Andrew Siegel MD 1/26/2019
NEW BOOK!
For the past year I have been busy writing a book on prostate cancer geared for newly diagnosed patients and their families. It originated in the form of a 50-page monograph that I crafted about a decade ago, conceived out of frustration from the lack of availability of a streamlined, practical, accessible and trustworthy medical resource to help patients and their families navigate through the formidable process of prostate cancer diagnosis and management. The manual proved to be beneficial for my urology patients and was reprinted in 2011.
In early 2018, with few copies remaining and time for a reprint, I recognized that since the previous iteration there had been an unprecedented number of advances in prostate cancer diagnosis and management. These included improvements in screening, increasingly sophisticated imaging techniques, the development of genomic and genetic testing, the availability of an array of new medications, continued technical advances in surgical, radiation and focal therapies and the blossoming of the era of “active surveillance.”
Because of the need for a major content update, I decided to expand the monograph into a more comprehensive format that could be of value not only to the patients in my urology practice, but also to any man confronting the challenges of a prostate cancer diagnosis. I aimed to stay true to my original goals of providing a concise, straightforward and easily understandable resource.
I had numerous medical colleagues help me to bring this book to fruition: my robotic urology partners (Drs. Wright, Christiano, Lovallo, Ahmed, Esposito, Goldstein, Lanteri), radiation oncologists (Dr. Harrison and Dr. Gejerman), medical oncologists (Dr. Alter and Dr. Orsini), a urologist with expertise in high intensity focused ultrasound (Dr. Grunberger), a radiologist with expertise in prostate MRI (Dr. Waxman) an anatomical pathologist (Dr. Peters), a sexual educator who is the president of the E.D. foundation (Paul Nelson) and a pelvic floor physiotherapist (Niva Herzig).
Because most patients with prostate cancer have an excellent prognosis, the long-term consequences of the disease are often, in fact, the side effects of treatment. Therefore, I considered it vital to provide in-depth information on the most common complications following treatment, namely sexual dysfunction and urinary incontinence, quality of life issues that are sometimes given short shrift or neglected in the patient education process. Furthermore, I elected to cover the important topic of bone health, which can be compromised by prostate cancer itself, as well as by some of the treatments for the disease. Perhaps the most challenging area to cover was castrate resistant prostate cancer, made complex by the profusion of exciting new treatment options.
The title of the book— PROSTATE CANCER 20/20: A Practical Guide To Understanding Management Options For Patients And Their Families—is the same as that of the preceding monograph with the exception of the addition of “20/20.” I did so to specify the year that looms in the near future, signifying the up-to-date content, and secondly to refer to “20/20” vision, the clarity and perspective that I wish to impart.
Along with my professional relationship with prostate cancer, I also have a personal relationship with it. In 1997, the senior partner in my urology group practice—my father—was diagnosed with prostate cancer. The news was shocking to me and I clearly remember the day of diagnosis and the long run I went on to help me process it. Fortunately, he was successfully treated with an open radical prostatectomy and today is a thriving octogenarian. Despite this, the emotional events of the day of his surgery, my interaction with his surgeon, his time in the hospital, the drive home on his day of discharge, and my removal of his surgical drain, skin staples and catheter will be forever seared into my memory.
Every case of prostate cancer is unique and has a variable biological behavior, which creates the need for treatment that is individualized and nuanced. The bewildering array of management options available can cause a great deal of confusion for the individual (and his family, friends and others who support him) grappling with trying to determine how best to be treated. My intent of the book is to provide knowledge and information to help guide the reader and his loved ones through his therapeutic journey, reviewing the advantages and disadvantages of each management option in as impartial a means as is possible. Being informed empowers the prostate cancer patient to be actively involved as a participant in decisions about his care, which enables making the choice of the best option in order to minimize decisional conflict and regret.
Wishing you the best of health,
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Dr. Andrew Siegel is a physician and urological surgeon who is board-certified in urology as well as in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. He is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery at the Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School and is a Castle Connolly Top Doctor New York Metro Area, Inside Jersey Top Doctor and Inside Jersey Top Doctor for Women’s Health. His mission is to “bridge the gap” between the public and the medical community. He is a urologist at New Jersey Urology, the largest urology practice in the United States.
Andrew Siegel MD Amazon author page
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