Prostate Cancer – the Silent Killer
Prostate cancer has been called the silent killer, because no one seems to be willing to talk about it. In fact, it’s the silence that does the killing – the cancer can be successfully treated if it’s detected in the early stages. It is only when, through embarrassment or fear, a patient puts off his regular checks and is diagnosed late in the development of the cancer, that it is truly deadly.
Why don’t men take their regular prostate checks? There are several reasons, but embarrassment seems to be one of the main ones.
Men don’t talk to each other about health issues the way many women do. In particular, though they might brag about their sexual prowess, they don’t want to talk about anything to do with their genito-urinary system that might present a problem. Men may not want to address certain issues with their physicians, such as loss of erectile function, or incontinence.
Younger men are probably rather better at this than older men who were brought up in a more repressed world. That’s a pity, because prostate cancer is most commonly found in the over-60s – the average age of diagnosis in the US is 72.
All men need to watch out for prostate cancer. (Women don’t; they don’t have prostate glands.) But there are certain groups of men who need to be more than normally watchful. The over-50s for example need to be careful. So do men of African descent, who are nearly twice as likely to develop this particular cancer as men of European or Asian backgrounds.
Men whose families already have a history of prostate problems should also ensure they get regular checks. Prostate cancer is one of those cancers that does seem to run in families. It also seems to be linked to families where there is a history of breast cancer on the female side.
While urinary or erection problems can indicate other health issues, and quite likely do not indicate a diagnosis of prostate cancer will be made, men who ignore such symptoms do so at their peril. Needing to urinate frequently, painful urination, and difficult or painful erection, can all be signs of the early stages of prostate cancer.
And yes, they are all a bit embarrassing to talk about to a doctor. But leaving it till later would be far worse.
Some men are also embarrassed by the prospect of a rectal examination, which is the most common first test for prostate cancer. (There is also a blood test, the PSA test, which detects a particular antigen found in higher concentrations when there’s a cancer present.) The dreaded ‘finger in the glove’ is not a particularly pleasant experience, and the social situation isn’t one that makes conversation particularly easy.
But again, compare the momentary embarrassment and discomfort to the fact that the survival rate between Stage 2 and Stage 4 diagnosis worsens from well over 60 percent to under 30 percent (depending on the treatment given). Put off that trip to the clinic and you might be halving your chances of survival.
One piece of good news is that the number of diagnoses has hugely increased. The number of diagnoses in the US almost doubled between 1973 and 1992, and has reached 190,000 a year.
That’s good news? You might ask. Yes, it is – it means more and more men are coming forwards for regular check-ups. And it’s likely that more of those diagnoses are at an early stage, so that with appropriate treatment, the patients will be able to make a full recovery and regain their normal lives.
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