Since my column of April 27 in which I shared that I had cancer of the prostate, I have had surgery and have been assured by my surgeon that the cancer was caught in time. But if it hadn’t been for the wisdom of my urologist in ordering a biopsy even before other symptoms showed up in the ultrasound or to the touch, my cancer would have continued to grow.
Too many men ignore this silent killer. That is why prostate cancer is the second-highest cause of cancer death among men.
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However, prostate cancer can be detected before it becomes life-threatening if a man gets an annual Protein Specific Antigen blood test.
I have heard of men who refused to get the PSA test. Why? Perhaps they are afraid they may find out they have a cancerous prostate. But, without having that test done annually from your late 40s on, your doctor will not be able to spot the warning signs, and if necessary, arrange for further tests, such as an ultrasound and a biopsy. The fear of knowing whether he has cancer of the prostate can end up killing a man who continually puts off getting examined and tested.
I had no evident symptoms of cancer. Nothing was noted through the digital examination, or even on the ultrasound. Based on the history of PSA ratings over a number of years, and the fact that it was continuing to rise, my urologist recommended a biopsy of the prostate. This was the only way that I discovered there was indeed cancer in the prostate gland.
Once I had the diagnosis, like every man who discovers he has prostate cancer, I had to choose what to do about it.
Some men choose radiation. It can be very effective, but I felt the risk of the cancer reoccurring might be slightly higher than going the surgical route. Because I was young enough and healthy enough to undergo major surgery, I chose a radical prostectomy. This operation has a couple of side effects. Because the prostate is removed, your urinary system has to retrain itself, and this can take several months. It means wearing some kind of protection, initially all the time, and later on only at night. It is frustrating, but things improve in time.
The other side effect involves sexual function. If the nerve bundles are saved during surgery, you will still experience sexual stimulation and excitement. But the degree to which you get an erection is more limited, and physical lovemaking may need some adaptations.
Many men are afraid of this side effect. They feel they aren’t men if their erection is hindered or affected. But I am sure most wives would rather lose a small part of their physically intimate life with their partner than lose him completely.
Men are fortunate today. The PSA test, which raises the initial red flag about prostate cancer, was only developed in the late 1980s. Until then prostate cancer often wasn’t discovered until after it had spread beyond the prostate gland. A yearly PSA test could add years to your life. So why not get it, guys?
