Men: Is Prostate Cancer a Taboo Topic?

payless69 on 10/11/2024 - 01:14
Last edited 10/11/2024 - 23:07 by 1 other user

67 year old male here. Experienced my first prostate pain as an 8 year old. Got strange and strong white tablets from doctor that eventually delayed my onset of puberty.

With age 14 I was hanging for 3 days on a drip mainly for having a red noose. After that no more medicine. Paruresis set in. Got all the bullying one could get for it.

Age 20 started cooking myself and lost all pains and shyness. However, denial of having the ability to study left some depression. Got married with 25 and after 2 kids signed my life away and a disclaimer for higher prostate cancer risk having a full vasectomy. Prostate pains returned, new tests and medicine for a few years. Changed diet and managed to be pain free and also stop hair loss. On and off paruresis returned depending on how relaxed I was. Some Yoga fixed this.

At 45 travelled with wife 2 months through China on the wild side with every day or two finding a new 2* hotel in a new place. Great fun, despite some hotels had shared toilets that had compromised cleaning. Booked the cheapest bus that took the free roads over the mountains from Lijiang to Chengdu. Scheduled time 21 hrs, actual driving time 30 hours.

Two hours into the ride my prostate swelled up and I could no longer pee. Only other foreigners on that double story sleeper was an Irish woman and a Japanese man. None of the 3 drivers spoke any English. I stopped drinking and just ate 1 goji bean every 10 minutes. 31 hours later in a backpackers I sat on the can for 5 minutes and peed. Moderate pain.

Happy to share more if found interested parties, or topic is allowed. Just walked out of YouTube jail.

Poll Options

  • 13
    I get my PSA tested every year and have no issues
  • 7
    I only get tested when I feel something unusual
  • 0
    I had an operation, please specify which one
  • 1
    If one doctor tells me to get operated on I seek a second opinion
  • 2
    This is a taboo topic I do not comfortable to talk about it.
Health & Beauty Prostate Cancer

Comments

  • fantombloo on 10/11/2024 - 02:09
    +5

    I can't see any taboo about prostate cancer. Talking about it has essentially entered our lore.

  • UFO on 10/11/2024 - 02:18
    +6

    Prostate Cancer is as prevalent as Breast Cancer… but only one of them is talked about and promoted everywhere.

    If you're 50, get it checked today. Early diagnosis could save your life… nothing "taboo" about it.

    • AustriaBargain on 10/11/2024 - 05:54
      -2

      Should adopt a brown ribbon for fundraising and awareness. Or use a secret hand signal to indicate prostate health https://imgur.com/gallery/got-ya-4ZSnx

      • try2bhelpful on 10/11/2024 - 08:05

        Surely a brown ribbon would be bowel cancer?

      • SBOB on 10/11/2024 - 09:15
        +1

        Should adopt a brown ribbon for fundraising and awareness.

        A ribbon tied around an extended index finger seems more suitable :)

    • try2bhelpful on 10/11/2024 - 08:04
      +7

      One of them is a far more aggressive cancer and often affects young people. The other one usually affects older people and is far less aggressive so the victims often die with it rather than from it. However as you say it is important that potential victims of both types of cancer get regular checks so any instances are detected as early as possible.

      However, it isn’t just prostate cancer people need to consider. Even an enlarged prostate can impair the ability to urinate. Men should talk to their GP if they are having issues and see if medication or having a TURP fits in the cost/benefit/potential side effects analysis.

      • jgg on 10/11/2024 - 09:33

        What is a TURP?

        • try2bhelpful on 10/11/2024 - 09:42
          +1

          https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/turp/about/pac-20384880#:~:text=Transurethral%20resection%20of%20the%20prostate%20(TURP)%20is%20a%20common%20surgery,the%20tip%20of%20the%20penis.

          My other half had one because his urinary flow was down significantly. He had some side effects for a few weeks but he is pretty much right now and his flow is much better.

  • jgg on 10/11/2024 - 08:02
    +1

    Three friends have been diagnosed with prostate cancer over the past year. One is "watch and wait", one is having some radiation/chemo treatment, and one had to have it removed. Watch-and-wait is sensible if it's slow-growing. The one who had it removed has fortunately recovered quite well, and is psychologically well too. So also is a fourth friend who I found out had it removed about 5 years ago. There is hope! :-)

  • Clear on 10/11/2024 - 09:25

    Men: Is Cancer a Taboo Topic?

    FTFY. There are so many "rarer" cancers becoming more common and not talked about. Especially when clinicians don't even know much.

    • AustriaBargain on 10/11/2024 - 14:59

      My grandfather always called it "the big sea", he was in the merchant navy maybe why.

  • theHMASfriendship on 10/11/2024 - 09:50
    +2

    I’m more anti-state than prostate. I don’t think the state level of government adds much value given we have local councils and federal government. There’s a lot of overlap, e.g some degree of health is managed at all three levels.

    I don’t think we are a big enough country to really justify this many levels of government. And we don’t really have the “state identity” to the degree the US has.

  • samcro on 10/11/2024 - 10:09
    +1

    No it isn't taboo nor should it be. I started having issues, got tested etc and had prostate cancer. Now removed and 5 years on I'm still kicking.

    • try2bhelpful on 10/11/2024 - 10:19

      Great to hear and may the bastard cancer never return.

