So what's the big deal with PCa before the age of 50? Well, it's not common. Visit the waiting room of your nearest urologist, or go to a support group meeting. You'll see what I mean. I was diagnosed at 43.
A recent study showed the median age at diagnosis was 68. ZERO percent were diagnosed under the age of 35. Only one half of one percent of the diagnoses in that time were in my age group--35 to 44. Over 91% of the time, diagnosis happened at 55 or older.
See what I mean?
Now that doesn't mean prostate cancer isn't lurking. Autopsy studies of men who died from other causes have found prostate cancer is lurking in a surprising number of relatively young men. But obviously, since prostate cancer only accounts for about 3% of male deaths, and the median age at death from PCa is 80 most of those men probably had a form of the disease that was latent. Most men die with prostate cancer, not from it. My PSA was rising quickly, however. (and still is, at least up until I start radiation). I would most likely NOT be one of those guys who dies in their 80's with the disease--I'd be one of those guys who dies in his 50's FROM it, if not for treatment.
No comments:
Post a Comment