Thank you. Factual and informative. I'm 55.
----- Original Message -----
From: <UpTheTower@aol.com>
To: <w4zyt@exis.net>; <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2001 3:57 PM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Hams and prostrate cancer
> Comments from a TowerTalk MD:
>
> There are a lot of hams who have prostate cancer not because they are
> hams but because there is a lot of prostate cancer out there, and hams
> are in the prime age group to be diagnosed with it. Prostate cancer
is
> the most common malignancy (except for skin cancers) in men, and the
> second most common cause of cancer death in men. There will be some
> 200,000 new cases of prostate cancer this year and an estimated 31,500
> deaths. If there is, as a rough estimate, one ham per 400 people,
then
> there will be 500 hams diagnosed this year with prostate cancer and
just
> shy of 80 hams will die of it. Since it is a disease which progresses
> slowly and can be treated effectively for many years, there are a host
> of "mature" (read: >55-yrs old) men around with the disease, and a
> proportion of them are hams. I would guess there are between 8000 and
> 10,000 hams with the diagnosis at this time.
>
> While there has been some statistical association of prostate cancer
to
> high-fat diet, exposure to cadmium, and a history of vasectomy, none
of
> these is definitively linked with prostate cancer. The disease seems
to
> be mostly associated with intact male hormonal function (which, trust
> me, you want) and with advancing age (which beats the alternative).
The
> incidence of prostate cancer grows dramatically with each decade past
> the fifth - up to 70 per cent of men in their 80s may have the
disease.
> Prostate cancer is more common in African-Americans and less common in
> Americans of Asian descent. One in eleven caucasians will develop the
> disease, and one in nine African-Americans. If there is a family
> history of prostate cancer, particularly if the disease developed in a
> close relative before age 65, there is increased risk of developing
the
> disease. Contrary to some statements made here and elsewhere (and
> decades of wishful thinking), sex, or lack of it, does not predispose
to
> prostate cancer, but if you think your XYL will buy the argument, give
> it a try....Just don't quote me.
>
> Since the median age of American hams is now about 55, prostate cancer
> is probably a real issue in the hobby. The American Urological
> Association and the American College of Surgeons recommend that men
aged
> 50 and above should have an annual prostate checkup which includes a
> digital rectal exam and a blood test called the prostate specific
> antigen (PSA). Patients at high risk (African-Americans and those
with
> a family history) should begin such screening at age 40. Many
hospitals
> and medical societies sponsor community prostate screenings, usually
in
> the fall, where these exams are available at no charge. Take advantage
> of these.
>
> Prostate cancer is pretty far afield from the tower topics. Hey, I
> didn't bring it up, but before the disinformation being bantered about
> got too far out of hand, I thought I would inject some factual
> information about it. No doubt many of us are literally sitting on
top
> of a potential cancer death when we sit down to the key or microphone,
> but this has less to do with ham radio than with the demographics of
the
> hobby in 2001. However, if you meet the criteria for being at risk
> prostate cancer and you haven't bothered to get checked, you're
missing
> the boat. You may never get to work P5 when it finally comes up, and
it
> will be your own fault.
>
> Best health and good DX.
> Vy 73, Don W4ZYT
>
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>
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