Resources
Fred Hutchinson Center Research Center - Program in Prostate Cancer Research
Fred Hutchinson Center Research Center is one of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance’s three parent organizations. It has an international reputation for its leading-edge cancer research.
Pacific Northwest Prostate Cancer SPORE - http://www.fhcrc.org/science/phs/prostate_spore/
In 2002, the National Cancer Institute, a branch of the National Institutes of Health awarded the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center a five-year, $12.7 million grant to lead a multi-center, five-year investigation into the genetic mechanisms of prostate cancer progression. Understanding how and why prostate cancer can turn deadly is key to developing therapies that may effectively treat men with recurrent or advanced prostate cancer, for which there is no cure.
Man to Man www.cancer.org
An American Cancer Society program that provides community-based education and support to men with prostate cancer and their families. Man to Man offers free monthly meetings, as well as community education through its speakers bureau, a newsletter, outreach to high-risk groups, and more. For more information, or to locate a program, call the American Cancer Society at (800) ACS-2345. A Man to Man chapter meets at the Swedish Cancer Institute on First Hill. Call (425) 957-7440 for more information. These support groups are open to anyone in the community, even if they are receiving treatment elsewhere. Another Man to Man chapter meets at Northwest Hospital & Medical Center. Call (206) 276-3148 for more information.
Us TOO International www.ustoo.org
A nonprofit organization started in 1990 by prostate cancer survivors. It offers information, counseling, and educational meetings to assist men with prostate disease (and their spouses or partners) in making decisions about their treatment with confidence and support. Us TOO has more than 325 support group chapters worldwide, and these meetings are free and open to newly diagnosed patients, men currently undergoing treatment, survivors, family members, friends, and health-care professionals interested in prostate disease. Locally, Us TOO has chapters in Olympia, Tacoma, Bellevue, and Sequim. Us TOO also provides FREE educational materials on treatment options for newly diagnosed and advanced disease. Check the web site for resources, meeting times and locations, or call (800) 808-7866.
“Prostate Cancer for Dummies”
This book, by SCCA’s Dr. Paul Lange and medical writer Christine Adamec, is available at bookstores, and also can be borrowed from the Resource Center on the Third floor of SCCA.
National Cancer Institute www.cancer.gov
The Prostate Cancer section of the NCI web site contains information about prostate cancer treatment, research, clinical trials, screening and testing, and more.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network nccn.org
The Nation Cancer Network is an alliance of 19 of the world’s leading cancer centers, including Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. NCCN is an authoritative source of information to help patients make informed decisions about cancer care. Its programs include treatment guidelines for patients with prostate cancer, which are available online.
National Prostate Cancer Coalition www.fightprostatecancer.org
The mission of the National Prostate Cancer Coalition (NPCC) includes awareness, outreach and advocacy. NPCC manages the nation’s only mobile prostate cancer screening clinic, called The Drive Against Prostate Cancer, to help reach at-risk and underserved communities. Call toll-free: (888) 245-9455
Online Support Groups
There are a number of online support groups for men, where you can communicate by e-mail with other men who have prostate cancer. These include:
- The Circle www.prostatepointers.org/circle
- Patient to Physician www.prostatepointers.orgl
- The Prostate List