Prostate Cancer for the Internist and General Practitioner

Course Description:   The course will highlight the daily decisions and decision analyses made by internists in recommending procedures for the early detection of prostate cancer. The internists' role in helping the patient make appropriate treatment decisions and counseling the patient to understand the implications of treatment - both risk and benefits - will be emphasized. The internists' role in both recognizing and managing complications of prostate cancer itself and the consequences of prostate cancer treatment will be emphasized.
Internists and primary care physicians are the target audience for the course. The participants will have an opportunity to review and advance their knowledge of current practice patterns and recent advances in prostate cancer treatment. A standardized level of care equivalent to a typical community level hospital in the United States of America will be employed.

Overall learning objectives:

·  Provide a clinical update on diagnosing, treating and managing complications of localized, regionally advanced, and metastatic prostate cancer for the internist.

·  Provide an understanding about screening for prostate cancer.

·  Define the role of the internist in the overall management of prostate cancer.

Clinical Learning Objectives:

·  Understand the population(s) at risk for developing prostate cancer.

·  Summarize the treatment choices and decision analyses for various stages of prostate cancer.

·  Review the controversies and policy guidelines regarding screening for prostate cancer.

·  Understand the different mechanism of actions of pharmacologic agents for the systemic management of prostate cancer.

·  Understand the adverse effects and harms of prostate cancer treatment.

·  Recognize the presentation of prostate cancer emergencies.