Your health care team for prostate cancer

Your GP will usually arrange the first tests to assess your symptoms. If these tests do not rule out cancer, you will usually be referred to a specialist, who may arrange further tests. If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, the cancer specialist leading your care may be a urologist or radiation oncologist. In some cases, the main specialist may be a medical oncologist.

Your specialists may discuss treatment options with other health professionals at what is known as a multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting. During and after treatment, you will see a range of health professionals who specialise in different aspects of your care.

Health professionals you may see

The health professionals involved in your treatment may include:

GP	assists you with treatment decisions and works in partnership with your specialists in providing ongoing care; may monitor PSA levels and administer treatment
urologist	treats diseases of the male and female urinary systems and the male reproductive system; performs biopsies and surgery; requests scans
radiation oncologist	treats cancer by prescribing and overseeing a course of radiation therapy
radiation therapist	plans and delivers radiation therapy
medical oncologist	treats cancer with drug therapies such as chemotherapy and hormone therapy (systemic treatment)
endocrinologist	diagnoses, treats and manages hormonal disorders, including osteoporosis
cancer care coordinator/prostate cancer specialist nurse	coordinates your care, liaises with other members of the MDT and supports you and your family throughout treatment; care may also be coordinated by a clinical nurse consultant (CNC) or clinical nurse specialist (CNS)
nurse	administers drugs and provides care, information and support throughout management or treatment
urology care coordinator/ continence nurse	supports people with bladder and bowel management before and after cancer treatment
radiologist	analyses x-rays and scans; an interventional radiologist may also perform a biopsy guided by ultrasound or CT, and deliver some treatments
nuclear physician	analyses bone scans and PET scans and delivers radionuclide therapies
pathologist	examines cells and tissue samples to determine the type and extent of the cancer
continence physiotherapist	provides exercises to help strengthen pelvic floor muscles and improve bladder and bowel control
exercise physiologist/ physiotherapist	prescribes exercise to help people with medical conditions improve their overall health, fitness, strength and energy levels
occupational therapist	assists in adapting your living and working environment to help you resume your usual activities after treatment
sexual health physician/sex therapist	helps you and your partner with sexuality issues before and after treatment; an erectile dysfunction specialist can give specific advice for erection problems
psychologist, counsellor, psychiatrist	help you manage your emotional response to diagnosis and treatment; may also help with emotional issues affecting sexuality
social worker	links you to support services and helps you with emotional, practical and financial issues

This information was last reviewed in April 2020. View who reviewed this content.

Dr Amy Hayden, Radiation Oncologist, Westmead and Blacktown Hospitals, and Chair, Faculty of Radiation Genito-Urinary Group (FROGG), The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists, NSW; Prof Shomik Sengupta, Professor of Surgery and Deputy Head, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, and Visiting Urologist and Uro-Oncology Lead, Urology Department, Eastern Health, VIC; A/Prof Arun Azad, Medical Oncologist, Urological and Prostate Cancers, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Ken Bezant, Consumer; Dr Marcus Dreosti, Radiation Oncologist, GenesisCare, and Clinical Strategy Lead, Oncology Australia, SA; A/Prof Nat Lenzo, Nuclear Physician, Specialist in Internal Medicine, Group Clinical Director, GenesisCare Theranostics and The University of Western Australia, WA; Jessica Medd, Senior Clinical Psychologist, Department of Urology, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, and HeadwayHealth Clinical and Consulting Psychology Services, NSW; Caitriona Nienaber, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council Western Australia; Graham Rees, Consumer; Kerry Santoro, Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse, Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, SA; A/Prof David Smith, Senior Research Fellow, Cancer Research Division, Cancer Council NSW; Matthew Starr, Consumer. We also thank the health professionals, consumers and editorial teams who have worked on previous editions of this title. This booklet is funded through the generosity of the people of Australia.

View the Cancer Council NSW editorial policy.