Survey Says: Less Than Half of Men Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer Referred to Oncologist

A recent prostate cancer survey, released by ZERO – The End of Prostate Cancer, revealed that only 41 percent of men with prostate cancer were referred to an oncologist at some point during their prostate cancer journey.

According to a release from the organization, more than 1,400 prostate cancer patients, survivors and caregivers responded to the survey. Fifty-nine percent of respondents indicated they had been diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point, 24 percent indicated they were a caregiver for someone diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 17 percent identified that they had a tie to the prostate cancer community but did not answer prostate cancer experience questions.

The survey indicated men need and want to be more informed about prostate cancer. Results showed that 54 percent of men made treatment decisions to avoid certain side effects. This highlights the importance of a multispecialty clinical team in the treatment of cancer. Securing perspectives of radiation oncologists, surgeons and physicians from other disciplines can help patients gain a more thorough understanding of all treatment options to make an educated decision.

The full survey is available here.

This is not intended as medical advice to replace the expertise and judgment of your health care team. It is intended to help you and your family make informed decisions, together with your doctor.