Invasion of the Prostate Snatchers: An Essential Guide to Managing Prostate Cancer for Patients and Their Families

An indispensable map through the medical minefield of prostate cancer, revised and updated with the latest developments in treatment options.
 
Every year almost a quarter of a million confused and frightened American men are tossed into a prostate cancer cauldron stirred by salespeople representing a multibillion-dollar industry. Patients are too often rushed into a radical prostatectomy, a major operation that rarely prolongs life and more than half the time leaves them impotent. Invasion of the Prostate Snatchers argues that close monitoring—active surveillance rather than surgery or radiation—should be the initial treatment approach for many men at the low- and intermediate-risk stages.

In a unique collaboration, doctor and patient provide a wholly new perspective on managing this disease. Ralph Blum’s account of his personal struggle, together with Dr. Mark Scholz’s presentation of new scientific advances, offers convincing evidence that this noninvasive approach can be crucial in preventing tens of thousands of men from being overtreated each year. This revised and updated second edition:
 
-Highlights the latest prostate cancer treatment options that preserve erectile and urinary function while prolonging lifespan 
-Establishes updated protocol for how to accurately interpret high prostate-specific antigen (PSA) while avoiding the invasive, dangerous random biopsy
-Recounts true patient stories that accurately represent the hurdles today’s patients face while navigating a prostate cancer diagnosis 
-Introduces the latest evidence in the radiation vs. radical prostatectomy debate 
-Presents the latest thinking on diet and exercise for men with prostate cancer

Mark Scholz, a double board-certified medical oncologist, serves as medical director of Prostate Oncology Specialists Inc. in Marina del Rey, CA, a medical practice exclusively focused on prostate cancer.

Ralph H. Blum was a cultural anthropologist and author who published three novels and five nonfiction books on the oracular tradition, beginning with The Book of Runes. He survived for more than twenty years, without radical intervention, after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.