While a man diagnosed with prostate cancer may shoulder the heaviest burden of the news, wives, significant others of the patients, and caregivers can be greatly affected too. That is in part because the disease has so many ramifications on a man’s intimacy and sex life.
The experts at CyberKnife Center of Miami, a free-standing state-of-the-art radiation treatment center in the heart of Miami, know partners and other caregivers are concerned not only with how to help support a patient through his prostate cancer treatment but also with what life will be like post-treatment.
We have some advice to help you get through this difficult time.
Prostate Cancer Caregiver: Tips to Help You
Support the Patient
One thing you as a caregiver can do is support your loved one as he decides on a treatment plan. While the patient is often concerned with long-term ramifications – like incontinence and impotence – we know you are concerned as well. Understanding the treatment and the side effects – long- and short- term – can help you to deal with the diagnosis.
Educate Yourself and the Patient
You can also educate yourself about the disease to help the patient navigate treatments and find the answers he needs.
Give the Patient the Space He Needs
Here is a biggie: Many men do not want to talk about prostate cancer – especially to those closest to them because there can be a stigma attached. Prostate Cancer UK suggests giving him the space he needs to digest things. And when he is ready to talk, help him think about what he wants rather than telling him what he should want to do.
Encourage Activities
Sometimes just being around family and friends without talking about cancer is good enough. So, encourage him to spend time doing what he loves with those he loves.
Stay Positive
Something else you can do according to WebMD, is stay positive. Remember, most men diagnosed with the disease survive. You can also investigate support groups for both you and your loved one.
Talk to Your Partner about Sex
Sex may not be the same during treatment or for sometime after treatment.
So, it is best to start the conversation about sex early – even if it is uncomfortable. Talk about different ways to be intimate instead of telling him that you do not care if he has issues with erections. And if that seems hard to talk about, seek professional help with a sex therapist.
Take Care of Yourself
You also must take care of yourself so you can take care of your loved one and others who may depend on you as well. Find some time to relax. Eat well and get your rest. Also ask for help if you need it.
Make Sure the Cancer Treatment Center Your Partner Chooses Treats the Whole Family
Finally, make sure the cancer center you choose has the best possible treatment for your loved one — first and foremost.
But then make sure it is a place that supports the patient, the family, and the caregivers – a place like CyberKnife Miami.
CyberKnife Miami uses state-of-the-art image-guided radiotherapy treatments called stereotactic body radiation therapy or SBRT to treat prostate cancer. And CyberKnife, has some distinct advantages for prostate cancer.
- The CyberKnife radiation beams, which target and destroy the tumor, are so precise. That means there is less risk of side effects including impotence and incontinence.
- Treatments can be done in five radiation therapy sessions over 10 days compared to 42 over three months with other types of radiation treatments.
- It has none of the risks that come with surgery.
- It is noninvasive.
Plus, CyberKnife has up to a 98% cure rate for prostate cancer depending on your staging at diagnosis.
“Years of mounting research is proving CyberKnife to be the gold standard for treating prostate cancer, and as more men learn about CyberKnife, it is becoming the number one treatment of choice,” says Dr. Mark Pomper, board-certified radiation oncologist and medical director of CyberKnife Miami.
CyberKnife Miami patients are not statistics. We spend time talking through options with patients and their caregivers. We provide the resources you need and the compassion you deserve. And we do it better than anyone else.
“The most common comment I get from patients is that “you probably have no idea how good your staff is. They take a potentially frightening experience and make it a warm and friendly one,” says Dr. Pomper when asked about one thing that sets CyberKnife Miami apart from other cancer treatment centers.
Our job is to partner with you, to help you and your loved one navigate this difficult process with as little stress as possible.
Prostate Cancer Treatment Miami
In fact, at CyberKnife Miami we tell our patients and their caregivers that we will hold their hand through the entire process. And we take that promise very seriously.
Our doctors and staff are experts in the field. Our empathy and personalized treatment can be the difference you need when it comes to treating your cancer.
If you would like to find out more about treatment with CyberKnife call us at 305-279-2900 or go to our website now for more information www.cyberknifemiami.com.