This cool infograph is from 2008 but the numbers are astounding. More men will die from prostate cancer than from car accidents and motorcycle accidents combined. So, make a deal with your spouse. You'll get your prostate checked and as a reward the motorcycle fairy makes a delivery.
According to researchers at Britain's Warwick University and the Institute of Cancer Research, men whose index finger is longer than (or the same length as) their ring-finger were at a reduced risk of developing the disease—one-third less likely in fact.
According to the study, which appears in the November, 2010 issue of the British Journal of Cancer (requires paid access), scientists believe that the relative length of these fingers, which is set at birth, may be related to the levels of sex hormones to which a developing fetus is exposed to in the womb. They believe that being exposed to less testosterone before birth reduces the risk of developing prostate cancer later in life. The link exists because genes known as HOXA and HOXD control both finger length and the development of sex organs.
In men younger than 60 the reduced risk was found to be even greater, at 87%.
Previous studies have demonstrated links between finger length and agression, fertility, sporting ability and confidence and reaction times.
So, your surgery has been scheduled and you are all set to go. But what should you be ready for after your surgery?
Post-operation recovery
Depending on the type of surgery you undertake, recovery may require up to a few days of hospital stay, and a number of weeks of home-recovery—i.e. radical prostatectomy is major surgery. During this time most patients will experience a period of incontinence (due to damage to the urinary sphincter) and will have to wear a catheter. You should be able to return to a normal diet after a day or two.
The other typical experience is a period of impotence. While drugs may assist with achieving erection, prostate cancer surgery eliminates the possibility of ejaculation (by removing the seminal vesicles)—though orgasm will still occur.
Diet
After your surgery, it is likely that you will be on an all-liquid diet. This should quickly progress back to regular foods. However, you may want to consider some long-term adjustments:
Pain
As with any surgery, there may be pain or bleeding following your operation. These side effects should go away after a few weeks—if pain persists, contact your healthcare professional.
Infertility
With the seminal vesicles removed, it is no longer possible for semen to travel down the urethra, prohibiting the fertilization of an egg.
Urinary incontinence and dysfunction
After prostate surgery it is common to experience urinary incontinence—everything from urinary leaking to complete loss of bladder control. Urinary dysfunction (pain during urination) is also common, and is caused by the close proximity of the prostate gland and the bladder. Bowel dysfunction may also occur due to damage done during surgery.
In my last post I examined, from a high-level, what life is like after prostate cancer. In this post, I want to focus on the specifics of what to expect depending on your treatment option:
While each is relatively effective at treating early-stage prostate cancer, each offers different outcomes for bowel, urinary and sexual function. Perhaps more important, however, is that there are differences in how much of an impact men perceive to their lifestyle from each option. For example, in one study done by Mark Litwin, MD, MPH, and reported in the June 1, 2007 issue of the journal Cancer, the following conclusions were reached, based on men's self-perceptions:
However, the study's author noted that national outcomes vary widely from practitioner to practitioner: "One indication of really good quality care in prostate cancer is that a surgeon or radiologist tracks his or her own outcomes and can say, 'Here is my track record.'" (Life After Prostate Cancer by Daniel J. DeNoon. WebMD Health News.)
You need to have a very frank conversation with your doctor about which side effects will bother you the most, and what their personal experience with outcomes and dysfunctions has been based on the treatment they have provided to other patients.
Once treatment is finished, many feel an immense sense of relief. Yet tempering that, is a feeling of worry: what if my prostate cancer recurs?
After treatment, your doctor will most-likely setup a follow-up plan of regular visits, PSA blood tests and digital rectal exams. As prostate cancer can return many years after initial treatment, follow-up may continue for some time.
Some things to think about:
Many people turn prostate cancer into an opportunity—the chance to change their life. This could be an opportunity to eat healthier, be more active, work on your stress levels and find more balance. While it may seem like turning everything upside down, it's always important to step back and think of the larger picture: your life. Be sure to spend time focussing on your emotional health. Build your support network of family and friends, search out peer-support groups, or even help others going through the process.
Looking back at my previous posts regarding Prostate Cancer, you can see that there is a lot still to be covered. This has only been an overview of what is out there. What you need to do (if you haven't already) is to speak with your doctor. Most-likely, this will become a regular conversation.
So, what questions should you be asking? Here are some you should be sure to bring up:
If you haven't been diagnosed with Prostate Cancer
If you have been diagnosed with Prostate Cancer
Of course, you should add to this list with your own questions: e.g. depending on your age, you may want to ask about any potential for becoming impotent or sterile.
Again, this list is meant to serve as a starting point for what will be a very important series of conversations you will want to have with your doctor. In my next post we'll "finish off" our overview by looking at life after Prostate Cancer.
It may sound trite, but just like we are all individuals, so too is every treatment regimen unique. To determine the most appropriate course will likely involve a number of conversations with your cancer care team in order to arrive at a plan that fits your age, any other health conditions, the stage and grade of your cancer, etc.
In the previous posts on Prostate Cancer we've looked at causes, risk factors and detection, in this post we'll lay out some of the treatment options. Of course, you will want to discuss these (and any others) with your physician prior to making any decisions. There are four primary methods of treatment:
For a comprehensive list of prostate cancer treatment options check out the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (the NCCN develops treatment guidelines for doctors) and the National Cancer Institute (the NCI provides treatment guidelines via its website and its telephone information center at 1-800-4-CANCER).
In my next post we'll look at the questions you should ask your doctor, along with a look at "life after treatment."
Last year, more than 1 million people supported Movember—the worldwide effort to raise funds in support of Prostate and Testicular Cancer research. Beginning November 1st, Mo Bros in more than nine countries put down their razors and said "no" to the clean-shaven look. During the next 30 days they held parties, pledge drives and even mo-contests to raise money.
This year, why not hold your own Movember event? The Movember Foundation makes it quite easy and even provides a free "party kit" to help you out containing:
Alternatively, look for an event near you on the Movember website.
In my previous post we examined four of the leading risk factors for prostate cancer. Now, let's turn to detection and diagnosis.
Detection
In order to detect prostate cancer at an age when the prognosis is as good as possible, men are tested even when they don't present any symptoms. This process, called screening, often takes two forms:
If the results of either test are abnormal, further testing is done as there may often be false-positives (or even false-negatives) with both tests. The American Cancer Society recommends that if you are between the ages of 40 and 50, depending on your determined risk of developing prostate cancer, you have a conversation with your doctor about screening. For more details about the tests, check out the American Cancer Society's Guide to Prostate Cancer: Early Detection.
Diagnosis
Depending on your test results your doctor may decide to conduct a biopsy of your prostate. In this case, a urologist will take approximately 12 samples from your prostate gland which are then sent off for analysis by a pathologist. This procedure takes about 15 minutes and will likely be done in the urologist's office with a local anaesthetic. Usually, you will have the results in a few days.
If the results indicate that cancer is present, additional tests may be conducted to determine the extent of any spread beyond the prostate. This process is called staging. The result of these tests will dictate the type of treatment you receive.
In my next post we will look at the different types of treatment.
In a previous post I listed the leading risk factors for prostate cancer as age, ethnicity, family history and diet. Let's look at these in more detail.
For a more exhaustive list be sure to check out the American Cancer Society's detailed guide to prostate cancer.
In my next post we'll examine detection and diagnosis.
