Myth 1: Prostate cancer is a disease of older men
“It is not at all rare that men in their fifties and some in their forties to have prostate cancer,” explains Oliver Sartor, MD, professor of medicine and urology at the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. (It is rare in men under the age of 40, however.)
Myth 2: My father had prostate cancer, so I will also
Do: “If a man has a parent with prostate cancer, saying a father or a brother, his chances of obtaining it are twice as high as those of someone who does not have this story,” explains John Wei, MD, professor of urology at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. Two family members with prostate cancer have a fistle risk.
But everyone with family history of prostate cancer will not understand it itself. If prostate cancer takes place in your family, talk to your doctor about starting the regular PSA tests; Your health professional could be more aggressive to recommend follow -up tests.
Myth 3: Prostate cancer is not deadly
Most prostate cancers are what doctors call “indolents”, which means that they develop slowly and can often be actively monitored in many years without any other treatment. But sometimes prostate cancer is aggressive and develops quickly.
“While most men do not have prostate cancer which is fast and fatal,” admits Dr. Sartor, it exists. And you will not know which type you have before it is completely verified.
In other words, assuming prostate cancer is not serious – and not having additional tests because of this false idea – could be a risky means of approaching the disease.
Myth 4: Prostate cancer is always deadly
Myth 5: PSA tests are bad for you
The causes of a high PSA may include cycling and ejaculation. Consequently, some men with a high PSA receive invasive biopsies which are not necessary. Or, if they have cancer, they can be treated aggressively for slow growth tumors that have never caused any problems.
Which does not mean that PSA tests are not precious or that they cannot save lives; In the years that have followed their widely used use, explains Dr. Wei, diagnostics of prostate cancer have increased – but “the mortality rate decreases”. This is at least in part because PSA tests lead to more investigation, which can find cancer early, when it is more receptive to treatment. Speak with your doctor to know if – and how often – you need to be detected for prostate cancer.
Myth 6: If you have a low PSA, you don’t have prostate cancer
Do: PSA levels can be useful for diagnosing prostate cancer, but they are only one piece of the puzzle. The PSA test is far from perfect, says Sartor. It establishes a parallel between the readings of weak PSA and negative mammograms in women. “If you have a negative mammography, it is not 100% in terms of cancer exclusion. The probability is less. Likewise, simply because your PSA is relatively low, you cannot interpret this as there is no cancer.”
“Although biopsy is always the gold stallion in cancer diagnosis, this MRI can add location and help rationalize the efficiency of biopsy,” he explains. “He can tell you where to put the needle and also, in some patients, tell you that a biopsy is not necessary because the probability of cancer is very low.”
Myth 7: If you have a high PSA, you have prostate cancer
It also means that many men with out of 4 PSA levels do not have prostate cancer.
Myth 8: The treatment of prostate cancer always causes helplessness
Sartor says that the risk of helplessness depends on many factors, including the competence of the surgeon that operates on you. But as surgical techniques improve, people recover faster and have fewer side effects. This offers hope to those who wish to maintain an active sex life during their treatment.
According to Sartor, one year after surgery, around 25% of patients will say that their sexual function is good, 25% will have light malfunction, 25% will have moderate dysfunction and 25% will say that they have severe dysfunction.
Age can also be a factor of complication, adds Wei: “While men enter sixties and the 1970s, many of them already have a sexual function compromise.” The treatment of prostate cancer will certainly not correlate this problem, but it is also not likely to worsen it a lot for most men.
Myth 9: The treatment of prostate cancer always causes incontinence
Do: Besides the sexual function, men are worried about urinary incontinence due to the treatment of prostate cancer. “The majority of people do not have important urinary problems,” explains Sartor.
If you have bladder problems, you are more likely to deal with minor leaks than major accidents – and in most men, the situation is temporary or treatable.
To ensure the best result after surgery, Sartor recommends looking for a surgeon who has carried out the procedure several times – surgeons who are on their 900th procedure, for example, not their 41st. “The experience is important,” he says. “It is important to consider.”
Myth 10: If cancer returns, it cannot be treated again
Do: Recidivating prostate cancer can be heartbreaking. But just because a cancer does not mean that you cannot reach remission. You will probably have to try another approach to treatment, however.
“Your first remedy for cancer is always the best,” says Sartor. “But you have the possibility of healing if it comes back – especially if you have had an initial radical prostatectomy [removal of the prostate gland]In this case if you catch [the recurrence] Early, you can radiate and get a fairly good healing rate. »»
Sartor adds that this is one of the reasons why he often recommends surgery before radiation – so that people have a second chance to heal if cancer returns.
The point to take away
- There are many myths on your personal risk of obtaining prostate cancer, which the different results of the tests mean and the side effects of treatment.
- Although prostate cancer takes lives, most people do not die.
- High or low PSA levels do not mean that you have cancer for certainty.
- One year after treatment, many men come back to their level of functions of sexual functions.
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