Prostate Cancer Support Group For Gay Men
The UCSF Prostate Cancer Support Group for Gay Men is offered as a place for gay men and their partners to exchange information, support each other and improve symptom management. It is open to UCSF patients and also to the community.
Location: Online. Please contact us for information and availability. Meetings: First and third Monday of the month, 6 7:30 p.m.Contact: Vittorio Comelli, 476-0468 ext. 1 or
I Am A Gay Or Bisexual Man With Prostate Cancer
However, studies have shown that gay and bisexual men are more negatively impacted by the side effects of prostate cancer than straight men are. The impact on intimacy for gay and bisexual men is particularly profound. Talking with your partner about erectile dysfunction and utilizing various resources may help you navigate these difficulties. You can find more information on localized prostate cancer treatment considerations for gay and bisexual men here.
Implications For Future Research Policy And Practice
Additional support resources tailored for and directed to GBMPCa seem highly relevant and in high demand. In particular for this analysis, the expressed wish for or use of support groups for other gay men with prostate cancer was noted. Clinicians treating GBMPCa should consider referral to local groups where available and/or to online groups to meet this need. Clinicians should take into account the more varied support network GBMPCa may have, specifically the central role of friends and other family. Future work with spouses/partners of GBMPCa is warranted, should consider the variation in the partners role, and examine how it may be related to patient outcomes.An avenue for future research would be to test how social support is associated with differences in PCa outcomes between GBMPCa and other men.
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Bladder Cancer Education And Support Group
The UCSF Bladder Cancer Education and Support Group is available so that patients with bladder cancer as well as their caregivers and family members may share experiences, educate one another and support each other.
Location: Online. Please contact us for information and availability.Meetings: First Thursday of the month, 5:30 7 p.mContact: 514-1707
Support With Prostate Cancer
Everyone with prostate cancer is different and each of us has different support needs, and this can change over time. Friends and family of LGBT men with prostate cancer can provide valuable support, but you can also ask for information and support from your local hospital or healthcare provider. You might find the following links to charities and support groups useful. We also include information on the small number of groups that specifically cater for LGBT people with prostate cancer, and their partners and carers.
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Breast Cancer Support Group
The UCSF Advanced Breast Cancer Support Group is offered for patients who have been diagnosed with stage-4 breast cancer.
Location: Online. Please contact us for information and availability.Meetings: First Tuesday of the month, 5 6:30 p.m. third Tuesday of the month, 1 2:30 p.m.Contact: 476-3315
Facebook Groups Lead By The Prostate Cancer Foundation
The offer patients, families, and caregivers a place to find support and information. There are many different types of groups available to find one right for you. Some groups are large online communities, while others are facilitated by a mental health professional, a person with cancer, or a medical expert. Whatever your needs, there is a group out there for you.
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Comparison To Prior Literature
We speculate that this different support structure has both strengths and weaknesses for GBMPCa. GBMPCa reported feeling free to talk about the sexual and continence challenges with their friends . On the other hand, many men, especially single men, reported that the catheter post-surgery meant they were less willing to get support and preferred to tough it out alone. It is possible that GBMPCas different social network composition combined with mainstream social constructions of masculinity resulted in lower comfort asking for help from those around.
The experience of GBMPCa fit well within the dominant paradigms of social support domains. For example, our results showed that the social support many men sought after diagnosis and before treatment was largely informational moreover, true to the original definitions of informational support, it was indeed information for the purposes of decision making.
Blood Cancer Support Group
The UCSF Blood Cancer Support Group is an informal educational support group for hematology and bone marrow transplant patients. Family members are welcome to attend. Registration is required.
Location: Online. Please contact us for information and availability.Meetings: Second Tuesday of the month, 3 4:30 p.m.Contact: 353-2965
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Caregiving And Social Support For Gay And Bisexual Men With Prostate Cancer
Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Correspondence
Benjamin D. Capistrant, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 S 2nd St., Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454.
Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Correspondence
Benjamin D. Capistrant, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 S 2nd St., Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454.
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Why A Prostate Cancer Support Group
- Prostate Cancer Support Group are places to listen, ask questions, and share thoughts confidentially.
- Our goal is to help men and their loved ones learn more about how to cope with living after a cancer diagnosis. We strive to provide a forum to learn about treatment and post-treatment options through presentations by medical professionals, written materials, and most importantly, discussion with other men who are having or have had similar experiences.
