Elton's Christmas Presents to Fans
- Elton John, 73, is the gift that keeps giving, as he shares a new music video of an old song, “Cold as Christmas,” with fans, as well as a family TikTok holiday video.
- Elton survived prostate cancer in 2017, and has been very active since beating cancer.
- Screening for prostate cancer is done via a PSA (prostate specific antigen) test, which is critical for catching the disease early.
@eltonjohn We were so inspired by all of your amazing #StepIntoChristmas videos, we made our own! 🎄🚀 #christmas
Elton’s Prostate Cancer Journey
In 2017, Elton was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and he had surgery to treat it. The surgery itself was successful, however, it left the singer with some unpleasant side effects. Ten days after his prostate surgery, Elton got a fever and an infection as a result of the procedure.
Despite these side effects and setbacks, nothing could slow the indominatble Sir Elton down. He even shared that he wore a diaper onstage while performing in Las Vegas in 2017, because he hadn’t yet regained control of his bladder, due to his cancer treatment.
Prostate cancer surgery is a common treatment for this type of cancer. Dr. Stephen Freedland, a Urologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said in a previous interview of this kind of surgery, “It’s typically done through a robotic technique today, at least in the United States. But 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.”
Related: There's No One Definitive Symptom for Prostate Cancer, But There Are Clues
Dr. Freeland told us what to expect after the surgery. He said, “You wake up from the surgery with a catheter in your bladder. Once you’re home, it’s really just recovering, gaining your strength back. The catheter comes out about 10 days after surgery. Whether you have it open or robotic, I tell patients it’s probably a good month or so until you’re really getting back to yourself. It’s a big operation, and just because you have it with a robot doesn’t make it any less of a big operation.”
An Overview of Prostate Cancer Surgery
The Importance of PSA Tests
Prostate cancer is typically detected by a PSA (prostate specific antigen) test. This screening test measures the level of PSA in the blood. PSA is a substance made by the prostate, and a man’s PSA levels may be increased if there’s a presence of prostate cancer. Current guidelines say men should start screening for prostate cancer at age 55 and continue the screening process until age 70.
Dr. David Wise told us in a previous interview that some men should screen earlier than 55. “Men who are at high risk because of a family history should have PSA testing earlier,” he said. “At latest, age 40, but probably even by age 35, they should have an initial PSA. That PSA test at a younger age, it’s a more accurate test because the prostate has not increased in size, which can cause the test to be more difficult to interpret.”
The PSA Blood Test and a Rectal Exam are Vital for Prostate Cancer Screening
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