First once a year ok, twice a year better (check up). Once someone is diagnosed with cancer they will be given two numbers, one how far it has spread and the other how rapidly it is spreading.
I had a check once a year for five years then on a unrelated health issue (eleven months after my last check up) I was told I had prostate cancer. After more tests I was told it was a level 5 and very fast moving, after surgery I was told it was it had gone into the envelope surrounding the prostrate..level 6 but they did not think it had gone through the envelope. (level 7 about five years to live).
My Dr told me they would prefer a twice a year check but the insurance Co will only pay for one, the cost to you for the extra one about $75.
Surgery for a radical prostatectomy is not as bad as it used to be, in my time you were opened up from the pubic bone to the navel. Yes it is painful but the morphine helps.
The new surgery is an opening about 1 1/2 inch long.
After effects, 1/ depending on how far the cancer has spread depends on how much cutting has to be done (lose of blood vessels & nerves) In my case (AND MOST CASE'S) you become incontinent to some extent, this may stop in time (YEARS). With me it was ok after a year unless I was straining my stomach muscles or coughing. To stop this it was back into hospital for a day to have Cologin (spelling) put in around the sphincter mussel, the Dr was not sure if this would work or not...it did.
2nd (and the worst) after effect erectile dysfunction (ED). Again depending on how much loss of blood vessels and nerves depends on how bad it is. Once again in my case. I started with Viagra no effect, next an (expensive) injection into the penis, this was done in the Dr office...viola bigger and better than ever and it ran energizer batteries, (pity my wife was at work) Next try the less expensive stuff, but some people experience pain with it. It worked even better so of I go home (Mrs cdiver is at home). By the time I got home there was some discomfort that quickly became the worst pain in my life.... for four hours I was crying.
So I settled on the first one. The draw backs you can only use it once a week and the stuff has a shelf life of four weeks. As I could not keep my hand steady to do the injection I had to invest in a little gizmo's that you put the syringe in, held it against the flesh and pushed a button, some times it worked most times not.
Next step another day in hospital for an implant and I got lucky (wrong) they had just come out with a new and improved model with larger buttons. Basically you have two tubes inside the penis leading to a pump (buttons) in the testicle sack, One to pump it up and one to deflate. Of course the first question was can I dive or will I have an extra snorkel, diving no problem. But the down side, with larger buttons it gets pushed with normal movement so you have a semi all the time.
Survival rate I'm not sure but your not in the clear for five years. Your PSA is checked every month then 3 months then six months until the five years are up if it has not gone up then you are considered clear.
I laugh and and make jokes about it but please take your prostrate health seriously. I have not touched on the physiological effects of this but there were times when I wished the cancer had just taken me.
