A 71-year-old man who was diagnosed with prostate cancer said he had no symptoms of the disease at all. The diagnosis was made only with the help of a blood test.
Prostate cancer is one of the four most common types of cancer in men. It is very difficult to detect at an early stage because it does not cause symptoms for a long time.
Keith Lowe, a 71-year-old Briton, said he was about 60 years old when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Despite the absence of complaints, he was tested using the so-called PSA test. The results were inflated, so the doctors did more tests.
Following further tests, two tumors were identified, and Lowe began taking hormones to reduce the size of the prostate before eventually undergoing LDR brachytherapy.
“This is a type of radiation therapy in which tiny radioactive particles are injected into the prostate. Each radioactive “seed” is the size and shape of a grain of rice. They remain in the prostate forever and give a constant dose of radiation for several months. After about 8-10 months, almost all of the radiation was released, explained Prostate Cancer UK.
As treatment progresses, the radiation damages prostate cancer cells and stops them from dividing and growing. Cancer cells cannot recover from this damage and die.
“The amount of radiation left is so small that it has no effect on your body. Permanent seminal brachytherapy is as good at treating localized prostate cancer as surgery or external radiation therapy, the experts said.
Low's experience was positive.
— I have not there was pain, discomfort, bruising, redness or swelling – I didn't even know they did it! Shortly after that, they sent me home, and I was able to return to normal pretty quickly, — he said.
He also shared how his life goes a few years after the treatment.
— My quality of life remains very good, even after the procedure. I can still do exactly what I want without any problems, so it didn't affect me in the slightest. Just three months after the brachytherapy procedure, I went on vacation to Tenerife, which shows how quickly I was able to recover from the treatment, said Lowe.
He gave some advice to men.
“When you reach a certain age, or if you have the slightest symptoms, I would advise you to just go and get tested. A PSA blood test is painless and quick. When I first got brachytherapy, a friend of mine said that he gets up about four or five times a night to go to the toilet, which he explained by drinking a lot of tea. I told him that he should get tested with a PSA test, even if it's just for peace of mind, Lowe noted.
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Signs of prostate cancer:
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- Difficulty urinating or emptying the bladder
- Weak stream when urinating
- Feeling that the bladder has not emptied properly manner
- Purification of urine after you stop urinating
- Needing to urinate more often than usual, especially at night
- Sudden need to urinate – sometimes you may leak urine before before you get to the toilet.
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