Prostate Cancer Research Institute
The Prostate Cancer Research Institute (PCRI) is a nonprofit organization that helps men and their families understand prostate cancer and make informed treatment decisions.
Founded in 1996 by prostate cancer specialists Dr. Mark Scholz and Dr. Stephen Strum, PCRI provides videos, articles, conferences, and other resources covering prostate cancer from a new diagnosis and active surveillance through surgery, radiation, hormone therapy, and advanced disease.
I have found PCRI's videos particularly useful because they are clear, measured, and focused on the questions patients actually face.
The PCRI Helpline
PCRI offers a free helpline for people with prostate cancer and their families. Trained facilitators help patients understand their diagnosis, test results, treatment choices, and questions.
The helpline does not replace a patient's doctors, but it can help someone understand the terminology, identify questions to ask, and evaluate treatment choices.
A Roadmap Through Prostate Cancer
PCRI has hundreds of videos. These are some that I found particularly useful for understanding the major decisions a patient may face.
Videos
Why most newly diagnosed prostate cancers do not require an immediate treatment decision and how cancer risk helps determine how much time a patient can take to consider the options.
How PSA, Gleason score, stage, imaging, and other factors help determine the aggressiveness of prostate cancer and guide treatment decisions.
What the Gleason score means and why it plays an important role in determining treatment options.
How cancer risk, treatment options, side effects, and the experience of the treating physicians can help guide decisions.
How age, overall health, life expectancy, and cancer aggressiveness can help determine whether treatment or observation is appropriate for men diagnosed after age 80.
More PCRI Resources
Articles, educational materials, patient resources, and information about PCRI programs.
An extensive collection of videos covering diagnosis, treatment, side effects, and new developments.
Conferences featuring prostate cancer specialists discussing current research, treatments, and patient questions.