From the ASCO Connection: Addressing Sex vs. Death Perceptions in Prostate Cancer Treatment

September 9, 2014
Julie Longlet, ASCO staff

Anne Katz, RN, PhD, is a Clinical Nurse Specialist and AASECT-Certified Sexuality Counselor who blogs at ASCO Connection, where you may read the original post. Due to the positive response Dr. Katz’s  post has received, Cancer.Net wanted to help make patients aware of this content on the ASCO Connection website. ASCO Connection.org is the professional networking site for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the companion website for ASCO’s official member magazine, ASCO Connection.

As part of my role as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in a busy prostate clinic, I see men (with their partner) as part of their decision-making process for active treatment for prostate cancer. The purpose of the appointment is for me to explain the results of their prostate biopsy, dispel any misinformation they may have about what those results mean, and talk to them about the quality-of-life side effects of the various treatment options.

Some men come to see me with a long list of questions, often taken straight from the patient education materials we provide to them. Sometimes, it’s the spouse who has a list of questions, written neatly in a notebook with space below each question where they jot down my responses. Every now and then, a man appears with his wife, two adult children, and one of their partners. I bring in more chairs, take a deep breath, and prepare myself to answer all their questions.

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