Androgen Deprivation Therapy: An Essential Guide for Prostate Cancer Patients and Their Loved Ones

Praise for Androgen Deprivation Therapy:

"Every man who is a candidate for ADT needs to read this outstanding book.”

–Patrick C. Walsh, MD, University Distinguished Service Professor of Urology, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institution

“This new and updated second edition will again be an important and valuable resource for the vast majority of men who are faced with the need to start ADT for treatment of progressive and advanced forms of prostate cancer – whether for a few months or for the rest of their lives. It is a book we will again recommend to patients when they ask us about issues related to life on ADT.”

―E. Michael D. (“Mike”) Scott Co-Founder and President Prostate Cancer International

This expanded new edition of Androgen Deprivation Therapy remains the only guide written exclusively about the side effects of hormone therapy. This is a comprehensive workbook for prostate cancer patients and their loved ones, filled with practical advice from experts in the field. The book covers a wealth of strategies to help men cope with ADT and maintain a good quality of life while on this treatment. It is not only an informational manual, but a guide for both patients and partners about ways to make changes in their own lives that can keep them healthy and positive when the patient is on ADT.

New to this Edition:

• Updates to every chapter, including an extensive update on the various drugs used for androgen deprivation
• Suggestions for managing the physical side effects of ADT, such as hot flashes, weight gain, muscle loss, and fatigue
• Strategies to handle the emotional side effects, including coping with mood swings and depression
• Advice on how to maintain intimacy despite reduced libido and difficulties with erections
• A new chapter on the psychological and relational impact of ADT on gay men
• Exercises, activities, worksheets, and other tools to promote discussion and inspire sustainable behavioral changes that can reduce the burden of ADT

Richard J. Wassersug, PhD, is a research scientist who earned his doctoral degree in evolutionary biology from the University of Chicago in Illinois. He then spent most of his career studying the biology of amphibians and teaching anatomy in the medical school at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. At the age of 52 years, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and has received multiple treatments for the disease. After beginning androgen deprivation therapy, he redirected his research to study the psychology of androgen deprivation in various populations. Wassersug now holds the title of Honorary Professor at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

Lauren M. Walker, PhD, R Psych, is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Oncology's Division of Psychosocial Oncology and the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary in Alberta. She is a registered clinical psychologist in the province of Alberta and operates a private clinical psychology practice for individuals with sexual concerns (see www.drlaurenwalker.com). She completed a clinical fellowship in 2015 specializing in oncology and sexuality, where she focused on developing programs to help cancer patients adapt to sexual changes after cancer treatment. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology in 2013 from the University of Calgary. There she completed her dissertation, which evaluated a patient education initiative for prostate cancer patients (and their partners) starting androgen deprivation therapy. Walker established the University of Calgary's Oncology Sexual Health Lab and maintains an active research program. She also maintains an Instagram account aimed to decrease stigma and to disseminate scientific and clinical knowledge about sexuality (www.instagram. com/drlaurenwalker).

John W. Robinson, PhD, R Psych, was a clinical psychologist and member of the Genitourinary and Gynaecological Cancer Programs at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary, Alberta, from 1986 until he retired in 2019. Robinson's career focused on providing clinical services and creating and evaluating new ways to ease the psychological burden of cancer on not just patients but also their loved ones. He continues to hold an adjunct associate professorship in the Departments of Oncology (Division of Psychosocial Oncology) and Psychology at the University of Calgary, where he continues to be involved in research.