiation, hormone therapies and surgery.
The book also contains diagrams of the prostate and surrounding organs, examinations and surgical procedures such as biopsy and prostate removal.
Photographs of surgical instruments and machines used in testing also help familiarize patients with what lies ahead.
It took Goldenberg about a year to write the book, which is about 200 pages long.
"Explaining controversial treatment or tests was a challenge," says Goldenberg. "I tried to clarify information that can be very confusing."
Two of Goldenberg's colleagues helped with sections of the book. Dr. Michael Pezim, a former associate professor in the Surgery Dept. who originated the patient guide series, wrote the introductory chapters describing the disease. Carolyn Baker, a clinical oncology nurse, wrote a chapter about living with prostate cancer. Topics include emotional responses to the disease, social isolation and the importance of maintaining hope.
In B.C. it is anticipated 3,500 men will be diagnosed with the disease this year.