Elton Keeps Busy at Home
- Legendary singer Elton John, 73, is hosting his podcast, Rocket Hour, amid the UK lockdown.
- Elton was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017, and beat the disease after having surgery.
- Prostate specific antigen (PSA) tests are used to look for signs of prostate cancer; men should start screening at age 55, or earlier if there is a history of prostate cancer in the family.
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Elton’s Prostate Cancer Journey
Elton 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 even let cancer slow him down he continued on with his touring, even after prostate cancer surgery. Elton 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,” said Dr. Freedland. “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."
An Overview of Prostate Cancer Surgery
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. Dr. James Brooks, a Urologic Oncologist at Stanford Medicine, said in an earlier interview that, “guidelines for prostate cancer call for men to start screening at age 55 and continue until age 70.”
Related: Prostate Cancer & Bone Health: What You Need to Know
“Prostate cancer, even when aggressive, is typically slow-growing,” said Dr. Brooks. “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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