The Dangers Regarding the Fear of Prostate Cancer

There is a saying that you have nothing to fear but fear itself. Fear is something that may people face in their lives for different reasons. Often for many this is the fear of being ill with some untreatable disease and for men one of the most common fears when it comes to their health is the fear of prostate cancer.

Handling Fear in Different Ways

Everyone tends to handle their fears in different ways. For some men they deal with their fear of having prostate cancer by trying to ignore the possibility that it can happen. For these men they look at it as something terrible that happens to someone else. For them they tend not to see their Doctor for regular checkups because not knowing that prostate cancer could be present means not having to deal with it.

Then there are some that are so concerned about ending up with this dreaded men's disease that they almost become obsessive about it. Whenever they have a symptom they think could possibly be related to prostate cancer they immediately self diagnose themselves and spend days or weeks of worry before seeing their health care provider for a proper diagnosis.

Ignorance is not Bliss When it Comes to Prostate Cancer

Being informed about anything means being able to make the right decisions. Knowing at least the basics of what prostate cancer is at least gives one some valid knowledge as to how this disease can be detected through proper testing like a PSA test. This is a simple blood test that is able to determine how much of the PSA ( prostate-specific antigen is present in the blood. PSA is a protein, and what many don't realize is that this test can detect the protein that is being produced by tissue that is either cancerous or benign that is present in the prostate. A high PSA does not mean a definite diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Looking at the Positive Outcomes of Prostate Cancer

Fear also brings on the thought that once a diagnosis of prostate cancer has been made that it is a death sentence. Of course the fear of cancer is normal, but when one truly becomes pro-active in the many options that are available for treating this disease the future looks much brighter.

There is No Running From Prostate Cancer

There is no running from the possibility of developing prostate cancer. The estimated new cases in 2017 was 161,360. Statistics clearly show that the sooner the prostate cancer is diagnosed the better the survival rate of five years or more. While some may say that five years doesn't seem like very long, what it really means is that the survival rate applies to those that have lived past the five year mark. The success at beating this cancer means detecting it early and choosing the best form of treatment based on the individual person.

The real danger that comes with prostate cancer is dealing with the fear of it that is so strong that it prevents a man from staying on top of their regular checkups, seeking out medical help when symptoms arise, and not educating oneself as to what this disease is really all about and being fully informed as to what the treatment options are.