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Cancer of the Prostate

Prostate cancer is a complex and challenging disease and of significant importance to the international health community. The aim of the 'Cancer of the Prostate' course is to introduce nurses to this disease, its treatments and side-effects, and to highlight the care, support and information requirements of those affected by it.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course the learner should be able to:

• describe the anatomy and function of the prostate;
• describe the aetiology and epidemiology of prostate cancer;
• describe and discuss the different tests used to assess the risk of prostate cancer, determine a diagnosis and stage the spread of the disease;
• discuss the available treatment options for men with prostate cancer;
• discuss the palliative care needs of men with advanced prostate cancer and the importance of adopting a holistic approach to care;
• discuss the impact of the disease and its treatment on the men and their families and the implications for professional practice;
• discuss the controversy surrounding the prostate cancer screening debate;
• discuss the future for prostate cancer, identifying key areas of research and practice development currently being undertaken.

Course author

The lead author is Catherine Holborn, Senior Lecturer in Radiotherapy and Oncology at Sheffield Hallam University in the UK. One of Catherine's key roles at the university is now as course leader for the MSc Radiotherapy and Oncology. She is also responsible for a number of MSc modules , one of which is entitled 'Prostate Cancer'. This has been developed with the support of Prostate Cancer UK and aims to provide an in depth insight into the current knowledge and evidence based findings on prostate cancer and its management, and in particular the physical and psychological impact of the disease.

The following people, each with vast experience and knowledge of prostate cancer, kindly reviewed the course prior to launch:

- Pauline Bagnall, Uro-Oncology Nurse Specialist, North Tyneside District General Hospital, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
- William Cross, Consultant Urological Surgeon, Pyrah Department of Urology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, UK.
- Karen Flynn, Prostate Cancer Information Nurse, Irish Cancer Society, Dublin, Ireland.
- Nicola James, Macmillan Nurse Consultant; Cancer Care, Chesterfield NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
- Patricia McClurey, Specialist Prostate Cancer Nurse, James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK.
- Julie Sykes, National Manager: Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing Program, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, Australia.

Course sponsor

The Cancer of the Prostate course has been developed with the support of an educational grant from Prostate Cancer UK.

Further information about CancerNursing.org's online courses can be found on the frequently-asked questions page.

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