Table of Contents

Chapter 3: Maximizing Quality of Life After Initial Treatment

f. Looking Ahead

Better treatment options for the side effects of primary therapy for localized prostate cancer are currently being researched, but the goal is clearly to reduce the chances of the effects occurring in the first place. As you begin to make some choices about the type of therapy that’s right for you, consider which side effects you can live with and which you can’t. It’s a completely personal decision, one that no one can—or should—make for you. Anticipating the most likely side effects of whatever therapy you choose and having a sense in advance of how you might want to intervene should it prove necessary will make the effects that much easier to deal with after therapy. Yes, it’s possible that you will experience only minor side effects, and you won’t have a need for any of the treatments we discussed above. But any steps that you can take to minimize your side effects will go a long way toward maximizing your quality of life.