Interview 49
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More about me...
Compares the biopsy to the unpleasantness of being flicked with an elastic band.
Compares the biopsy to the unpleasantness of being flicked with an elastic band.
Explains why there are problems associated with PSA screening.
Explains why there are problems associated with PSA screening.
So I would say on balance, relatively high-risk people, men of a certain age, men with certain backgrounds & I believe for example, my sons probably after the age of 45, it might be an idea if they were screened, but I think to screen the whole of the male population, and then simply be saying to them, 'Well, actually we're not quite sure what to do about it,' is probably not terribly helpful to people, and for a lot of people might be quite destabilising. And I do understand that an awful lot of people end up dying from things other than prostate cancer, and then if they have an autopsy they find they had prostate cancer all along, so knowing that you've got prostate cancer and you're not going to die of it is not necessarily very helpful.
Explains how investigations started after a urine infection that would not clear with antibiotics.
Explains how investigations started after a urine infection that would not clear with antibiotics.
Advises people to get as much advice and information as they can.
Advises people to get as much advice and information as they can.
Well I think, I think if you've been diagnosed with prostate cancer then the important thing is to..., well first of all it's a shock, it's bound to be a shock but once you've sort of got over the shock you know keep your head and collect information, ask questions, talk to people you know anybody that you feel comfortable with talking to, whether they're in your family or outside. If you're at all unsure about what the doctor is telling you ask him more questions or her and if you're still not happy go and ask for a second opinion and you know recognise that the chances are that it's a slow growing cancer and that there are treatments and there's also the option of just seeing how things go.
Describes how he lives for now rather than have concerns for the future.
Describes how he lives for now rather than have concerns for the future.
Not a great deal, it's made me less worried about the fact that I haven't actually got very good pension provision because I've worked overseas much of my life and I work in a charity, or I've worked for charities of one sort or another and I haven't built up much pension so I suppose in a way that's a bit of a relief really you know I sort of recognise that I'm probably not going to be one of the statistical, one of the people who needs a statistical age expectancy for or above the statistical age expectancy for men. I actually work for a charity that works with older people and you know I mean I do see a lot of differences in the way people enjoy or otherwise their old age. So you know I'm quite, I'm quite sort of philosophical I suppose about having, I suppose I'm more interested in sort of good quality active living for as long as possible than say you know ending up may be sort of rather chronically ill so I suppose that does influence me a little bit yeah. But I cycle by the way and I also do yoga and both of those I think keep me reasonably mentally and physically fit, I think that's quite helpful.
Explains his personal decision to avoid support groups.
Explains his personal decision to avoid support groups.
No I haven't, no I haven't done that no. I'm actually really quite busy in my work and whilst this is something that's sort of part, you know important to me in my life I don't spend you know sort of a huge amount of time dwelling on it. You know I mean I basically get on with my work and get on with my life and I think if I, may be if I had treatment and you know there were problems attached to the treatment or the condition got so that it was you know worrying me on a daily basis then I might well find it useful to share that experience with other people but I'm not sure, I think that's a very personal decision.
Describes his experience of treatment in Thailand.
Describes his experience of treatment in Thailand.
Comments on the information he gained from American sites on the Internet.
Comments on the information he gained from American sites on the Internet.
Concludes his decision to opt for watchful waiting stems from the uncertainty of benefits in active treatment.
Concludes his decision to opt for watchful waiting stems from the uncertainty of benefits in active treatment.
I have read articles which describe the state of play of research and treatment into prostate cancer and I sort of now know that in terms of western medicine pretty much what is known in the sort of professional fraternity on prostate cancer. And I suppose my decision to adopt watchful waiting, for the time being at least, is based on the scientific evidence that really the doctors don't actually know whether the outcomes of their different treatments are more positive if you like in terms of well I suppose the overall satisfaction and results for the patient. So that's weighing up the chances of eliminating the cancer with the side effects that I mentioned earlier of impotence and urine dysfunction and indeed it can also induce some bowel dysfunction as well, depending on the treatment that you've undergone. And in addition to that the rates of success in terms of eliminating the cancer are also not absolutely clear using different treatments. I'll give an example, there is apparently in the United States a surgeon who has stated that 30% of his patients after operation he has realised he probably would've been better not to have operated on, in other words he's actually found even though he's been very careful only to operate on patients he thought would have a good chance of success in 30% of the cases it would probably have been better not to operate, in other words the side effects are probably more significant than the disease itself and indeed it's not necessarily had an impact on eliminating the disease, presumably may be because it's spread somewhat.