HEALTH

The Decision: Your prostate biopsy shows cancer. Now What?
John C. McHugh

Lulu

978-0-6920-0565-1

Five Stars (out of Five)

There is very little that is more startling than getting a call from a doctor with the news that the
diagnosis is cancer. A recent article indicated that 200,000 men are diagnosed with prostate
cancer in the United States every year; 25,000 die of the disease. Dr. John C. McHugh, an
experienced urologist and surgeon, brings a rational, no-nonsense approach to the decision
regarding treatment for prostate cancer in The Decision: Your prostate biopsy shows cancer.
Now What? McHugh knows of what he speaks: Not only has he counseled men with prostate
cancer in his urology practice for more than 25 years, but he himself was diagnosed with the
disease at age 52 and experienced the gut-wrenching decision that is the subject of his book.

Importantly, Dr. McHugh does not overwhelm the reader with too much information. He
is writing for the man who already has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. “Right now, you
don’t need a big, comprehensive book about the causes and intricacies of prostate cancer; that is
irrelevant to you.” What a man at this point needs is specific information about his options for
treatment that is relevant to his particular circumstances.

According to McHugh, the man diagnosed with prostate cancer needs to know about his
cancer, his general underlying health condition, and the best treatment options available to him.
While the author is a urological surgeon, he is not biased toward a surgical solution. He
recognizes that there are valid reasons for choosing other options for treatment, such as radiation
and seed implantation. McHugh gives a detailed discussion of the pros and cons of each mode of

treatment in language easily understood by the layman. Along the way, the author relays various
experiences he and others have had in the course of selecting a treatment.