In many peoples mind the color they think of when they hear the word Cancer is Pink. All well and good as that color is plastered all over in October, earlier even. Coats, hats, ribbons, shirts, cups, posters, flags, and underwear too. As to the latter check out this Ted Talk. She is amazing and interjects humor to make her points. https://www.ted.com/talks/debra_jarvis_yes_i_survived_cancer_but_that_doesn_t_define_me?language=en
But that was not even in my mind when I choose the title for my book.
The statistics in comparing Breast Cancer (Pink) with Prostate Cancer (Light Blue) are quite similar.
Both Cancers are the second most common for each gender when it comes to deaths. Lung cancer is first.
For men the following is noted by https://www.everydayhealth.com/mens-health/most-common-cancers-in-men.aspx
As being “Prostate cancer is the No. 1 cancer risk for men, as well as the No. 2 cancer killer (behind lung cancer). “
As noted in my first graphic the average age for women’s breast cancer is 61 compared to prostate Cancer being 66. But there are many other direct similarities not captured in most publications directly. And this will be my reasoning for the book title.
Women that are diagnosed with Breast Cancer are often hit with removal of their breast. Their breasts are an important part of the woman’s being. They are deeply part of their sexuality, feelings of desirability, and ability to be loved in many cases.
Removal of one or in some case both cause changes in self awareness far beyond that of having Cancer alone does. It changes who you are. Reconstruction replace what was physically lost but maybe not the same. But the change in the id remains. Some self doubt maybe? Some, possibly many, overcome this and become a renewed woman.
I need to be blunt but say this a woman’s breast is visual for her in all states of dress and for the rest of us only when dressed. But the woman knows even if we don’t. In the Ted Talk Debra Jarvas handles it in her unique way.
Now compare to Prostate Cancer. Men do not looses any visual sign of cancer. No loss of an important part of their being and no reconstruction to facilitate who they are.
Not in any way you might expect. At least not in the same way.
The prostate is kind of a sex organ in many ways. Sperm passes through it and picks up extra fluids to create Semen to ejaculate. Urine also passes through it but not normally at the same time. Additionally it is very important to understand that the nerve that carries the impulse for erections passes very close to the prostate, extremely close, like right next to it. And nerves are very tender and can be damaged. Renewal of nerves is not easy or quick if possible thing at all when damaged.
The treatments for Prostate Cancer can be Surgery to remove the Prostate, radiation, heat, cold, or chemical. Possibly some combination of these. This excludes the very personal patient choice of no treatments of any kind. So lets go from initial diagnosis and the progression as I know it.
The patient will meet with doctors to discuss the options that they represent. Each will tell you what they do and can do for you specifically. They should list the expects result of their actions including the negatives. While all men, and their partners want just the positive it is very important to hear the negatives and fully understand the negatives.
For the comparison with Breast Cancer and its physiological and emotional effect on the woman it is necessary to understand the above mentioned negatives related to Prostate Cancer treatments.
Let me back up some and mention that when discussing treatment options there will be the a prescription of some testosterone reducing medication(s). These medicines are chosen to reduce the food that energizes Prostate Cancer, testosterone. The goal of these medicines is to drop the man’s testosterone to nearly zero. There might be one medicine that inhibits the ability of the Cancer to accept the testosterone also.
The medicines are important for the obvious reason, starve the Prostate Cancer and if nothing else it is weak and sensitive to the treatments. This helps the treatment work more effectively.
Now back to the treatments. Each can bother or damage the important nerve. This means weak or no erections. The medicines also impact erections. Low or No testosterone reduces the urge or interest in sex and coupled with a damaged nerve just is damaging to a man’s ego and self worth.
Much as a woman’s body is critical to her self worth and image a man’s erection and interest in sex is just as deep an emotional concern.
This is very much the same result that a woman goes through with her treatments. But the significance differences are that none are visible in public, noticeable in any way even in private while undressed. Even the scars from surgery are small in comparison.
But the emotional effects are just as deep and sorry to say but for the stoic, quietly suffering man possibly deeper. Self inflicted pain because men share less than women.
I am not in any way saying that the effect of Breast Cancer is less that the effect of Prostate Cancer. In fact I strongly believe that it is more but that the effect of Prostate Cancer is very much parallel in nature and given the sexual ramification effects both the man and his partner directly.
Pink isn't the only Cancer 