Is it just me?

What is going on in this world? Is just me or is everyone seeing this?

Neighbor had PCa.

Co-Worker has PCa - spread to bone.

Wife has TWO co-workers - hubands with PCa.

My Dentist - just got results - PCa.

Friend at Church - had PCa.

Barber is undergoing HT for PCa.

The list goes on and on......................is it our age and the men we call friends and pals are just at that age?

It seems every where I turn, it's another case. What is going on? Before I got this "blessing", I rarely heard of a case of PCa. Was I blind to the fact, ignored my friends, stupid?

If this keeps up we will all have it, then who will our wives have to boss around? Who will take out the garbage, cut the grass, feed the dog, say "yes ma'am" ten times a day.

We have got to stop this now, if for no one else but the women of the world. Come on guys let stop it right now!

Hi War Eagle,

I think a big part of the new discoveries is our peer age group as well.  As we age, we are likely to know many others our own age.  Since 1 in 6 men will have PCa, our peer age group raises the chances we know someone with PCa.

In addition, now that many of my friends know that I have PCa, they share with me that they or their husband has it too.  There are two or three friends of mine who had already been dx'd or treated for PCa that I had no idea about prior to my surgery.

Keep fighting the good fight!

All the best,

Idaho

That's funny War-Eagle! And I couldn't agree more.  In my circle of friends, all kinds of cancers seem to be going around like the flu -- from esophageal to colon to prostate, to melanoma.  The good news is, everyone I know with cancer is doing well after treatment.  Swim is right, it's a matter of early detection  -- the advent of the PSA test was a biggie.  Like my sister said recently, "Years ago, nobody even knew what a prostate was." Once you're in a club though, other members tend to come out of the woodwork.  I first noticed this trend when my wife and I adopted our son in 1994.  All of a sudden we were hearing from neighbors, co-workers etc. who had also adopted kids but never discussed it with us before.  Before I had PCa, I only knew one guy who'd had it.  Once I put the word on the street, I got to know a whole bunch, real quick. My father died almost 40 years ago from "lung cancer" at age 49 and back then, detailed pathologies and autopsies were a rarity.  Diagnostics at the time (meaning X-rays) revealed a "small spot" on his lung.  Then, the surgeon  opened him up, eyeballed the extent of the cancer in his lungs; closed him up and sent him home.  The surgeon told us he believed the cancer was related to genetics.  For a few years prior, I remember my dad being unable to ride more than maybe 25 miles in a car without having to stop and pee.   I was a teenager and didn't think much of it.  But today, I wonder if his primary cancer might have actually been prostate cancer that m etastasized to his lungs. And as far as early detection back in the day -- forget it!  Our family doctor was a guy who'd give you a clean bill of health as long as you were warm and breathing. We've come a long way.

Julia,

It wasn't flippant at all. We all get frustrated. When I went to the surgeon 6 months ago, we were talking about that being my last HT. Then the rise in my PSA. As you will see from others here, once the doc's can get a fix on it they can knock it out. We have a lot on zero's floating around this forum. That gives us all hope.

Be strong, your day in the sun is coming.

In my prayers,

Walt (War Eagle)

Hi Everyone

This is a very interesting conversation about how many people are finding they have cancer. When Rick was told he had a very aggressive advanced cancer we were in shock. He had been checked at is annual check-up 8 months prior. Rick contracted spinal menigitius in July 2005 during a spinal operation we went thru 4 weeks of pure hell and he almost died. We got the menigitius cleaned up and he was told he had prostate cancer in February 2007. I think that the spinal menigitius triggered the prostate cancer. He has no family history of it. Just food for thought.

Diana 

there is an old thread in the archived section that talks about the incidence of prostate cancer in men. by age 50 about 30% of men have detectable cancer. Many of those have slow growing variety that would allow the man to die of something else. the problem is no one wants to bet on what variety we have.

Prostate cancer is finally likened to breast cancer in women - it is finally out in the open and people are finally willing to talk about it and, hopefully we'll soon see, willing to put funds behind finding a cure.

I also think that men are finally getting tested earlier than the "standard" age of 50 - my husband was well under 50 when tested and diagnosed - if he had waited he would be six years further into the disease - how scary is that?

Knowing what I know now, and knowing that my boys are at a 50% increased risk, they will have their first PSA screening at the age of 30!

Since men are being tested and diagnosed earlier, there are more statistics out there which is a good thing - men can no longer be modest about this disease and with more fundraisers like the "Underwear Affair" for cancers below the waist fundraising run/walk they are finally getting the funding they deserve.