Men's things XXXVI: A Thankful Progress

Why I Keep Writing

Since I began the blog series "Men's things", in which I wrote about receiving a diagnosis of prostate cancer in early 2024, and since I started the series "Photons on the Prostate" when I began radiotherapy treatment in late 2024, I have felt it important to post regular updates.

As I have written before, life after cancer treatment can be quite different and quite interesting. I have not held back about the bladder, bowel, and sexual dysfunction issues, the nocturnal insomnia, or the loss of my natural voice, all of them lingering side effects of a treatment regimen that, from June this year in the UK, has changed radically for a lesser long-term impact.

The radiotherapy itself has improved too, with better targeting, less impact on the surrounding tissue, fewer side effects, and roughly a quarter of the sessions I attended two years ago.

Get Checked, Get Peace

My advocacy, however, is simple. Men need to get checked. If you fall within a more susceptible cohort, say, a black man over 45, someone with a family history of cancer, whether in male or female relations, or you are attributing benign urinary issues to age or to some other gradual development, you cannot put off getting investigated.

An AI-generated infographic on the blog content. (Click to enlarge.)

I would suggest, first, a self-diagnostic tool, The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS); an eight-question screening and tracking tool used to evaluate lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), that is, an enlarged prostate gland. It exists precisely so that men do not dismiss their symptoms as nothing more than the march of age. [MedScape IPSS Calculator]

Now, not every enlarged prostate gland is indicative of cancer, but every enlargement must always be investigated, starting with requesting a PSA test from your GP. It is a blood test that checks the condition of your prostate and can lead to further, essential investigation. The most important thing is that, if there are issues, they are caught early and treated promptly. [NHS: PSA Test]

Who Screening Is For

In the UK, screening is currently offered to the more susceptible cohorts, such as black men over 45, amongst whom one in four is affected, as opposed to one in eight of the general population.

That said, if younger or lower-risk men try the IPSS and return a concerning score, they should have a chat with their GP. We cannot cross a bridge before we have reached it, but neither should we pretend the bridge is not there.

My Monitoring and Gratitude

I had my first PSA test in early February 2024, but the second, at the end of March 2024, when I was checking for folic acid deficiency, showed a progression that required further assessment. The diagnosis came in June, and I commenced treatment from September into October 2024.

Since then, I have been monitored regularly at Christie Hospital every six months. I visit my GP for a PSA test within a fortnight before my scheduled appointment and present the result as part of my consultation. My PSA test results have consistently and progressively gone down, suggesting that the radiotherapy was successful in destroying the cancer in the prostate gland.

I will be attending the hospital later this week with a result that fills me with gratitude for early intervention, with wellness, and with thankfulness for the progress so far. All I can say to the men in the room is this: get tested, and get either peace of mind or the necessary early help to keep you here with us.

Related Blogs

Blog - Photons on the Prostate: My Life After Prostate Cancer Treatment

Blog - Men's things XXXV: A Man's Search for Dignity

Blog - Men's things - Prostate Cancer blogs

A Gemini Notebook AI Podcast on this blog