# Prostate Cancer **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 27, 2002, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prostate-cancer/100353 "2002-03-27T10:47:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prostate-cancer/100353/21 "2002-03-28T23:39:13Z")
It seems the better the surgeon is, the better he is in not cutting the important nerves in the prostate. Still, I thought Viagra was a fix for this post-surgery-prostate-nerve-cut ? ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prostate-cancer/100353/22 "2002-03-29T03:02:37Z")
I wish your father the best of luck, **Coldie**. His chances are excellent. Most men over 80 have a focus of prostate cancer, and is the second leading cause of cancer death in men. Often without symptoms, it sometimes presents with urinary retention, decreased force of the urinary stream, post-void dribbling, lymphedema, weight loss or back pain. Diagnosis is suggested by clinical history, a palpable nodule on digital rectal exam or a markedly elevated PSA. Unfortunately, the PSA by itself is a poor test and there are many things which cause a false positive. The change in PSA over time may be more useful. The scary truth is that both DRE and PSA are mediocre tests. Still, there is probably little benefit to DREs routinely before the age of 40. The medical treatment of prostate disease is excellent. Given that Viagra usually does NOT reverse the impotence caused in up to 50% of surgeries, I would tend to consider medicine and radiotherapy before surgery. Ironically, this cancer is cureable even when severe if it can be diagnosed by biopsy before metastasizing to the liver, spine, bowel or lungs. ---
**Author:** ![Osip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4491bb/32.png) [@Osip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osip)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prostate-cancer/100353/23 "2002-03-29T03:48:08Z")
Hey Coldie My father had prostate cancer. It was caught early and treated by surgery and has had a clean bill of health for the past 7 years. Glad they caught it early. I have so say medically they have had many advancements in this area. Best wishes, Osip ---
**Author:** ![Barking\_Spider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Barking\_Spider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Spider)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prostate-cancer/100353/24 "2002-03-29T03:56:57Z")
Is it true that ALL men will get prostate cancer, if they just live long enough? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prostate-cancer/100353.md?page=1)