24 November 2016

For men living with and beyond prostate cancer, the impact of the disease on their everyday life is significant. Find out how TAL is partnering with the Movember Foundation to make a difference.

Supporting Men After Prostate Cancer
2 MIN READ
For men living with and beyond prostate cancer, the impact of the disease on their everyday life is significant. As treatment is completed, many men report fear of recurrence, fatigue, erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence which can lead to distress, anxiety and depression. TAL has partnered with the Movember Foundation to take collaborative steps aimed at addressing these mental health issues as part of the Foundation’s revolutionary program TrueNTH, helping men return to their regular life after a prostate cancer diagnosis.
 
TrueNTH Care Coordinator, David Hughes, gave us an insight into how this partnership will help men living with and beyond prostate cancer.
 
“One of the most important parts of the TrueNTH program is the initial consultation. We’ve found that most of the fear which leads to increased anxiety and distress stems from not understanding what is going on. By providing men with support and access to information, it ensures that they are prepared for some of the mental challenges that they may face
 
Once men are diagnosed with prostate cancer by a specialist, they’re referred to me for a consultation tailored to their specific prognosis. We go through everything from the anatomy of the prostate and pelvis through to their particular cancer, their test analysis, scans and biopsy results. Going over the range of therapies and operations which might suit them best and what to expect during the recovery process to ensure they get the best general health outcome.
The benefits of working with a TrueNTH coordinator is that they provide a much more holistic approach to the recovery process. Working closely with the guy’s specialist team, and to an extent their GP, we provide access to dieticians and nutritionists as well as exercise physiologists and physios which are an important part of the psychological return to health. 
 
At the end of the day, the major concern the men are faced with is dying. Everything else pales into insignificance when you’re told you have cancer. We aim to help them on the journey back to their regular life and minimise these concerns by shedding light on all the support and care services we offer.”
 
TAL shares this view on taking a holistic approach to prostate cancer recovery, and has partnered with the Movember Foundation on a range of initiatives designed to support men through this process and then assist them in returning to their regular life.