The LPCSG Buddy System offers one-to-one peer support from members who have personal experience of prostate cancer treatment. Talking with someone who has been through a similar experience can help you understand what day-to-day treatment and recovery felt like for them and give you an opportunity to discuss concerns with someone who understands.
Buddies share personal experience, not medical advice. Everyone’s cancer, health and response to treatment is different. A buddy’s experience should therefore support — not replace — information and advice from your urologist, oncologist, clinical nurse specialist or other healthcare professional.
Partners, family members and friends can also play an important role. Our Support A Loved One page offers practical guidance for people supporting someone with prostate cancer.
How the Buddy System can help
Where possible, we match people considering or undergoing a particular treatment with a member who has experience of that treatment and is willing to talk about it.
You might want to ask about practical matters such as preparing for treatment, recovery, urinary or sexual side effects, fatigue, returning to normal activities, or simply what the experience was like for another person.
Peer support can be particularly useful alongside reliable medical information when you are considering treatment options. It cannot tell you which treatment is medically right for you.
Treatments and monitoring
Our members have experience of a range of approaches. For current information about these options, see:
- Surgery
- Radiotherapy, including external beam radiotherapy
- Brachytherapy
- Hormone Therapy
- Active Surveillance
- Watchful Waiting
See the main Treatment page for an overview of prostate cancer treatment options.
Interested in speaking to a buddy?
Get in touch with LPCSG and tell us, if you are comfortable doing so, which treatment or aspect of prostate cancer you would particularly like to discuss. We will see whether we can put you in contact with an appropriate member.
Your specialist healthcare team remains the right place for questions about which treatment is suitable for your cancer, the benefits and risks in your individual circumstances, and any new or concerning symptoms.