- Gaining and sharing knowledge helps everyone cope and achieve better outcomes. All meetings are free to all participants.
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Prostate Cancer Patient Support Group
CancerCare has a 15-week online support group. Co-sponsored by the National Alliance of State Prostate Cancer Coalitions , this group is led by an oncology social worker. It provides a safe place for patients to give and receive support from one another. Youll also have access to useful resources and information while in this group.
Head & Neck Cancer Education And Support
The UCSF Head & Neck Cancer Education and Support Group is a free monthly gathering open to patients and caregivers. Teaches tools for coping with both physical and emotional aspects of head and neck cancer. Educational sessions and support groups alternate each month. It’s an opportunity to learn, share and support one another.
Location: Online. Please contact us for information and availability.Meetings: Third Thursdays of the month, 5:30 6:30 p.m.Contact: Call 514-6338 or email .
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Lgbtq+ Support Group Gay Men With Cancer
Online
CancerCare is proud to offer a new Online Support Group for Gay Men diagnosed with cancer. Our Gay Mens online support group provides a safe space for gay men to connect with others, diagnosed with cancer, in a private and affirming online space. This group is facilitated by an experienced CancerCare oncology social worker who has worked closely with the LGBTQ+ and HIV communities affected by cancer.
Prostate Cancer Community Spotlight: Jim Early
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Jim Early is a prostate cancer survivor and runs a support group for gay and bisexual prostate cancer patients through the California-based LGBTQ Community Center of The Desert. He talks about the power of support groups, what topics come up most often, and what he wishes others knew about the effects of prostate cancer on the LGBTQ community.
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New Developments In Cancer Research
Blood tests.New blood tests that look for minuscule shards of DNA or proteins to detect a variety of cancers have won praise from President Biden, who made them a priority of his Cancer Moonshot program. Supporters say the tests can find tumors when they are still small and curable, but a definitive study to determine whether the tests could prevent cancer deaths has yet to come.
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How Did You Get Involved
Im a retired internist who has had prostate cancer for 25 years. At age 49 I was diagnosed with PC and underwent a radical prostatectomy . At that time, it was believed to be cured, and a schedule of follow-up PSAs was conducted frequently at first and then yearly.
During these years, I taught a segment on prostate health and disease to medical students, physician assistant students, and nurse practitioner students. After 20 years, my annual testing revealed a slowly rising PSA that indicated the disease was still present and slowly growing. It was then that I heard about the PCSG and was asked by one of the members, Gene Otto, to take on the job of facilitating the group after the death of Mr. Good.
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Doctors may also make a number of assumptions about patients, including about their family support system, their sexual orientation and their sexual interests.
with a postmenopausal wife who doesnt want sex anyway might just accept having a low libido, he explained. But if your partner is another man, and his drive isnt diminished, it can be a real problem.
Rosser said the silence and shame surrounding the topic allows ugly myths to flourish like that gay sex somehow caused their cancer. Guys can feel guilty, Rosser said. Or, their partners may think on some level, they can catch it.
Without good data, researchers cant get to the truth, Rosser stressed.
Social Support After Treatment
Informational/Emotional Support
After treatment, the primary type of support men reported was informational and emotional support about sexual rehabilitation. Other men mentioned a transition from needing and using support informational and emotional to providing this support by remaining active in prostate cancer support groups.
Being the age that I am, I think all I would ask for in the future is what we can do for our younger brothers who are just experiencing this for the first time, and allowing them to have someone to talk to, or someone to depend on, or to learn from. Im about giving back.
Support Network for Support After Treatment
For the support GBMPCa needed after treatment, men were selective as to whom they talked to regarding sexual side effects. Some confided in partners, others to friends or other social support groups, but generally less on family. A distinct minority of men noted helpful friends and sympathetic partners.
Afterward, when I realized even with injections and treatments that were there, I felt like I would never find another partner again and there was a depression. And I thought well, this is it. Im just going to be celibate and that kind of thing. But then a friend of mine said Try going on the web. And found other people in my situation, and it worked.
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Support Groups For Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in American men after skin cancer. 1 in 7 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. This disease can be frightening and overwhelming, so its important to have a support system in place.
Support groups for prostate cancer provide a forum for men affected by prostate cancer to share their experiences, learn from others, and find strength in numbers. This blog post will discuss prostate cancer, the risk factors for developing the disease, the signs and symptoms to watch out for, and the importance of support groups for those affected by prostate cancer.
