Sharing the Decision Slide Set: Slide 44

Talking Points and Text Description of Slide

Slide 44 — Discuss Why Men Choose Different Options

Talking Points

Use reasoning from other patients to help your patient see different ways of looking at the issue.

This slide presents two actual patient quotes you might use.

The first man seems more worried about dying of prostate cancer than about treatment side effects. He thinks early detection and treatment may save his life. He wants any prostate cancer to be detected despite the uncertainty.

The second man seems worried about the harms associated with screening, such as overdiagnosis and treatment side effects. He thinks those harms outweigh the uncertainty about benefits. He would not want treatment so he wouldn't want to know whether he had cancer.

Ask which man sounds most like the way your patient feels.

Tell him you will support any choice he makes.

SOURCE: Quotes from actual patients.

Text Description of Slide

• Patient who decided to be screened:
  "The way I see it, it's the best thing we've got to protect ourselves from prostate cancer. Even if it saves one life, it is worth all of the possible side effects of treatment. I'm one of those people who just likes to know."



• Patient who chose not to be screened:
  "The problem is we really don't know if it will help anyone, and it could hurt people. I think I'll wait until we know more."