HA Week 8 Discussion 2
PSA
Mr. P has a questionable PSA and the healthcare teams are at a
disagreement as to what to tell the patient. If it’s his first PSA
drawn, I would suggest re-testing. Depending on the numbers on
the second test, the physician will either recommend a biopsy or
prescribe medication for an enlarged prostate. If his biopsy
returns with a diagnosis of cancer then he would be encouraged
the patient to see an oncologist. Two of the questions he should
ask would be:
1. What stage is my cancer and what is the Gleason score- The
physician will go into detail as to how aggressive it is and how
that relates to prognosis, though that may be a bit difficult to
determine at the time it is first diagnosed.
2. What are my treatment option? What can I expect as far as
side effects?- Today a diagnosis of cancer is not necessarily a
death sentence. There are many treatment options available
out there, from radiation, IV chemotherapy, hormone therapy,
oral chemotherapy, surgery etc.
The possibility of having cancer can be very scary for a patient to
deal with. Mr. P should get written instructions for everything he
needs to do and have the appropriate referrals, not just for