How Long Has The Group Existed And How Did It Get Started
The group was originally organized approximately 14 years ago by Evan Van Antwerp, a cancer survivor who reportedly had a difficult journey with his prostate cancer. Later, the group was taken over by Ed Good, himself a prostate cancer patient.
As long as Im aware of, the group has functioned as a twice-a-month meeting of gay and bisexual men to discuss prostate cancer in general. It also allows them to voice their questions concerning medical issues of the disease itself and the sexual, psychological, financial, and social issues that are a part of dealing with prostate cancer and its treatment.
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In Chicago A New Approach To Gay And Bisexual Men With Prostate Cancer
A new clinic focuses on patients left grappling with the aftermath of treatment in ways that are rarely appreciated by doctors.
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CHICAGO Matthew Curtin learned he had prostate cancer after a routine physical examination in October 2019, when test results indicated there was a problem. A biopsy confirmed the news, and doctors told him that surgery to remove his prostate was the best option.
The surgery went well, and, two years later, there is no indication that the cancer has returned. But for Mr. Curtin, 66, diagnosis and surgery were only the beginning of a clinical and psychological and emotional adventure one he felt that many urologists were not equipped to handle, because he was gay and the majority of doctors and their patients were not.
The obstacles can be physical and emotional, and may be reflected in patients relationships with their partners. And they may present a challenge to medical professionals more attuned to the relationship needs of straight men.
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Brain Tumor Caregiver Support Group
The UCSF Brain Tumor Caregiver Support Group is facilitated by a social worker who specializes in neuro-oncology. This emotional support group is open to caregivers of UCSF neuro-oncology patients only. Registration is required. Visit the UCSF Brain Tumor Centers Neuro-Oncology Gordon Murray Caregiver Program to learn more about support services for caregivers.
Location: Online. Please contact us for information and availability.Contact: 514-5674
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How Can We All Help Increase Awareness And Address The Needs Of The Lgbtq Community
Any and all positive press is good. We depend a lot on word of mouth, but articles in respected publications such as the New York Times have increased interest. Health information outlets in hospitals and in areas where the LGBTQ community might see it is also important. We should let our providers know about this resource and ask them to share with patients who they think might benefit from the group. Having the resources of the Center and its newsletter has been beyond valuable for the viability of our group!
Ideally, prostate support groups can help educate and empower us all to be bolder and more open in informing providers and the public regarding the needs of gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people with prostate cancer.
I Am A Transgender Woman With Prostate Cancer
Although prostate cancer is often described as a male cancer , the reality is that anyone who was born with a prostate can develop prostate cancer. Were still learning about the impact that transitional hormones and gender-confirming surgery can have on the risk of prostate cancer. If you have a doctor you trust, that is the best person to talk to about your specific risk. Prostate Cancer Canada also has a very detailed and well-cited page about the effects of gender-confirming surgery and transitional hormones on prostate cancer risk, screening, and diagnosis for trans women.
It can be emotionally difficult to have a male-associated cancer as someone who does not identify as male, especially since most prostate cancer support groups and resources are targeted at men. Consider building a support network of friends, family, or counselors with whom you feel comfortable discussing your prostate cancer diagnosis. Malecare can also connect you with social workers who can help you. Additionally, Prostate Cancer UK is trialing an online support group for trans women.
Although the ZERO website uses male terms and pronouns, they are not meant to exclude transgender women or gender-nonconforming individuals. If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, take a look at the rest of our Learn section to gather more information about the disease.
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Who Can Benefit From Joining A Prostate Cancer Support Group
Men affected by prostate cancer, either directly or indirectly, can benefit from joining a support group. Different hospitals and cancer centers offer support groups for men with prostate cancer and their loved ones. Patients can often find information about these groups on the website of the American Cancer Society.
How A Prostate Cancer Support Group Works
A cancer support community may meet in person or online and typically offer educational resources, coping strategies, and emotional support. They offer members a safe space to find encouragement and share their experiences or knowledge. Trained professionals and physicians typically facilitate prostate cancer support groups.
A prostate cancer support group can come in many shapes and sizes. Some are enormous internet communities with many individuals who can respond to your inquiries. A mental health professional might assist someone diagnosed with an illness, the family of someone diagnosed, or a medical expert in a specific area. They may be handled in person, over the internet, or by phone. You might wish to look at a few groups to see which one you are most comfortable with.
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