Ideally, you should see a medical oncologist specializing in prostate cancer. Unfortunately, their numbers are few. The goal of prostate cancer treatment, it is often said, is to be sure the patient lives long enough to die of something else. Many prostate cancers are slow growing. You don't need to make a decision regarding how to deal with your disease in days or even weeks.
Many patients take as long as a few months to look at their options.
You will have time to talk to your family about the results of your research and discuss the implications of the side effects so you are sure to be prepared to deal with them, and to be sure you have the support you need. Choosing a doctor is an important step toward making a treatment decision. Your choice of treatment and who will perform it is crucial in giving you the best outcome based on the information that your test results yield. Your choice of treatment needs to fit with your age, life expectancy, lifestyle, general health, and your expectations for future quality of life. Patient references given by a doctor may direct you to their successes, not to their failures, so make every effort to verify any information you are given.