Prostate cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States. Prostate cancer usually grows very slowly, and finding and treating it before symptoms occur may not improve men's health or help them live longer.
The links on this page will help you learn about prostate cancer treatment, prevention, screening, statistics, research and more from pages across the NIH and NCI.
Learn more about prostate cancer by visiting the National Cancer Institute page on prostate cancer.
If you have been newly diagnosed with prostate cancer and are interested in participating in the Prostate Cancer Multidisciplinary Clinic, please reach out to Antoinette Solnik, BSN, RN-BC (antoinette.solnik@nih.gov).
How to Refer a Patient
To refer a patient for a consultation with the Prostate Cancer Multidisciplinary Clinic, or if you have a difficult or interesting clinical case and would like to discuss treatment options with our team, please contact Antoinette Solnik, BSN, RN-BC (antoinette.solnik@nih.gov), or Fatima Karzai, M.D., (fatima.karzai@nih.gov).
Our care team contacts any prospective patients within three (3) business days after your inquiry to collect basic information and give further instructions. We require a medical summary, operative notes, relevant radiographic scans (MRI, CT, PET), pathology report and additional materials as indicated.
With the patient’s permission, we keep their primary physician fully informed and involved in their care. After consultation, the team will contact the patient's primary physician to coordinate care and follow-up plans.
The NIH Clinical Center
Most PCMC clinical trials take place at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. You can learn more about the NIH Clinical Center and the clinical trials that are run there here.
Anyone with untreated, biopsy-proven prostate cancer that has NOT spread to other parts of the body is welcome to participate in the PCMC. This includes patients seeking a second opinion about their diagnosis or treatment options, and patients considering joining a clinical trial at NCI for localized and untreated prostate cancer.
Patients with biochemical recurrent prostate cancer or metastatic prostate cancer should contact the NCI Medical Oncology Referral Office.
The first point of contact for patients and referring physicians is:
Antoinette Solnik, BSN, RN-BC
Patient Case Manager
Ph: 240-992-2713
Fax 301-451-5730
antoinette.solnik@nih.gov
Our care team contacts patients within three days of the initial inquiry.
All medical records about your prostate cancer diagnosis
Pathology slides and report
Imaging studies on disc and report
You can provide us with these medical records, or we can request them on your behalf.
In order for us to fully evaluate your case, we need:
PSA level and testosterone if it has been more than 3 months
Creatinine level to check your kidney function if you will have additional scans
Bone scan and CT of the abdomen and pelvis if your PSA level is over 10 ng/dl or the highest Gleason score is 7(4+3), 8, 9 or 10
MRI of the prostate if you did not have a pelvis or prostate MRI or if it is not of good quality
General review of your medical history and family history of cancer
Complete review of any imaging studies and tissue slides provided
Face-to-face virtual discussion with medical experts about the diagnosis, treatment recommendations and the opportunity to ask questions
Information about clinical trials available at NIH
Case manager to help coordinate care and follow up as needed
The PCMC panel of physicians includes a surgical oncologist, a radiation oncologist, a medical oncologist, a radiologist and a pathologist from the NCI. Each specialty assigns at least one (1) representative depending on their schedules to serve on the tumor board.
Physicians involved in your care will make every effort to participate in the discussion of your case. However, there may be times when they are not able to participate.
Because we discuss more than one case each time the PCMC panel gathers, neither you nor someone unauthorized to participate in PCMC can be in the room due to privacy and liability issues.
This is not possible at this time. However, we can give you a copy of the radiology and pathology report.
Most PCMC visits are done via telehealth. If you are physically coming to the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, we encourage you to bring someone with you. Due to the size of the exam rooms, however, we ask that you limit your party to 1 or 2 person(s).
You may request the progress note from medical records after your visit. We also encourage you to use a pen and paper to take notes during your virtual visit. Audio and video recordings are not allowed.
We offer this service to all who are eligible. You do not need to already be a patient at NIH, nor are you under any obligation to continue treatment with us. Patients are encouraged to discuss with their physicians and family their options and decide where to get their treatment.
Unless you were given another person to contact after your visit, you should contact your PCMC case manager for any questions or concerns.