MEN DIAGNOSED with prostate cancer should be actively involved in treatment decisions made in their cases and need much more information and support than they are currently getting, the Irish Cancer Society has said.
For this reason, the society launched its first Prostate Cancer Patients’ Charter at its annual conference for survivors of the disease which took place at the weekend. The charter sets out standards of care and service that men with the disease should expect.
The charter could be used as a reference at each stage of a patient’s case, from diagnosis through treatment and subsequent follow-up, the society said in a statement.
The society could also use it as a “benchmark for best practice” as it campaigns for improvements in the way prostate cancer patients are cared for, it said.
“We want to empower men to be actively involved in diagnosis and treatment decisions,” said its chief executive officer, John McCormack.
A survey conducted by the society had shown that men were not receiving the help they needed once diagnosed with the disease, he said.
“Men are making life-changing decisions without fully comprehending the severity of the physical and psychological side effects.”
Decision-making was a “key source of stress” for these men, the society said. Many men and their partners simply ask their doctors to make important treatment decisions because the issues are so difficult.
The charter, used in conjunction with the HSE’s document, You and Your Health Service, will explain what men with the disease should expect from the health service and also help them to get information to improve their care.