Celebrating Life
- Legendary performer Elton John celebrated his 74th birthday with his husband, David Furnish, and their two children.
- The prostate cancer survivor has a lot to be thankful for after beating the disease in 2017, after he almost died due to an infection he contracted during surgery.
- A top expert tells SurvivorNet that men should start getting prostate screenings at 55, and much earlier if there is a history of prostate cancer in the family.
“Having the best birthday ever with my 3 wonderful boys,” he wrote next to a pic of himself cutting a gigantic cake in the shape of a “7-4” topped with berries. “What could be better??”
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Furnish wrote a loving post to his partner, whom he met at a dinner party at the singer-songwriter’s house in 1993.
“Look who decided to dress down on their birthday….??” he teased, posting a pic of John in a sequined, multi-colored jacket and yellow, star-shaped glasses, his trademark shades. “Happy Birthday to my extraordinary husband @eltonjohn. I love sharing my life with you. I love working with you. I love parenting with you. You are my one and only.”
John described meeting Furnish to Parade magazine.
“I wanted meet new people so I rang up a friend in London and said, ‘Could you please rattle some new people together for dinner here Saturday?'” Elton recalled. “I was attracted to David immediately. He was very well dressed, very shy. The next night we had dinner.”
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Famous friends such as soccer star David Beckham, TV host Sharon Osbourne and designer Donatella Versace all wished the “Tiny Dancer” singer well wishes on his big day.
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A Prostate Cancer Battle
John was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017, and had surgery to treat his disease. Common treatment options for prostate cancer include radiation, surgery, chemotherapy and hormone therapy. The iconic singer didn't let cancer slow him down he continued on with his touring, even after prostate cancer surgery. John revealed that he even wore a diaper onstage during one of his concerts in Las Vegas following his surgery. The singer hadn't yet regained control of his bladder.
In a previous interview, Dr. Stephen Freedland, a urologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, spoke about prostate cancer surgery. "It's typically done through a robotic technique today, at least in the United States," Dr. Freedland tells SurvivorNet. "A lot of patients are still getting open surgery. Depending on the surgeon, it may be two, three, four, five hours somewhere in that range, usually spend one night in the hospital."
Will Prostate Cancer Surgery Side Effects Be Long-Term?
Prostate Cancer Screenings
Prostate cancer is typically detected via prostate specific antigen (PSA) tests. This screening test measures PSA in the blood, which may indicate the presence of prostate cancer. A leading expert says that most men should begin screening at age 55, or sooner if there is a family history, and continue until age 70.
Related: Prostate Cancer & Bone Health: What You Need to Know
"Prostate cancer, even when aggressive, is typically slow-growing," Dr. James Brooks, a urologic oncologist at Stanford Medicine, tells SurvivorNet. "So the possibility that it could become fatal past the age of 70 is quite low. Still, whether you continue to screen past age 70 is completely up to you and your doctor. In prostate cancer, there are sometimes differing viewpoints and this is one of those times."
"However, if you are at high-risk (meaning you have a family history or are African-American) many doctors say you should have an initial screening well before 50some recommend starting at age 40because the risk is about two to three times higher than average."
The PSA Blood Test and a Rectal Exam are Vital for Prostate Cancer Screening
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