3:46 PM Mon, Sep 12, 2005 | Permalink |
It's the most common cancer in America: prostate cancer. Coach George Karl has it, so did the first American Mount Everest climber Jim Whittaker. So does my brother. When we started producing a HealthLink special about this so common form of cancer, we realized most people don't know what a prostate is, where it is, or even who has one!! So in the privacy of your own house, in front of your own TV, you can get answers. You will also find out why even though it's a man's disease, women are also affected by it. The program is Wednesday evening, 8 p.m. on KING 5. First hint: if you are male and over 50, you should get tested for it. See you Wednesday, if not before.
At least this show will be on during rerun season. Much better timing then last time when your health show went right through new epidsoes of a show I liked a lot.
The King TV special on prostate cancer was appreciated but somewhat disappointing in the fact they left out a process that rids the patient of cancer with much less worry of it returning. It is called Prostatectomy (radical surgery). It all depends on age, lifestyle and the amount of cancer cells in the prostate. Early detection is important. I was told about the possibilities of incontinence and erectile dysfunction that this process may cause but there needs to be more told about the nerve salvaging which eliminates incontinence and even erectile dysfunction. If one understands cancer and how it spreads in the body the decision to remove it before it spreads to lymph nodes that are in the area of the prostate should be considered. Since my wife had died of cancer in 1993 because of lymph nodes spreading her cancer into the liver and bowels from a small tumor on her pancreas I felt the need to completely rid myself of this disease. Radiation treatment, seed planting and cryogenics are not always able to completely rid the cancer from the prostate, with reoccurrences causing longer treatment periods. I have a friend who is much younger than me that had radical surgery from the same doctors group (Seattle Urologist Clinic at the Swedish Hospital) and our outcome has been excellent. Within two weeks we had normal urination and some erection capability. By the end of six weeks everything was normal. The surgeons were able to isolate the nerves and save them from damage. On the other hand my friend’s acquaintance had radiation treatment and was still fighting the incontinence after two years. By the way the Seattle area urologists are the leaders in radical surgery with nerve salvation as well.
Jim Morris, a prostate cancer survivor
mrrsjs@msn.com
I watched probably 98% of the Prostate program & might have missed a very important part by briefly leaving the room. As a 51 year old I'm very interested in the 'syptoms' of the cancer.W/out knowledge of the symptoms,I feel a little vulnerable.I didn't see any mention of this,but then again I was away from the TV for a bit.
Thank you
Frank Hernandez
My brother who is 57 taped your program on prostate cancer,wednesdy evening. He has an enlarged prostate, and only went once for a check-up, and was looking forward to viewing your program.
By mistake I erased it. Aaaaaaaah! Is it possible to get a copy or better a tape of the program. I would be so indebted to you, as my brother is now upset with me. He tells me now that if he dies of prostate cancer, it will be my fault; as a joke,of course!
Hoping to hear from you.
Thank you in advance.
Yours truly.
Lorraine Lacombe.
Vancouver.BC.
Having had my prostate cancer killed 6 years ago I speak from experience. My brother and my brother-in-law did not survive theirs. There are a number of procedures to eliminate prostate cancer besides inplanting seeds, a procedure which was implemented in the 60"s or early 70's. One is a series of 3 temporary implants of a high radiation source requiring an overnight hospital stay followed by x-ray radiation treatments of a few minutes each for a month. I can count 6 procedures but your program was limited to one primarily with lots of talk. Not very informative.
Regarding the comment about getting a copy of the show, you can order it from KING's tape library at a cost of $60 for VHS, or $70 or DVD. Just call (206) 448-3982. Or, you can check out the special section on this subject at www.king5.com/health/specials/. There you'll find the stories and video from the entire show, as well as additional resource information.
Hope this helps!
In Bush's address this morning he wanted to train electricians for the work from the 2 storms in the South. Whats wrong with hiring the hundreds of seasoned veteran electricians who are out of work now ??????
Sincerely, Lee Grater