SURVIVING
PROSTATE CANCER
WITHOUT SURGERY

Readers are invited to offer us their comments through the Dattoli Cancer Foundation website or via the email link at the bottom of this page. Additional patient reviews will soon be available on Amazon.com and can be viewed by clicking the quick link below.

The following are reviews of Dr. Dattoli's earlier patient guide, Surviving Prostate Cancer Without Surgery (Seneca House Press, 2005) coauthored with Jennifer Cash and Don Kaltenbach:

Reviewer: Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA)
A potentially lifesaving book brimming with information , May 7, 2005 /​ 5 Stars

Radiation oncologist Michael J. Dattoli, M.D., Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner Jennifer Cash, and prostate cancer survivor and executive director of the Dattoli Cancer Center and Brachytherapy Institute Donald Kaltenbach present Surviving Prostate Cancer Without Surgery, a potentially lifesaving book brimming with information on the treatment options for those diagnosed with prostate cancer. In addition to possible choices of radiation, radical surgery, or some form of hormonal therapy, Surviving Prostate Cancer Without Surgery offers the latest medical data on state-of-the-art radiation therapy such as seed implants and IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy). From its title, Surviving Prostate Cancer Without Surgery may appear to strongly advocate non-surgical approaches, but in fact the title is simply a reaction against the long-standing favoritism of surgery to the extent of perpetuating myths concerning how effective it truly is.

Surviving Prostate Cancer Without Surgery gives an evenhanded assessment of various options, including statistical data with an eye toward possible contradictions or innacuracies hidden within the numbers. The goal is to provide the reader with as much information as possible, in clear, easy-to-understand terms, concerning prostate cancer, how it can be treated, why some men are more or less likely candidates for surgery than others, the risks involved in different types of treatment including risks of temporary or permanent incontience or impotence and how to get help - not only medical help, but also emotional and financial help. A "must-read" for anyone researching or personally grappling with difficult questions and problems concerning prostate cancer, the better to confront one's doctor and discuss options with as much knowledge about the situation as possible. Highly recommended.

Amazon.com Customer Review /​ 5 Stars
Excellent For Men and For Women, April 21, 2005
Reviewer: Skip Sr. (Wilmington VT)

This book gave both me and my wife hope and direction. It helped us to understand my prostate cancer diagnosis (PSA 6.4, Gleason 7) and it clarified my doctor's advice about the best treatments. For us, it's on a par with Dr. Susan Love's breast cancer book. Both are really excellent because they give you the kind of information you need to ask your doctors the right questions. They're the gold standard of cancer books. This is our second time having to face the 'Big C' together and we're going to beat it again!!

Amazon.com Customer Review /​ 5 Stars
Peace of Mind, Posted March 29, 2005
Reviewer: "Library Mac" (New York, USA)

This book was a godsend for me. I was given an advance copy last month by a journalist friend who knows I've been wrestling with a prostate problem for most of the past year. I'm a university librarian and reading the book was such a relief that it has prompted me to offer my story here with hope that other men will find some peace of mind when confronted with a possible prostate cancer diagnosis. This was a very scary experience for me that will take some explaining. I'm 61 years old, married and sexually active, without any history of serious medical problems. But after a checkup in the summer of 2004, I was told I had an elevated PSA of 4.4, up nearly one whole point from the year before. My digital rectal exam was negative, and my doctor told me that I shouldn't be overly concerned. Nevertheless, an "abnormal PSA" was a very unsettling red flag in my mind, and I was referred to a respected urologist in New York (who I won't name because I don't have a high opinion of him at this point).

Hoping to rule out cancer, I went through a series of tests, including an ultrasound and biopsy. All of the tests turned out to be negative and I was advised to pursue a course of "watchful waiting," which just means waiting and being retested regularly. It might be called "watchful worrying" because the anxiety was terrible. I wasn't at all relieved because after being retested last year, my PSA was still elevated at 4.2 and I still didn't know if I actually had cancer or not, or what to do about it. I was told by my urologist that most men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer have surgery, a radical prostatectomy, to cut out the prostate gland. In fact, according to the latest reports (cited in the Dattoli book), it is no longer the case that most men with early stage prostate cancer have the surgery. But I didn't know that yet.

With the uncertain prospect of a major operation hanging over my head, I hunted on the internet and read Dr. Patrick Walsh's book, Surviving Prostate Cancer, and then Michael Korda's book, Man to Man. I now realize that both of these books are out of date and don't have the latest statistics about treatment options, cure rates and so forth. Korda's book is a real horror story about his experiences before and after his surgery. He was treated by Dr. Walsh, a Johns Hopkins surgeon with a reputation for being one of the best. Dr. Walsh's own book is full of information but unfortunately has a serious pro-surgery bias. Most importatly, the book does not contain the long-term study results (more than 10 years) with the non-surgical treatments, and offers little hope to men like me who want to avoid the knife (and the likelihood of having to wear diapers, or worse).

That is where this new book comes in. I read Surviving Prostate Cancer Without Surgery in one long sitting, and it was like having a truly caring doctor and nurse answer my questions for the first time. The third author, Kaltenbach, is a former prostate cancer patient with whom I could empathize because he shared my fears of surgery. I was then surprised to learn that my elevated PSA might have been due to having sex shortly before being tested. At my insistence, I've recently been retested after a few days of sexual abstinence, and my PSA is now down to 3.8, a little high but still within the normal range. I also learned from this book that the long-term results for advanced radiation are not only just as good as surgery for low risk patients, but better than surgery for higher risk patients (those with higher PSAs and Gleason scores), AND with a much lower risk of life-changing side effects. This was all good news as far as I was concerned and Dr. Dattoli backs it up with the most recent medical studies and his own impressive treatment results. It's a balanced, straightforward picture. After reading the book, I found a radiation specialist (at the same hospital where my ex-urologist practices) and I received a very reassuring second opinion.

I'm still not happy to be in this waiting & testing situation, but if I am diagnosed at least I know there are some better alternatives than surgery, options that would give me a much better chance of avoiding incontinence and sexual impotence. The treatment options described in this book are what the authors call the "new gold standard," and every man facing a prostate cancer diagnosis ought to know about them. I'm not out of the woods yet but I'm not losing sleep anymore. I can only wish the same for any man who finds himself in my position. If you have a high PSA, my advice is this: do your own research, always consider the source, and for God's sake, don't rely on outdated or prejudiced information when it comes to your health.