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Post by mikescott on Jun 19, 2014 5:36:14 GMT -8
I am the original creator of first evolution of The Prostate Cancer InfoLink back in 1995 and its re-creation (as The "New" Prostate Cancer InfoLink along with its associated social network) in 2008 (through a non-profit known as Prostate Cancer International). I have spent much of the past 25 years trying to help men understand their options when it comes to the diagnosis and management of prostate cancer. And I represent Prostate Cancer International on the Prostate Cancer Roundtable. I do have some specific and relatively strong perspectives, e.g., - Mass, population-based PSA screening (by which I mean every man getting a PSA test every year) is NOT an appropriate healthcare strategy.
- Individualized PSA testing based on risk is a much better idea.
- Far too many men end up having treatment for low- and very low-risk forms of prostate cancer, and so they suffer many of the consequences of such treatment but gain no significant benefit in terms of quantity or quality of life
- Data rule; personal opinion and experience may be interesting, but high quality data are essential.
- Treatment for prostate cancer (of all stages and grades) is something that patients should have done to them by experienced specialists who are highly skilled at what they do.
- Communications between patients and physicians about prostate cancer is generally poor and needs a lot of work (by all parties)
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Post by KC on Jun 19, 2014 6:24:01 GMT -8
Mike, it's a pleasure to meet you; glad to have you here as a contributor. I enjoy your balanced and progressive perspectives offered at the "New" PC InfoLink, and I have your site bookmarked in a small folder I labeled "Daily Reading." Your writing style is very straight-forward and you don't stray from evidence-based (unless you make it clear that you are speculating or opining), and I'm sometimes entertained in the ways that you stand-your-ground in response to Comments which try to put words in your mouth.
How did you come upon your knowledge of prostate cancer?
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Post by Tony Crispino on Jun 19, 2014 20:17:30 GMT -8
Mike,
Welcome aboard. If it were my vote you'd have won the Nobel for your efforts. Your research and article have helped thousands.
Tony
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Post by mikescott on Jun 20, 2014 6:07:03 GMT -8
Dear KC:
For many years I owned a health care communications company. I was involved in the introduction of drugs like flutamide, goserelin acetate, bicalutamide and others, so I had lots of very specific knowledge and I knew lots of the opinion-leading physicians in the world of prostate cancer because I worked with them to run educational conferences for the urology and medical oncology communities. When Netscape first became available in late 1994, I realized that the Web offered a whole new way to deliver high-quality information to patients on very specific topics, so I set out to build a web site for patients on prostate cancer (the original Prostate Cancer InfoLink site) -- initially as an experiment -- and I seem to have just kept being dragged back into it!
My primary goal is to be able to provide patients and their family members with reliable and current information (as opposed to wishful thinking and scientifically unsupportable viewpoints).
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Post by Allen on Jun 20, 2014 9:35:02 GMT -8
Well said, Mike! I agree wholeheartedly with the points you make about screening, treatment, overtreatment, the use and misuse of research data and communications. I am a big fan of your website.
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Post by mikescott on Jun 21, 2014 12:01:45 GMT -8
Oh my Lord! An actual "fan"! How embarassing! HUGE  ) Mike |
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Jerry
Junior Member
Posts: 44 
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Post by Jerry on Jun 22, 2014 9:35:37 GMT -8
Mike,
Add me to the big, long list of fans. Incredible what you do...and thank you.
Welcome to this forum as well...
Jerry
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Post by mikescott on Jun 23, 2014 6:16:49 GMT -8
Hi Jerry ... I just do what I can do as best I can ... Sometimes the magic works!
Mike
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