Seattle — Doug Holbrook was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2011, overcame it, and since then has been advocating for awareness and early detection. He and Dr. John Corman, a urologist from Virginia Mason, joined New Day to answer questions about getting diagnosed and the types of treatment plans patients may choose from.
Recent statistics from the American Cancer Society report that one out of nine men will develop prostate cancer. It is the most common type of cancer in America among men.
The first thing all men should do is educate themselves about the possibility of having prostate cancer. It is critical to get tested frequently because early detection is key to achieving positive results.
A man with a higher risk should start discussing the pros and cons of getting screened around age 40. A man with lower risk should start looking at options around age 50.
Prostate cancer can often go undetected because there are almost no warning signs.
"It's a silent disease until late in its course, which is why early detection is important before it becomes symptomatic. It's when it's asymptomatic, when it's early, we can treat and we can cure. Later in the disease, we still have terrific treatments for it but it's a much more challenging disease to take care of," explained Dr. Corman.
Doug's story is one example of why early detection is key.
He had no history of prostate cancer in his family and was only diagnosed because of an executive health care screening at the company he worked for.
Once diagnosed, Doug had three options: wait and do nothing, radiation or a radical prostatectomy. He decided that the radical prostatectomy was the only answer for him, but this decision can be tough for many patients.
The main thing to note is that the best option differs for every patient.
"It depends on the person, it depends on their health, it depends on the disease, it depends on their priorities," said Dr. Corman.
Doug also added that there were virtually no negative side-effects after his surgery. It only took about six months for him to live life normally. Leading a healthy lifestyle after surgery can be key to staying cancer-free. For Doug, that meant getting back out on his boat to go fishing with his friends.
The biggest thing men should do is see a primary care doctor at least once a year to get screened and discuss the possibility of prostate cancer.
Sponsored by Virginia Mason. Watch New Day Northwest 11:00 weekdays on KING-TV Ch.5 or streaming live on KING5.com. Connect with New Day via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
