"Prostate Cancer Essentials for Survival" Booklet Series Published by the Dattoli Cancer Foundation

Three key staff members at the Dattoli Cancer Center &Brachytherapy Research Institute have collaborated on a new educational booklet series entitled, Prostate Cancer Essentials for Survival. Written by the authors of Surviving Prostate Cancer Without Surgery, the booklets are designed to give prostate cancer patients the most up-to-date information on a wide range of topics regarding diagnosis and non-surgical approaches to treating this common cancer.

Sarasota, FL, November 11, 2005 -- Don Kaltenbach, Executive Director of the Dattoli Cancer Foundation announced publication of the first three volumes of the Prostate Cancer Essentials for Survival series, co-authored with leading radiation oncologist Michael J. Dattoli, M.D. and Jennifer Cash, ARNP. The new booklets examine the subjects of prostate cancer recurrence, hormonal therapy, brachytherapy (radioactive seed implants) and state-of-the-art Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT).

According to Kaltenbach, himself a 15-year prostate cancer survivor, "One of the greatest challenges facing both patients and doctors in this field is keeping up with newly published research studies and the many changes brought about by recent technological progress. In just the past few years, results obtained with advanced radiation therapies have made much of the literature out of date. Books and other sources that don't include results from the more recent studies can misinform patients. For that reason, we have launched a series of educational booklets to address a number of essential areas about which patients need to be informed in order to make intelligent treatment decisions."    

A pioneer of brachytherapy and IMRT research, Dr. Dattoli has published numerous peer-reviewed studies and has one of the highest cure rates in the country. The Dattoli team's long-term results (13-year actuarial) with high risk prostate cancer patients were presented last month in Denver at the annual meeting of the American Society of Therapeutic Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). Those results and related research are referenced in the Essentials booklet devoted to brachytherapy and IMRT.

Dr. Dattoli explained the importance of the new study. "The 13-year disease-free survival rate for patients who have completed our brachytherapy protocol is superior to surgical removal of the prostate, with far less risk of complications such as erectile dysfunction and incontinence. The new data is especially significant because the vast majority of patients treated in the study were considered categorically incurable using any other treatment method, especially radical prostatectomy. Still, 81% of these high risk patients remain cancer-free after 13 years without the subsequent need for hormonal therapy or chemotherapy, and the failure rate drops to near zero after 5 years of follow up."

All three of the authors are dedicated healthcare professionals and members of one of the country's premier institutions, performing more prostate brachytherapy-IMRT procedures annually than any other medical center in the country. Drawing on that shared experience, the booklets guide patients through diagnosis, treatment and recovery. "Knowing what to expect is one of the keys to beating this disease," said Kaltenbach. "We want to prepare patients for the journey ahead, regardless of which particular treatment they may choose for themselves. We want them to be fully informed."

The following booklet titles are currently available from the Dattoli Cancer Foundation:

1) Brachytherapy and IMRT: A Primer on Seed Implants and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy for Informed Patients ($8.95, spiral bound, 50 pages with color illustrations).

2) Hormonal Therapy: Will It Benefit Me? A Primer on Adrogen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) for Informed Patients ($7.95, spiral bound, 37 pages).

3) Recurrence: What Do I Do Now? A Primer on Prostate Cancer Relapse for Informed Patients ($10.95, spiral bound, 59 pages with b&w illustrations).

Future booklets will cover topics such as the PSA blood test and color-flow Doppler Ultrasound imaging. Excerpts are available at http://www.pca-essentials.com.

Additional information and new titles can be obtained from the Dattoli Cancer Foundation by calling (800) 915-1001, or by visiting http://www.dattolifoundation.org/

Select titles are also available from Amazon.com.

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