This page has been set up specifically for patients who have received prostate cancer biopsy information from Bostwick Laboratories (and for their physicians).
The “New” Prostate Cancer InfoLink, like Bostwick Laboratories, seeks to help men with a diagnosis of prostate cancer to get the most helpful information possible so that they “take back control” over their lives at a time when things can feel rather different than they (and perhaps you) might like!
You have probably only received your biopsy report from Bostwick Laboratories in the past few days, along with information about understanding that report and what to do next. We suggest that the first place you may want to go on this web site is a page that helps you to understand your biopsy report in detail. You may then be interested in additional information:
- The article on the ”Staging and grading of prostate cancer“ will give you information about several of the things mentioned in your pathology report
- The article on “Clinical staging of prostate cancer“ will offer more detail about this topic, and
- The article titled “Understanding Gleason grading” can help you take the first steps toward understanding your personal Gleason grades and Gleason score information.
When you start to consider your treatment options, you should begin with the article very reasonably entitled
because it will give you some idea of how difficult some decisions you will need to take may end up being.
After that, we suggest the following articles:
- “Treatment: the absolute basics” and
- “First-line treatments for early stage (localized) prostate cancer” (because the chances are that it is early stage disease that you have).
There are two other possible diagnoses that you may have received from Bostwick Laboratories. One is called “prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia,” and it is a widely considered to be a precursor of prostate cancer. If either PIN or ASAP (or both) is the diagnosis on your pathology report, then have a look at
Basically a diagnosis of ASAP means that a tiny group of cells look like they might be cancerous when viewed under the microscope, but the pathologist just can’t be sure.
There are just three more things you should absolutely do:
- First, look at the page titled “What cancer cannot do.” We know … “Real men don’t read poetry!” But we think you may WANT to read this.
- Second, look at “The ‘top 10′ facts you need to know.”
- Third, tell your wife, partner, or “significant other” about this page on this site. Even if you aren’t ready to deal with some of this, they will need to too! And that will help them!
We PROMISE that none of the pages we have told you about is very long. You can get through them all in an hour (or less). Print them out if you need to. And then you will be in a much better position to talk to your doctor about what comes next.
When you are ready, you can go to the home page or the site map or visit The “New”Prostate Cancer InfoLink Social Network. There’s a whole army of people out there to help you!
And finally … If you have immediate questions, try “Ask Arthur.” If your wife or “significant other” has questions, she may find it easier to “Ask Amy.”
Sincerely
The “New” Prostate Cancer InfoLink
WE REALLY ARE HERE TO HELP YOU!
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