Senin, 18 April 2011

It can happen to you!


A good friend of mine has a PSA count of 180. Normal is one through four; anything higher is cause for concern. 180 is cause for great concern. Let’s back track a little. What is a PSA count? PSA or Prostate-Specific Antigen is the measurement of a prostate protein that can indicate (along with a rectal examination) whether a prostate gland has the possibility of being cancerous. Only a biopsy can confirm or deny the cancer’s existence.

There is raging controversy over the accuracy of PSA testing and which treatment program is the most effective if cancer cells are detected. One thing is certain; prostate cancer can kill you in a horrible way, which is also true of most cancers human beings suffer. Remember the movie Don’t Mess with the Zohan, starring Adam Sandler? Well, there should be a movie called, Don’t Mess with the Prostate Cancer, starring all men over fifty!

I don’t mean to make light of this subject, but, honestly, I need to find humor in the situation concerning my friend because I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2000 and elected to have it removed after a PSA number of 7.5 was detected and the gland was swollen. After the operation, my PSA was .01, but unfortunately it started to rise and I elected to submit to radiation therapy. After two weeks of intense therapy, my PSA had dropped to .001 and has stayed there ever since. I know I must die of something, but it won’t be from prostate cancer!

The secret of my success was early detection and that is the key. The rule of thumb is have your prostate checked yearly when you reach the age of fifty. If your family has a prostate cancer history, have it checked much earlier. Please don’t procrastinate; get a physical and make sure you are cancer free. Live to have fun yet another day!

I’m just saying,

Mittster

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