With the heart-moving demise of spiritual leader, Tok Guru Nik Aziz and the hospitalisation of Singapore's Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong (who have now recovered and back to office), both with prostate cancer being the similar cause of concern...it got me thinking, will I be next in line too?
While many cases of prostate cancer have been focused largely on elderly aged men (65 years and above), our concerns might seem a bit of exaggeration for some as we are still young.
I started digging for some facts (yeah, became paranoid) and out of all the readings, Google-ing and You-Tubing, I came across some tests that can be done to identify prostate cancer.
Prostate gland is a small,walnut-sized gland in men located below the bladder and surrounds the upper part of urethra.-Pic from WebMD/webmd.com
Before I dwell further into that, let’s bust a few myths surrounding this cancer first.
This is what I’ve garnered from the dummies’ guide on busting myths about prostate cancer by Paul H.Lange, M.D and Christine Adamec.
Among the eight myths that they outlined, I’ll bring three to focal point.
Myth #1: Prostate cancer is solely an elderly man's disease
If you're diagnosed with prostate cancer in your late 40s or 50s, you may find that most people are amazed, because they think that only older men (age 65 years old or older) can get prostate cancer. The reality is that older men do have a greater risk for prostate cancer, but younger men can also develop the disease.
If a younger man believes that you have to be old to die from prostate cancer, and then he is diagnosed with the disease, he may think that he doesn't have to worry. He may then avoid or delay treatment for years, based on this erroneous assumption. Don't make the same mistake.
Myth #2: If you have cancer, you'll know because of the symptoms
Some forms of early cancer have symptoms, but prostate cancer, especially in its early stages, usually has no symptoms at all. Only when men are in the advanced stages of prostate cancer do they often experience severe urinary or back problems. By then the illness is treatable but not often curable. Whether you have symptoms or not, make sure that you get your prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood level checked every year after age 50, and every year after age 40 if you're black and/or have a family history of prostate cancer — both groups are at higher risk than others to develop prostate cancer.
Myth #3: Impotence always follows treatment
Unlike the other myths, there may actually be a bit of truth behind this one. Half of all men who receive treatment for prostate cancer will experience some impotence (or problems with potency), albeit temporarily. However, some men have few or no problems.
Specifically, treatment for prostate cancer may cause erectile dysfunction (impotence) in men because of the effects of surgery or radiation on the nerves and blood vessels that control erections. In addition, hormone shots can cause impotence by drastically lowering your sex drive. But if your doctor performs the nerve-sparing prostatectomy, or you have radiation therapy, you have good odds of retaining or getting your potency back in a year (or sooner).
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men after skin cancer.The cancer develops in prostate, a sex gland that secretes bathing fluid that helps in the production of healthy sperm.-Pic from webmd.com
So, based on these three myths, (busted now) we can, on the face of it conclude that adult men regardless of age can develop the disease but the risk is greater for men aged 65 and above and those in their 40s and 50s (based on ethnic groups for some men) should get annual check-ups.
Also, contrary to other forms of cancer, prostate cancer would not usually manifest itself in symptoms.
You could either experience the symptoms — severe urinary or back problems or you could not.
Whatever it is, you don’t want to wait until it has developed to its advanced stage of prostate cancer to seek treatment. (If it’s too late, then sorry mate)
Another primary concern would be of erectile dysfunction and whether or not one guy’s sexual life is on stake upon being cursed with prostate cancer.
Good news – there’s spark of light at the end of the narrow tunnel. There are glimpses of good odds in getting your potency back.
Guys, you can a take deep breath now, bless our testosterone driven life.
Other than frequent visits to gym, men should also probably pay a visit to their doctors or physicians to talk about prostate cancer which is ranks third globally in cancer incidence and sixth in cancer mortality among men according to the Urology Care Foundation.
FYI : Based on studies by the foundation,prostate cancer is low but rapidly increasing in recent years in Japan and other Asian countries. The incidence is also reportedly higher in North America and Northern Europe.
