We’ve carefully selected these forums because they’re actively fostering a supportive community and empowering their readers with frequent updates and high-quality information. If you’d like to tell us about a forum, nominate them by emailing us at bestblogs@healthline.com with the subject line “Prostate Cancer Forum Nomination.”
Being diagnosed with prostate cancer can be overwhelming. You may find yourself feeling confused, angry, or a host of other emotions. You probably have a ton of questions, and you may feel isolated. Although your doctor can provide you with some answers, talking with other people who have prostate cancer may help even more.
There are online support groups for almost anything. The
Don’t know where to start? We’ve assembled a list of eight popular prostate cancer forums to point you in the right direction.
The HealthBoards community prides itself on peer support. It’s made up of thousands of people who post using anonymous usernames. The Prostate Message Board boasts nearly 2,500 threads. Topics range from hormone therapy side effects to supplement usage to information on specific doctors. There’s even a blog feature so you can journal your own experiences.
Want to broaden your discussion? There are also two related boards — Cancer and Men’s Health — for talk about more generalized issues.
Accuray Incorporated runs the Prostate Patient Forum on CyberKnife’s website. There aren’t any bells and whistles, but you’ll get much more than peer support while browsing the website. The group runs a number of clinical trials to provide non-surgical options for cancer. In fact, right now Accuray is recruiting participants for a clinical trial for early stage prostate cancer.
CyberKnife itself is a radiosurgery system that provides less invasive surgeries for different types of cancer, as well as non-cancerous tumors. Treatment centers are located across the United States and beyond. The forum gives the group’s participants a spot to connect about their treatment plans, their experiences with any complications, and their successes with the CyberKnife technique.
The Cancer Forums’ Prostate Cancer Forum is also for caregivers, family, and friends. You can make a public profile page so that other users can get to know you better. You can also gather a list of friends to make connecting with certain members more convenient. Don’t want to post something for everyone to see? Use the private messaging feature for added security.
There are no photos or links to images allowed in the forums, but users can share their personal blogs or links to other sites. There are also some “sticky” posts at the top of the forum. They provide information on topics like erectile dysfunction, Brachytherapy, radiation treatments, and more.
The Prostate Cancer Discussions forum at CancerCompass invites you to share information about your disease and your treatment plan. When you join the site, you gain access to a personal profile, weekly email updates, message boards, and the forum itself. Beyond the prostate forum, there are boards on treatment, nutrition, prevention, caregivers, and diagnosis. There’s also a section for people with any type of cancer to share their stories.
You can also stay current on the latest news and research with the regularly updated news page.
The American Cancer Society’s Prostate Cancer forum hosts searchable posts spanning back to the year 2000. If you want to participate in the discussions, create a free account and start typing. There’s a cool feature in the top right-hand corner that tells you how many users are online at any given moment. Unlike other forums, though, it doesn’t allow you to create a personalized profile.
Regardless, Cancer.org itself is a well-known website with community resources, support programs, a clinical trial finder, and other tips for during and after treatment.
Patient is a website where you’ll find evidence-based research on a variety of medical conditions. This community lets you connect with thousands of other people and receive badges and other accolades for helping fellow members. You can search through information about medicines and drugs, read a blog about general well being, and use the decision aid tool to help guide your treatment plan.
Patient’s Prostate Cancer forum covers topics ranging from finding prostatectomy surgeons to the side effects of using bicalutamide as a treatment. As an added feature, posts that haven’t received replies are displayed at the top of the page to grab extra attention.
HealingWell launched back in 1996 as a community for people “living mindfully and healing well with chronic illness.” If you’re newly diagnosed, the site’s Prostate Cancer forum has a thread to get you started with the basics of the disease. There’s also a thread that gives definitions for the many acronyms you’ll encounter. You can start your own thread or browse through over 28,000 topics with 365,000 postings using the search function.
Tired of reading static threads? Use the site’s chat function to connect to other users in real time.
MacMillan Cancer Support is a charity in England and Wales. The network believes that “no one should face cancer alone.” Their Prostate Cancer community welcomes anyone affected by prostate cancer, including spouses or anyone else in your support network. Topics range from alternative therapies to clinical trials to last-minute questions about surgeries. Members also share updates on their worries, experiences, triumphs, and setbacks.
Need to chat with a real person? MacMillan offers phone support Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., for those in the United Kingdom or those with access to international calling. Just call 0808 808 00 00. If you don’t live in the United Kingdom, you can take advantage of the site’s information portal for more about understanding cancer, diagnosis, treatment, coping, and more.
You aren’t alone in your prostate cancer diagnosis. There are thousands upon thousands of people going through the disease along with you, even if they don’t live within your city, state, or country lines.
Reach out for support today, whether it’s through a local in-person support group or online via forums, blogs, and other social networking tools. Doing so can give you an outlet for your thoughts and feelings, and it may even improve your day-to-day life and treatment outcomes. Be sure to discuss information that you learn online with your doctor before making or changing decisions in your treatment plan.