We need your donations to support our
seed money
grant program
for new research as well as our educational and support activities.
Every week, Dr. Barken and
other leading world experts answer your questions LIVE in a telephone
call-in show. You can call in and ask your questions, or just listen
in! 1-877-PCREF-01(Toll-Free)
When: Tuesday, 6-7 pm PST and Saturday 12 Noon PST
Facilitator and
Founder, San Diego Prostate Cancer Support Group
Founder, Chairman, and Medical Director, Prostate Cancer
Research and
Education Foundation Holder of Two U.S. Patents for
Computerized Laser Surgery
Holder of One U.S. Patent for Computerized Cryosurgery
Assistant Clinical Professor, U.C.S.D.
Certified, American Board of Urology
Fellow, American College of Surgeons
Fellow, American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery
Dr. Barken
devotes his time to patient support activities, such as
Coaching and
providing Medical
Reviews for prostate cancer patients and their loved
ones. He is able to focus on finding and evaluating new
research opportunities to be funded by PC-REF that can
open the door to better treatments and better technology
for today's prostate cancer patients. Indeed, PC-REF has
been able to make seed money grants to innovative researchers
with new ideas, enabling them to gather preliminary data
and then apply for large government grants. Details of
PC-REF Research
projects are available.
Dr. Barken is able to provide support and information
to prostate cancer patients and their loved ones via the
"Coach-to-Player" Internet mailing list (C2P)
and PC-REF's "Ask
Dr. Barken" weekly call-in show, where he provides
comments and information to those in need. For those who
require a more intensive and personal review of their
specific case, Dr. Barken is available for in-person or
telephone coaching.
The Decision Pyramid
summarizes Dr. Barken's approach to patient empowerment,
starting with collecting information and ending with treatment
decisions made in partnership with the patient's doctor.
Dr. Barken first and foremost believes in strongly preserving
quality of life for the patient. Therefore, he urges the
patient to ask himself, "What can I do for myself?"
before asking the doctor "What can you do for me?"
This forms the basis of Dr. Barken's M.E.D.S.
Program.
Dr. Barken's training and experience have brought him
to a position of expertise in prostate cancer at all stages
of the disease. Dr. Israel Barken graduated from Hadassah
Medical School in Jerusalem, Israel. He completed three
years of post graduate training in General Surgery and
another three years of specialization in Urology in St.
Louis at Barnes Hospital of Washington University. Barnes
Hospital is recognized as one of the "Top Ten"
teaching and research centers in the United States.
Dr. Barken is certified by the American Board of Urology.
Among other distinctions, he is a Fellow of the American
College of Surgeons and a Fellow of the American Society
for Laser Medicine and Surgery. He is an Assistant Clinical
Professor at UCSD where he is involved in research projects.
Dr. Barken had the honor of being invited to perform the
first laser prostatectomy in China in 1992 and of teaching
laser surgery in that country. Dr. Barken holds two U.S.
patents in the field of computerized laser surgery and
a third patent in the field of cryosurgery.
A natural and very humorous communicator, Dr. Barken hosted
and produced Cox Cable's "Men and Male Medicine",
a weekly television program. He has lectured extensively
in the United States for cancer organizations, support
groups and prostate cancer forums. He is always pleased
to accept invitations to be a speaker.
Since 1989, he has served as the founder and facilitator
of the San Diego prostate cancer Support Group, the first
such group in San Diego and in the country. Six local
PC-REF Support Groups are now up and running. Dr. Barken
also served on the Medical Advisory Board of PAACT (Patient
Advocates for Advanced Cancer Treatments) and the Board
of ECPCP (Educational Council for prostate cancer Patients).
In addition, Dr. Barken was one of the founding members
on the Board of the National prostate cancer Coalition.
During his two years of service, he also sat on the NPCC
Scientific Committee with Dr. Andy Von Eschenbach, who
is currently the head of the NCI (National Cancer Institute).
Moving from patient empowerment to patient leadership,
Dr. Barken and a group of activist patients founded the
Prostate Cancer Research and Education Foundation in 1997.
He now serves as Chairman of the Board and Medical Director
of PC-REF. Currently Dr. Barken offers "Coaching
Sessions" for patients who have questions or need
expert guidance, particularly when they are at a decision
crossroads. Dr. Barken believes in considering multiple
opinions and options. He gives unbiased opinions on a
wide variety of treatments that he knows first-hand: observation,
surgery, radiation, radiation seeds, cryosurgery, laparoscopic
surgery, laser surgery, medications and alternative medicine.
His approach, through the M.E.D.S.
Program, is to treat the whole person, body, mind
and spirit, and not merely the diseased gland. He enjoys
close, long term relationships with patients in all the
different stages of prostate cancer, whether local or
systemic.
Fueled by his life-long love of aviation, Dr. Barken has
been involved in the development of a tilt-wing aircraft,
a hybrid with the speed of an airplane and the maneuverability
of a helicopter. Because PC-REF supporters come from prostate
cancer communities all over the U.S., Dr. Barken jokes
that he will use the first Tilt-Wing to make cross-country
house calls.
ISRAEL BARKEN, M.D., F.A.C.S.
and Medical Director
Dr. Barken devotes his
time to patient support activities, such as Coaching and providing Medical Reviews
for prostate cancer patients and their loved ones. He is able to focus on finding
and evaluating new research opportunities to be funded by PC-REF that can open
the door to better treatments and better technology for today’s prostate
cancer patients.
