garyi said...
Walsh's 4th edition is up to date, he doesn't "ignore AS", and all our cases are unique, so educate yourself and choose your own path.
Fair enough.
If you have all the time in the world for reading,
then I
would recommend reading the Walsh book. I’m a voracious reader, but I realized a long time ago that not everyone else is. With the years of PC experience I have and for the reasons I wrote, in your unique case (every case in unique, and I’m never an advocate of one-size-fits-all), put Walsh’s book low on your priority list. I’ve read about
a dozen PC books.
Let me also say something good about
Walsh’s book. The anatomical diagrams and descript
ions are outstanding. I had PC surgery (and BTW, the Walsh book is usually "pushed" by surgery guys), and I am a fanatic about
understanding the details of what my doctors are doing (same was true with my multiple knee surgeries). I had a very good understanding of the anatomy of the prostate and surrounding areas after reading Walsh’s descript
ions. In hindsight, probably more than I needed to know. Walsh’s last update was 2012, and the good thing is that men’s anatomy has not changed much since then, or since the dawn of time…but thankfully PC treatments are changing rapidly.
Other people who have recently read Walsh’s book have left these review comments, and you can find additional similar comments about
the book right here on HW/PC by using the search function:
- Good information so far as it goes, but this book is considerably out of date. This edition (3rd) was published in 2012. The first edition, published in 2001, was probably completed around 1999, given the time it takes typically to get a book to publication. … The book is well written and a valuable resource, but it is no longer the bible.
- This is a good informational book, but it was last revised in 2012 and is in need of a revision. A lot has happened since 2012.
- does not cover some of the latest innovations.
- tis is a very good overall background provider and 3-4 yrs ago would be a bible however it is not up to date
- Great comprehensive read for anyone with prostate cancer. Though, even with a 2012 update, feels out of date especially in terms of new therapies. And, of course, it tends to favor radical prostatectomy.
- Given that Dr. Walsh is a "Professor of Urology" (and a Surgeon) and not a Oncologist, its not difficult to see how the focus of the book is skewed to decisions involving surgery.
- Writes from a surgeon's perspective. A man with PCa who reads this book should also find a good book by a radiation oncologist or oncologist specializing in prostate cancer. Radical prostatectomy is not the only answer.
- Dr. Walsh is a surgeon. He knows how to do prostate surgery. That is fine, but guys need to know that there are other options. This book gives only passing consideration to non-surgical treatments. If you read the sections on radiation, for example, the writing style changes noticeably, indicating that those parts were written by someone other than Dr Walsh who are experts in that field.
- If you have been recently diagnosed with prostrate cancer and are not a doctor this is not the first book you should read first or even the ninth or tenth. It's wonky and full of statistics and comes from the view of urologist that will always recommend surgery.
I'll end echoing garyi's comment: "all our cases are unique, so educate yourself and choose your own path"