A man’s life changes quickly once he hears the words “you have prostate cancer,” even if he and his medical team decide that curative treatment is not immediately necessary. He may experience anxiety about choosing a treatment, confusion while sifting through conflicting information about the disease, or a feeling of betrayal. How is it that his body, which still seems so strong and fit, can now be harbouring a tumour that threatens his health?

After treatment, there are other worries and challenges. “Will my cancer come back?” he asks, or simply “What happens next?” And even when a man has been “cured,” through surgery or radiation, for example, he still may face permanent changes as a consequence of treatment---both physical and psychological changes.

As actor Michael Douglas remarked at a 2011 benefit for cancer research in Montreal, “Cancer may leave your body, but it never leaves your mind.”

The pages in this section of the PCCN website will answer many of the key questions that prostate cancer survivors ask once they understand the basic facts about this disease and how it is treated:

• What about follow-up medical appointments?
• What lifestyle changes are advisable?
• What can be done about some of the possible side effects of treatment?
  - Incontinence
  - Erectile dysfunction
  - Infertility
  - Changes in sexual desire
  - Fatigue, weight gain, & decreased muscle mass
  - Bowel problems
• What if I become anxious or depressed?
• What sort of help is available to make it easier for me to adapt to life after cancer?
• What if my cancer comes back or spreads?
  - Recurrence – treatment options
  - Metastases – therapy options
  - Hormone resistant and hormone refractory prostate cancer – therapy options
• How can I help my partner cope with my prostate cancer diagnosis?

PCCN invites you to return to this section over the next few months and browse. We will be adding new pages with each weekly update.