New Resources Aim to Help Patients with Prostate Cancer

Thanks to the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), oncology nurses now have a wealth of new and updated resources to help their patients with prostate cancer—and their families–make the best treatment choices they can.

In an interview with Oncology Nursing News, Christine Jones, the PCF’s chief operating officer, went into greater detail about the new resources that were released earlier this month, and explained how nurses can share them with their patients.

First, a newly updated 2019 Prostate Cancer Patient Guide ensures that the latest information makes its way to the hands of patients, doctors, nurses, and families in a timely manner. Written in easy-to-understand language and updated twice a year, this guide is an ideal resource for nurses to share with patients, said Jones.

“Most doctors and nurses believe a well-informed patient is a good patient and it makes the process of treatment better for all,” she said. “We can provide free printed copies of the patient guide to any medical offices that request them. This makes it easy for nurses to provide the guides to patients and provides a solid basis from which patients can formulate questions about their care.”

She also noted that after patients have read through different sections of the guide—such as those that deal with genetic testing and nutrition during treatment–nurses can help counsel their patients on how to access more information and make the most of the guide.

“While the guide is intended to be a comprehensive resource, we want it to contain a manageable amount of information,” said Jones. “Nurses can assist in following up on additional topics mentioned in the guide that are of interest to individual patients and their unique clinical circumstances, such as specific side effects, availability of molecular imaging, screening, and more.”

In addition to the updated Patient Guide, the PCF also announced:

• Additional Facts for African-American Men and Their Families, a new resource focused on educating and assisting this underserved population, which is statistically more likely to be diagnosed and die from the disease.
• A collaboration with award-winning science writer Janet Farrar Worthington, whose series of articles about prostate cancer—exclusively found on pcf.org–help readers access science-heavy information on a “more human level.”
• A clinical trial finder that aims to make it as easy for patients to understand their options by searching for clinical trials based on their disease state, stage, and their geographical location.

Jones concluded by noting that these resources are not just helpful, but that they are backed by science, too. “The guides are fully reviewed and vetted by practicing specialists, including a urologist, medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, and cancer researchers.”

The Prostate Cancer Foundation is the world’s leading philanthropic organization funding and accelerating prostate cancer research. Founded in 1993, PCF has raised more than $790 million and provided funding to more than 2,200 research programs at more than 220 cancer centers and universities. The PCF global research enterprise now extends to 22 countries. PCF advocates for greater awareness of prostate cancer and more efficient investment of governmental research funds for transformational cancer research. Its efforts have helped produce a 20-fold increase in government funding for prostate cancer.