Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Get Serious About PSA testing for Prostate Cancer

Today I read an new article about a local musician in Dyerbgurg TN. He passed away from prostate cancer at the age 52 today. He was diagnosed stage 4 prostate cancer in 2010 and it had already spread to lymph nodes and his bones. It caught him as a surprise in the prime of his life. Here is the story. http://www.stategazette.com/story/1747556.html

I was lucky. I started PSA testing when I was 52 and by chance completing a full blood panel of tests at that time. My first PSA was 1.2 in 2006. Clinically that fits the norm range up to 4.0 not to be concerned. I continued to monitor and had 2 more bumps to 2.9 6 months later. In 2007 my PSA tripled to 5.8. I was concerned changed my attending physician as there was no concern at that time. My new physician confirmed at my age It would be a killer if I discovered cancer and not treated. I made an appointment after that with a urologists in October 1 2007.
The tests came back the next day and indeed I had cancer and you may read the story here.

A day does not go by that I am so thankful to still be alive and in just great health due to this marvelous treatment called proton beam therapy. I was so lucky to have done such a simple test back in 2006. I am sure today undiscovered it would have been my demise and I would not be writing how well I am doing and promoting proton therapy.

Do yourself and your family a life saver and get tested with a simple PSA test. Ignoring this test may cost your life and take heed that clinically it can not be determined how aggressive the cancer is. So get treated! Don't gamble with your life and rob you friends and family of your companionship.

So Happy to be alive and Cheers!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Sexual Health in Men Declines After Prostate Surgery

Hopefully you have found this blog in your due diligence and research for treatment of prostate cancer. Proton therapy with its minimal side effects as it was for me is the option to consider as these types of reports come in frequently. Please read this article:
Sexual health is worse than expected in nearly half of all men who undergo surgery for prostate cancer, according to a poll.

Sexual function was shown to have decreased while incontinence problems increased.

Prior to the surgery, some men in the study expected to have better sexual and urinary function a year after surgery than prior to it. That belief is not realistic, Daniela Wittmann, sexual health coordinator at the urology department of the University of Michigan, told Reuters.

"Men have unrealistic expectations of urinary and sexual function after prostatectomy despite preoperative counseling," Wittmann and her colleagues wrote. more:


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