 tests, which can be an early warning sign that something is wrong. In his case, she said that he didn't want a diagnosis that might lead to complications. She wrote that he didn't have specific symptoms for the disease, and 'was sure it was a waste of time, and, had he been diagnosed with prostate cancer, he might be left incontinent and impotent after treatment. He was adamant that he would rather die of cancer than suffer this fate'. He is not alone – many men remain reluctant to go for check-ups, because of worries about possible complications after treatment. But are incontinence and impotence inevitable side-effects? Professor Roger Kirby, a retired prostate cancer surgeon and president of the Royal Society of Medicine, believes that this certainly isn't always the case – and a delay in diagnosis can actually mean you are more likely to suffer these complications if you avoid undergoing regular check-ups. Symptoms of prostate problems include needing to pee more frequently, weak flow and feelin){kind=link}
Many men remain reluctant to go for prostate cancer check-ups, but are incontinence and impotence inevitable side-effects?
One in eight men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime, and more than 10,000 die from the disease every year in England. Yet it remains one of the most treatable cancers, provided it is caught early.
Much has been done to raise awareness of the illness, which mainly affects the over-50s, with high-profile figures urging men to get tested. Bill Turnbull, the TV presenter who died earlier this year from prostate cancer, and actor and writer Stephen Fry, who has been treated for the condition, have campaigned for regular screening.
And with good reason – research suggests treatment at early stages has close to a 100 per cent five-year survival rate, compared with around 50 per cent at stage four, when cancer cells have already spread around the body.
British investment manager Nicola Horlick recently lost her husband Martin Baker, 64, to the disease. She said that Martin, a journalist and novelist, turned down the chance to have regular PSA (prostate-specific antigen) tests, which can be an early warning sign that something is wrong. In his case, she said that he didn’t want a diagnosis that might lead to complications. She wrote that he didn’t have specific symptoms for the disease, and “was sure it was a waste of time, and, had he been diagnosed with prostate cancer, he might be left incontinent and impotent after treatment. He was adamant that he would rather die of cancer than suffer this fate”.