Anxious Surveillance: Coping with Anxiety and Active Surveillance
January 29, 2022 @ 12:00 pm EDT
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ASPI – A Place for Options
All of us have experienced the anxiety and uncertainty you may now feel. Should I have treatment or can I wait or avoid treatment all together? How do I know what “low risk” is, and how do I determine if I’m low risk? What is Active Surveillance?
ASPI’s Board’s goal is to offer you informed options – empowering you if you should choose to immerse yourself in what we offer. Our board has many years of Active Surveillance experience and has an international support network to equip men with the knowledge they will need to discuss their choice of care with their clinician. We’ve worked with the challenges and questions you now face. Also, the decision to transition from AS to treatment can be stressful. Two of our board members have made that journey, and we can offer support in that process as well.
We have found a kind of peaceful vigilance in our journey, and you can arrive there as well. Please read our mission statement, newsletters, patient stories, blogs, webinars, watch meeting videos, late-breaking news, ever-changing protocols – and much more.
Finally, get in touch with us at https://aspatients.org/contact-us/ and we’ll be sure to get back to you.
And one additional request: should you find our information worthwhile and you become involved with our organization in helping other men, your financial participation – in the form of any amount – will further support our mission and would be welcome.
Click here to support us: https://aspatients.org/donate/. Thank you.
WE ARE SURVIVORS
Thrainn’s Story
In my opinion, my greatest personal accomplishment was to undertake extensive research on my own, followed by choosing AS. When I was diagnosed with PC at the age of 61, my doctors strongly recommended that I undergo traditional treatment. Surgery was at the top of the list.
Mark's Story
Sixteen years ago, I was diagnosed with Gleason 6 prostate cancer at the age of 55 – and, against the advice of five medical professionals (including my wife, a nurse practitioner) I chose not to have intervention.
Years on Active Surveillance
| Patients | Years | Months |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Lichty | 16 | 6 |
| Philip Segal | 14 | 9 |
| Bill Manning | 12 | 2 |
| Howard Wolinsky | 10 | 6 |
| Geoff McLennan | 9 | 8 |
| David King Keller | 7 | 6 |
| Martin Gewirtz | 4 | 2 |
The following ASPI directors have now entered treatment:
Thrainn Torvaldsson after 14 years of A.S.
Joe Gallo after 3 years of A.S.
Articles and Resources
Patient Empowerment: The price of health is eternal vigilance
Both democracy and health care have something in common…their price is eternal vigilance. One of the big shifts in my medical life has been the realization that I am my primary health care provider. Yes, I have many resources around me, various physicians, the internet, support groups, books, etc. My physician is one of these resources. … Read More
Lessons Learned Along the Road Less Traveled
By Howard Wolinsky Nine years ago, I stood at a fork in the road. I chose the road less traveled, though my doctor at the time had other plans for me. I had been diagnosed with what I now know is a low-risk, early-stage prostate cancer. It seemed very scary in December 2010, not so … Read More
Finding Your Own Inner Compass
Sixteen years ago, I was diagnosed with Gleason 6 prostate cancer(PCa) and against the advice of five medical professionals, including my wife, chose not to have intervention. I was fortunate because my urologist knew me, and while he recommended that I have a radical prostatectomy (RP), “Mark, I know you well enough to know that … Read More