Question

Paul Greer is a 57 y/o who has been admitted for a radical prostatectomy. He was recently diagnosed with stage III prostate cancer. His original lymph node biopsy was negative. He has a history of hypertension and is not compliant with medication. Until the recent diagnosis of cancer, the patient had only seen a physician once in the last ten years. He has a 20-year one pack history of smoking. However, he quit three years ago when he remarried; he and his wife have a nine-month-old baby. His difficulty voiding finally motivated him to seek care. What is the reason for Paul Greer's admission?

1) Radical prostatectomy
2) Stage III prostate cancer
3) Negative lymph node biopsy
4) Hypertension

Answer 1

Paul Greer has been admitted for a radical prostatectomy, a surgical procedure to remove the prostate gland, as part of his treatment plan for stage III prostate cancer.

The reason for Paul Greer's admission is for a radical prostatectomy. Paul, diagnosed with stage III prostate cancer, requires surgery as part of his treatment plan. Considering his age at 57, which is below the average age of diagnosis, and the fact that prostate cancer is typically slow growing, active surveillance is not the selected approach. Instead, due to the aggressive nature of his tumor, indicated by a stage III classification, the need to intervene surgically is evident.

Surgery is often accompanied by other treatments like chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, but these treatments can have significant side effects, including erectile dysfunction or urinary incontinence. Paul's previous negative lymph node biopsy indicates that there was no detectable spread to the lymph nodes at that time, but his non-compliance with hypertension medication, past smoking history, and recent difficulty voiding, all contribute to a complex medical history.

Paul's surgical admission is essential in addressing and attempting to cure the prostate cancer, and it anticipates the need for close management of his other health conditions post-surgery.