Dr. Gomella Discusses Informed Patient Decisions

Leonard G. Gomella, MD, Bernard W. Godwin Jr. professor of prostate cancer and chairman of the Department of Urology, director of Clinical Affairs, Jefferson Kimmel Cancer Center, explains the need for an informed discussion on the risks and benefits of treatment and screening for patients with prostate cancer.

Counseling patients on the risks and benefits of screening is widely accepted. However, the patient's role in the treatment decision is a new and separate area that is evolving rapidly.

Many men that are newly diagnosed with prostate cancer are now treated with active surveillance rather than an active therapy, such as prostatectomy or radiation therapy. It is important to advise patients that their individual cancer may not require an active therapy during the screening process. Providing this information earlier in the process helps manage expectations and the treatment decision later on.