Localized prostate cancer. What to say to the patient?

Abstract

The first medical consultation with the urologist is the occasion to explain to the patient the importance of the initial PSA value, the periodic PSA measurements and the need of prostate biopsy for definitive confirmation. The next consults will focus on basic facts concerning the cancer of the prostate in general and the tumor of the patient in particular, and to present to the patient in a clear and objective way the main advantages and drawbacks of the various therapeutic options. These medical consults are key elements for the quality of physician-patient relationships, as each of them will be an opportunity to provide the best possible information to a patient which is often anxious.