Men: Don’t Wait Until it’s Too Late!
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Urologist Urges Vigilance When It Comes to Men’s Health
Okay, men. Let’s be honest... when was the last time you had a physical exam? If it’s been too long to remember, then it’s time to schedule an appointment, urges Dr. Michael J. Flanagan of Urology Specialists PC in Middlebury.
“Feeling healthy doesn’t give you leeway to skip your physical,” he explained. “Some cancers that only affect men, like testicular and prostate, or disproportionately affect men, like kidney and bladder cancers, often do not present symptoms until an advanced stage. The tests and exams performed at your annual physical that can help detect these cancers early on while they are still highly treatable.”
Terry’s Story: A Physical Saved My Life… Twice
At the age of 35 years old, Prospect resident Terry Morehouse was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Though surgery and radiation therapy cured him, Terry often wonders what would have happened if he had skipped his yearly physical or if he hadn’t heeded his wife’s advice to get a second opinion after his physician said the suspicious bump was “nothing to worry about.”
“We make sure to test the fire alarms and tune the car … but men don’t always pay as much attention to their own health,” he said.
After three decades of remission, cancer returned to Terry’s life. A blood sample taken at his most recent physical revealed high levels of PSA (prostate-specific antigen), a key indicator of prostate cancer. A follow up biopsy confirmed the presence of cancerous cells. “I had two options: have my prostate surgically removed or, since the cancer hadn’t spread, I could do radiation.” This October, Terry completed 45 days of radiation treatment at The Harold Leever Regional Cancer Center.
Prostate Cancer, a Disease with Strong Family Ties
Terry said his diagnosis came as a surprise, especially as he hadn’t experienced any symptoms. “That’s one of the hallmarks when the cancer is caught early,” stated Dr. Flanagan. “Most men won’t present with symptoms until more advanced stages. Voiding symptoms are more often a consequence of the benign enlargement of the prostate.”
Although regular testing for men under the age of 50 has recently fallen out of favor in standard practice, Dr. Flanagan urges anyone with a genetic predisposition to check PSA levels annually in addition to a yearly rectal exam. At 28-years-old, Terry’s son has already had his PSA checked. It’s a smart move, Dr. Flanagan noted, considering the statistics: “If your father had prostate cancer, your risk doubles. If there’s more than two first-degree relatives diagnosed in your bloodline, it quadruples. There’s also increased risk if your mother had breast, ovarian, or uterine cancer.”
When it comes to prognosis, the slow-growing disease has a nearly 100% ten-year survival rate in stages one and two. That’s good news for the nearly one-in-seven men who will develop the leading form of non-skin cancer in their lifetimes.
“Not everyone who is diagnosed has to be treated immediately,” said Dr. Flanagan. “In some instances we’ll do ‘active surveillance’ to monitor its growth. If the change in the cancer is significant or aggressive, surgery to remove the prostate, radiation, and some newer considerations like cryosurgery or HIFU (high frequency ultrasound) may be future options.”
Uro-Oncology Multidisciplinary Conference Brings Team Approach to Cancer Care
Dr. Flanagan and his colleagues attend the Uro-Oncology Multidisciplinary Conferences held at the Leever Cancer Center. It’s a chance, explained Kevin Kniery, Leever Executive Director, for local urologists, radiation oncolo-gists and uro-oncology specialists to review new and challenging prostate cancer cases, discuss trends and studies, and talk about recent articles and drug trials.
“It’s a team approach to care that ultimately results in exceptional and highly customized, complementary and coordinated treatment plans for patients. We want the men in our community to know that when they come to our hospitals for uro-oncology care, they aren’t just getting their doctor’s opinion – they get the consensus of a team of experts,” he said. “There’s a lot of synergistic brainstorming that goes on. The options for prostate cancer are not as cut and dried as you might think and our doctors are committed to finding treatment methods specific to each patient that can preserve sexual function and continence as much as possible.”
Men, Trust Your Instincts
Terry’s wife, Vicki, is grateful for her husband’s commitment to get-ting his annual physical, a habit she credits with saving his life. “It’s drilled into women’s heads to self-check and get a mammogram, but it’s just as important for men to be aware. I spent nearly every day this summer at Leever and I can tell you that cancer affects everyone: young and old, men and women. People would be much more cautious if only they could see just how many come for treatment every day.”
And as for Terry? “If something doesn’t feel right, then it probably isn’t,” he said. “You should always listen to your gut instinct... and to your wife,” he laughed.