This part of the website contains information and resources primarily developed for GPs and nurses to support them in the provision of information and counselling to their patients.
All items listed below are available for HCPs to download and print as required.
Online nurse education programme
What is it?
- A four-part programme to help nurses involved in prostate cancer care to understand more about prostate brachytherapy as a treatment for localised prostate cancer and to support them in discussing the treatment options with patients.
Why is it being provided?
- Research at the 2008 meeting of the British Association of Urological Nurses (BAUN) showed that specialist nurses have a good level of knowledge about prostatectomy and other treatments for localised prostate cancer, however they rate their knowledge of prostate brachytherapy much lower. In addition, many men with localised prostate cancer do not know about prostate brachytherapy and are not aware that it may be a suitable treatment option for them.
- The online nurse education programme will help you understand more about prostate brachytherapy and its role in relation to other treatments. You will then be better able to talk to your patients about this important treatment option and help them make fully informed decisions about their own treatment.
Who has produced it?
- The online nurse education programme has been created by the Prostate Brachytherapy Advisory Group (PBAG), a multi-specialty group dedicated to supporting universal access to high-quality prostate brachytherapy for the treatment of localised prostate cancer in the UK. Members of PBAG include Richard Gledhill, Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, who has contributed his expertise to the development of this programme.
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Patient leaflet: Know the score … Understanding the Results of your PSA Tests and What Happens Next
What is it?
- A leaflet which explains to the patient what is likely to happen once they have been told that they have an elevated or rising Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) level. The leaflet aims to offer a general representation of the care pathway and a more detailed description of the treatment options available to patients if they are diagnosed with prostate cancer
Why is it being provided?
- Prostate cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in England, and the second most common cause of death from cancer in men, after lung cancer. The number of new cases reported annually is rising rapidly (over a 35% increase in the last 5 years). Much of this increase is due to the now widespread use of the PSA test.
- Although many men with rising PSA levels will not have prostate cancer, this is one of four possible differential diagnoses and the one most likely to cause worry and concern and require significant intervention. Therefore, many men (although not all) will want information about what could be causing the elevation particularly as all will need urgent referral to hospital for further investigation and treatment.
- If the patient is found to have prostate cancer, having an understanding of specific treatment options for cancer early in the treatment pathway will help them make an informed choice and become involved in the decision about which treatment is right for them.
- Although we recognise that while the three NICE recommended radical treatment options for localised disease have similar cure rates, there are important quality of life considerations that the patient should fully appreciate before deciding which treatment is right for them. Appreciating these considerations early on in the treatment pathway will help men make the right individual choice.
Who has produced it?
- The Prostate Brachytherapy Advisory Group (PBAG) is a multi-specialty group dedicated to supporting universal access to high-quality prostate brachytherapy for the treatment of localised prostate cancer in the UK under the Chairmanship of Professor Stephen Langley, Professor of Urology at The Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, who has contributed his expertise to the development of this leaflet.
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Prostate Cancer Clinical Review from MIMS Oncology & Palliative Care. Volume 2, Number 2, 2008.
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