The role of the support group, "Us Too"

Today's older generation of men were raised to believe that men and boys do not cry or talk about their feelings. Fear, anger, confusion and depression are common reactions to all cancers. Prostate cancer carries the additional concerns of impotence, incontinence, and loss of self-esteem. Through support and self-help groups such as Us Too, survivors of prostate cancer, their families, and the medical community are coming together to share their feelings and concerns and learn from each other. By keeping up-to-date with accurate information relative to the disease, survivors of prostate cancer are better able to work through the dilemmas of their disease and move forward with their lives. An informed survivor is an informed patient. Working with the American Foundation for Urologic Disease, Us Too has grown into a nationwide network of family-centered prostate support groups. The motto "learning to cope though knowledge and hope" succinctly describes how these support groups have transformed the lives of survivors of prostate cancer and their families from coast to coast.