Senator Michael Bennet Undergoes Prostate Cancer Surgery But Says He’s Still Running for President

Previously, Bennet has expressed his gratitude that the cancer was caught early, and said that the prognosis is “good.”

At age 54, Bennet is relatively young for a prostate cancer patient. The average age is 66. And by choosing surgery, Bennet is undertaking a controversial option that could lead to many sexual and urogenital side effects — at the same time as he seeks the highest office in the land.

“The idea was to announce [for president] sometime in April,” Bennet told the Colorado Independent, the outlet where he broke the news of his prostate cancer. “That was the plan. We hired some staff. We interviewed people for positions in New Hampshire and Iowa. And then I went for the physical. In my last physical, my PSA (a protein produced by the prostate) was high. They did a biopsy, and it was clear. But this time, it was not clear.”

Bennet told the outlet that when he’s cancer free, he will still run for president.

The primary type of surgery for prostate cancer is called a “radical prostectomy,” and it involves removing the entire prostate gland, as well as some of the tissue and vessels around it. “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.” says Dr. Stephen Freedland, Director of the Center for Integrated Research in Cancer and Lifestyle at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Dr. Stephen Freedland on prostate cancer surgery

“Depending on the surgeon, it may be two, three, four, five hours– somewhere in that range, usually spend one night in the hospital. 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,” Dr. Freedland continues. “The catheter comes out about 10 days after surgery.”

Side effects of prostate cancer surgery include incontinence, and various fertility and sexual function issues, including erectile dysfunction, a common side effect. Another common side effect is that the man’s penis will permanently shrink in size after surgery, perhaps because of scarring. Due to these troubling side effects, some men opt for radiation therapy or other forms of noninvasive treatment, or choose “aggressive observation” of the cancer.

One common side effect of prostate cancer surgery is a permanently smaller penis.

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