Deciding on radical prostatectomy: a patient's perspective.

This article provides a review of one patient's experience with prostate cancer. It examines the various aspects of the decision-making process-the discovery of the disease, the research undertaken to learn about the disease and the treatment options, the decision as to course of action, the resultant radical prostatectomy, and the short- and long-term follow-up. Throughout the analysis, both the emotional aspects of dealing with the disease and the lessons that can be learned by both the patient and the physician are analyzed and discussed along with the information resources available. The concluding section discusses the critical role of the physician in the decision-making process, especially in the age of information technology and the resultant information overload.