  • lunchbox99 on 10/11/2024 - 11:06
    +1

    Getting tested or not is not linked to whether it's taboo. People may not discuss it with other people but still get tested. I don't think that means it's taboo either, people generally like to keep their medical information private. Like why would I go to work and tell everyone I got a PSA test?

  • gamemaster on 10/11/2024 - 13:21
    +1

    There is no screening program for prostate cancer in Australia like there is for breast cancer. Part of the reason is Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) testing isn’t a particularly “accurate” and the harms of performing the test can outweighs the benefits.

    An important point that some people don’t realise when they request a test is that the PSA is not a diagnostic test. The PSA can be elevated because of non cancer causes such as urinary tract infection of even bike riding before the test. An elevated PSA doesn’t mean it’s prostate cancer but at the same time can’t be ignored which can lead to anxiety and further testing.

    For every 1000 men tested with a PSA between ages 55-69, one life is saved. Approx 35 of those 1000 men will undergo unnecessary further investigations such as biopsies and invasive investigations.

    The situation is different is a man presents with symptoms suggestive or prostate cancer which may include urinary changes (difficulty initiating a stream, weak stream, frequent urination, increased night time urination), blood in the urine or semen, ED, or pain. In these cases a PSA would be an important investigation as it represents a higher pre-test probability for prostate cancer.

    Finally prostate cancers are usually indolent cancers, often the cancer will outlive the person ie the person dies from causes other than prostate cancer. The current recommendation is not to perform PSA test for men aged over 70 who show no symptoms, as harm outweighs benefits.

    At the end of the day if you have concerns or want to discuss risks of prostate cancer, then speak to your GP. I think it’s important people are aware what the PSA test involves before making an informed decision if they want it performed.

    • try2bhelpful on 10/11/2024 - 14:03

      PSA tests are often about trending rather than an individual reading. Quite a few men over 70 would have urination symptoms for an enlarged prostate even if they don’t have cancer. You can have non invasive scans done to look for masses but they aren’t cheap.

      Completely agree about your comments logically but then I read about someone like Chris Hoy.
      https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/chris-hoy-issues-update-…

      The trouble is it is damned if you do and damned if you don’t with this sort of cancer. The hope is some of the upcoming targeted treatments will allow tumour shrinkage before any operation is performed.

    • robbyjones on 12/11/2024 - 10:19

      Digital examination is not generally the test for PSA unless you present with other symptoms. It is recommended that males over 40 get a PSA blood test at least annually. This measures the levels of PSA yearly and the increase is what can be an indicator of cancer where a further tests are warranted if there is an increase on the last test; it's
      not how high it is but how quickly it elevates. This was how my husbands cancer was detected and he has never had a rectal examination by his GP

      • gamemaster on 12/11/2024 - 21:12

        It is recommended that males over 40 get a PSA blood test at least annually.

        That’s not what is recommended in the current Cancer Council Australia Guideline for PSA testing for prostate cancer. This is the Guideline most GPs will use and is incorporated in the Red Book.

        It explicitly states “Do not offer PSA testing at age 40 years to predict risk of prostate cancer death.”

        The exception would be for very high risk patients such as having strong family history of prostate cancer.

        Other recommendations:

        • For men younger than 50 years who are concerned about their risk for prostate cancer, have been informed of the benefits and harms of testing, and who wish to undergo regular testing for prostate cancer, offer testing every 2 years from age 45 to age 69 years.

        • If initial PSA is at or below the 75th percentile for age, advise no further testing until age 50.

        • If initial PSA is above the 75th percentile for age, but at or below the 95th percentile for age, reconfirm the offer of testing every 2 years.

        • If a PSA test result before age 50 years is greater than the 95th percentile for age, offer further investigation.

        • Offer testing from age 50 years according to the protocol for all other men who are at average risk of prostate cancer.

        Digital examination is not generally the test for PSA

        The Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) is not recommended for screening prostate cancer in asymptomatic patients. It may still have a role in examining symptomatic patients. A PSA is a blood test so I’m not sure what you mean by your comment. Unless you mean prostate cancer instead of PSA?

  • fredblogs on 10/11/2024 - 14:14
    +2

    "I was hanging for 3 days on a drip mainly for having a red noose" - is this English?

    • singlemalt72 on 12/11/2024 - 09:56

      English is not everyone's first language.

      • fredblogs on 12/11/2024 - 10:15

        those people wouldn't use "paruresis"

        • singlemalt72 on 12/11/2024 - 11:03

          The fact that English may be a second, third, or additional language does not preclude the use of complex vocabulary; however, the construction of sentences may often reveal nuances that are more apparent to a native English speaker

          • fredblogs on 12/11/2024 - 16:24

            @singlemalt72: Not so much nuanced as incomprehensible. Curious to know how OP came up with these sentences, maybe a bad translation tool?

            • singlemalt72 on 18/11/2024 - 12:39

              @fredblogs: What it basically means is that a non native English speaker can use seemingly complex words, but the connection of words into English vocabulary breaks down. I work with a lot of overseas educated scientists and engineers - they are more than able to use complex English words in the correct context, but the construction of sentences often comes from their native language.

              • fredblogs on 18/11/2024 - 12:48

                @singlemalt72: I can usually understand what they mean though. In this case, I can't. Also, "Age 20 started cooking myself and lost all pains and shyness". What does that mean?

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