[QUOTE=KlondikeGeoff]
<snip> my neither regions <snip>
[/QUOTE]
“Neither regions”? Are you one of them eunuchs I’ve heard about? 
Sorry to hear about the cancer, DMark, but like everyone else, glad to hear it’s got such a good prognosis. Jim just had his first prostate exam a little while ago, when he was having bad abdominal pains; he was not impressed, but he understands the necessity. Now, if I can just get him to get the Mighty Snip…
Definitely, a sanguine attitude is an important factor in creating a good outcome. That and early detection. You should see if they go for the tribal motif in getting the tattoo – though anyone in a position to see that probably will know you far too well already :eek: :o .
Beat this thing, DMark!
Sorry to hear this, DMark. It’s great that you’re sharing – KlondikeGeoff too. Makes it less scary for the rest of us. Fingers crossed for you.
I’m really sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but your attitude is really cool, and I think staying positive is the right thing to do. Best of luck!
Good luck to you, man. Prostate cancer can sneak up on you, but it’s one that can be beaten with a pretty high degree of success nowadays if it’s caught early. You sound like you’re going to be just fine.
Keep us posted!
[QUOTE=astro]
I went for a check up last month for my 48th birthday, and when I asked about a PSA test, as several older colleagues have prostate cancer and/or very elevated PSAs) the doc said not to bother if I wasn’t having symptoms and the plumbing was operating correctly. He went on to say that unless prostate cancer is really aggressive, therapeutically it’s really up in the air whether it’s best to treat it or leave it alone (which was kind of surprising).
[/QUOTE]
How can I say this nicely…oh, I know, “Your doctor is a fuckin’ idiot!”
I had no symptoms whatsoever, and the plumbing was, and is, working just fine thank you.
The sneaky thing about prostate cancer is exactly that, it is sneaky - most men don’t have any symptoms at all until it gets very, very serious! A PSA test is done with a simple blood test and I can think of no reason whatsoever that your doctor did not do that test for you.
Your doctor is correct about maybe leaving it alone, but that is only in the case of men who are in their late 70’s or so…depending on the severity of the cancer, they figure at that age you will die of something else before the prostate cancer would kill you. However, you are nowhere near that age, so please, please, please find a doctor who inserts a finger up your butt instead of a doctor who seems to have his head up his.
BTW, according to my doctor, almost every man on earth will get prostate cancer if they live long enough…unfortunately, some get it earlier than others and for those men, the treatments should be sooner rather than later.
Of all the things the doctors could have found, this is one of the most treatable diseases that I could have hoped to have diagnosed. I consider myself very lucky and sincerely hope others might get the balls, so to speak, to get that test ASAP. This is one disease where timing truly is everything!
And thanks for your comments and good wishes, one and all!
Good luck, man.
DMark I enjoy your posts and hope to see them on this board for many, many, many years to come.
Good luck with your treatment. How interesting that this thread comes up while the “Men Are Medical Pussies” thread is going on in the pit. Just goes to show ya…
DMark, it’s pretty obvious that the good wishes and prayers of everybody are with you, so I’ll just add my voice to the chorus. I truly admire your attitude about the whole thing, and I know that will see you through better than any doctor, test, or therapy. Good luck, and definitely keep us posted!
By sharing, maybe you’ve swayed someone previously unconvinced to get checked themselves. Thanks for that, and wishing you the best.
Good luck DMark. I’ll keep you in my thoughts and prayers. I’m really glad to know it was caught early. I’ve had a couple of friends who had prostate cancer and are now cancer free.
Guys, this cannot be said enough… if you are over 40 go get those PSAs done annually.
Astro what DMark said about your doctor. Please insist he check your PSA or go to another doctor. We kinda like you and want to keep you around, ok?
KlondikeGeoff you should have gotten your ass mold and mounted it in the study. Much classier than a stuffed animal head anyday. 
[QUOTE=Sublight]
Prostate cancer can sneak up on you…
[/QUOTE]
And what is worse, it sneaks up from behind!
Best wishes DMark for an easy round of treatment, a full recovery and a lasting cure.
astro: “Watchful Waiting” is a strategy sometimes used for very, very early, non-aggressive cancer, usually in men over 60, when the treatment (i.e. radical surgery with impotence and incontinence as possible side effects) may well be worse than the course of the disease (i.e. they think the prostate cancer is unlikely to cause him problems in the next 15 years).
It is, as DMark said, an approach that is also used for very elderly gentlemen or men with many other co-morbidities, who are very unlikely to benefit substantially from aggressive treatment, or who are likely to die from something else first. However, then it’s not so much “watchful waiting” as “Palliative care”.
Watchful waiting is definitely not the way to go in a young man with treatable, potentially curable cancer, who is likely to lose that chance for a cure if too much time is wasted.
Do get your PSAs done, but try to think of them as only a guide. The majority of men with high PSA will not have cancer, and a few men with cancer will not have high PSA- that’s why ultrasound and biopsy are needed too. So, if your PSA does come back raised, it’s not time to worry yet.
Because prostate cancer is usually in the outer part of the prostate, it doesn’t cause symptoms, unlike Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH), which causes the typical urinary symptoms we associate with older men, due to compression of the urethra by the enlarged inner part of the gland. BPH and prostae cancer can occur in isolation or combination- if something doesn’t seem right go and see your doctor asap, waiting is not a good way to go.
I think that part of why our doc sent us for PSA and mammo at our ages (him 36, me 38) is because of his practice. He is a young guy but his practice is about 95% geriatric! Seriously, we must be his youngest patients by at least 20 years. He loves us 'cause we’re young, healthy and only bother him every couple of years (right about the time we’re ready for more exotic travel)!
My OB/GYN wasn’t going to order my baseline mammo for another two years, but she did it when he asked for it.
Forgot to add- why put something off that is fast, easy and painless? That goes for both tests…