The Myths and Misconceptions of Prostate Cancer

3 min read

Prostate cancer is not something that people talk about often. As a result, the misconceptions are rampant.

To highlight the many misunderstandings about prostate cancer, we reached out on the ProstateCancer.net Facebook page, asking you to fill in the blank: "People need to understand that prostate cancer _____."

Clearly, this issue matters. More than 100 of you commented. Here is what you said.

Prostate cancer is not "cancer light"

Unfortunately, some people are so eager to hear that you are OK they do not let you talk about how hard prostate cancer can be. Not all of your friends and family have the emotional bandwidth to meet you with open ears and look at life through your eyes.

Framing prostate cancer as "cancer light" is dismissive and frankly untrue. No cancer is "good" cancer. It is OK to be honest and speak up when people make false assumptions about your diagnosis. Moreover, this type of dismissive language can close the door to having important conversations about our emotional well-being, especially in those moments when we need support. Remember, it is OK to not be OK.

"Is not cancer light. When you hear that word from your doctor, it is life-changing, for you and for your family."

"Is really cancer. I get so tired of people saying ‘Well at least it is just prostate cancer.’ It is cancer! Yes, there is a good success rate for a cure. But it can be deadly and the treatment can be very emotional and physically challenging."

Young people are diagnosed with prostate cancer

In most cases, the average age men are diagnosed with prostate cancer is 66. However, men can be diagnosed at a younger age.

When men are diagnosed younger there is a higher chance the cancer will already be more advanced. This is why it is important for men to get routine screening for prostate cancer. The sooner you have your PSA levels tested, that is, your prostate-specific antigens, the sooner you know where you stand.

"Can happen in young people and can very much kill slowly. Not a good cancer."

"Does not discriminate and can affect even a healthy younger man."

Everyone's experience with prostate cancer is unique

Everyone's experience with prostate cancer is different and depends on their diagnosis. For those who have non-metastatic (the cancer has not spread outside the prostate) prostate cancer, there is a higher likelihood to be "undetectable" following treatment. Additionally, the chances of reaching undetectable are higher for those whose prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated early.

However, this is not the case for all men. The treatment path looks different for those who are living with advanced and aggressive prostate cancer.

"Mets and non-mets cancers are two different diseases."

I am more than my prostate cancer

So many of you have accepted your diagnosis and see that it is a fraction of who you are. You are husbands, fathers, brothers, friends, and a host of other things. You have hobbies and passions, and you are taking time to enjoy these activities rather than ruminate on this diagnosis, for which you are already doing everything you can.

"Does not define who I am."

"Does not define me. This is the third time cancer has tried to defeat me. God willing, I just keep going!"

Men need to get routinely checked

Most of you reading this are here because you or your partner already have been diagnosed. However, if you have not been tested, this is your friendly reminder to do so.

Likewise, many of you reading have maybe not had conversations with coworkers, sons, cousins, sports teammates, and friends about the importance of prostate cancer screening. The conversation is not as weird as you think. Besides, what is one possibly awkward conversation if it means saving someone’s life?

"Men, get it checked. Know your PSA."

"Goes largely undetected for years simply because it shows almost no symptoms when in its early stage and is most treatable. And, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) the number of men living with undetected is in the hundreds of thousands."

Tell us what you think

We want to say thank you to everyone who shared. We appreciate your honesty in helping people better understand what life looks like with and after prostate cancer.

But the conversation does not need to end here. In the comments tell us what else people need to understand about prostate cancer.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The ProstateCancer.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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Dennis E. Golden Moderator & Contributor
Having been diagnosed and treated twice with an aggressive prostate cancer (Now in remission thank God) all I can say is ... this diseas goes way beyond the physical. The emotional stress it puts on you and the members of your family can be significant and unrelenting. I have known men who were treated 15 years ago and were told they were cured and yet they cringe every time they wait for post treatment PSA results. Nothing I know quite changes your life like the words "You have prostate cancer." There are men who have see their cancer return years later after the "cure". There are others whom I have met with Gleason 9 scores and who still report no traces of an elevated score in years. Go figure that one out! In short as a survivor and speaker on Prostate Cancer my observation is there are no hard and fast answers with this disease. The one maddening constant with Prostate Cancer is many still do not take this disease seriously. Many still cling to the macho belief that they are indestructible. They do not need to be aware nor is there a need to go in for a routine exam. As men we do not do ourselves any favors by not speaking up about prostate cancer. Our silence on the national and international level may in some small part be reason why millions of dollars in research never finds it way to speeding the cure for prostate cancer. It is time we all recognize the need to do so is now.
Dennis E. Golden Moderator & Contributor
The biggest challenge is that men do not speak up about this disease. Get a group of women together and they will speak candidly about breast cancer. We see all kinds of runs and events to support breast cancer awareness. Football players wear pink etc even my local trash company has pink trash cans to remind us all of the dangers breast cancer. Mention prostate cancer and a hush comes over the room. Our silence is not a friend when it comes to awareness and research. Please speak up about this disease to all you meet. It is time to stop the nonsense. ... Dennis (ProstateCancer.net Team)
jtrawick Member
Prostate cancer is highly treatable and it is important to treat it appropriately. However, after treatment, there are long term consequences such as erectile dysfunction and incontinence that many of us deal with for the rest of our lives even if the prostate cancer never comes back. Therefore, it is never a simple walk in the park.
1. Tony Collier Moderator & Contributor
 Some men do indeed have life changing consequences from prostate cancer treatment but it is important to note that many men make a full recovery from surgery and/or radiotherapy and that treatments are improving all the time. The most important thing is that we continue to strive for early diagnosis as that really is vital. Too many men are being diagnosed at stage 4 in countries that don’t screen for prostate cancer and all we can do to reduce PCa deaths is keep raising awareness. I hope you are coping okay and wish you the best for the future. Tony Collier <a href='https://proststecancer.net' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer ugc'>proststecancer.net</a> Team
oshrunner Member
There are so many misconceptions about prostate cancer. I work in a catholic school setting primarily with women and I was so surprised by what many of my co-workers attitudes when they found out that I had prostate cancer. I has one teacher tell me that her 78 year old father had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and they were not going to treat his cancer so why was I bothering with it. She couldn't understand that every diagnosis is different, what might be a good treatment for somebody in there late 70's would be right for me in my late 50's. My very own principal told me " all you need is a little radiation", I was floored!!! If I had said something that cold and insensitive like that about breast cancer I would have been let go immediately. Most people have no idea how cruel and destructive prostate cancer can be. After have a prostatectomy and 7 weeks of radiation treatments as a follow up my life has been turned completely up side down.
1. Dennis E. Golden Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention user-id="3270648" username="oshrunner"/> - I do understand where you are coming from. One day you are ok and then the next day you get test results back and you are in a whole new world that few understand. Also did a prostatectomy on April 15,2013. Then in 2018 did 8 weeks of radiation and Lupron - and agree your life gets turned upside down. Unless you have been there it is very difficult for most folks to understand what prostate cancer is all about. What most do not get is this disease impacts you physically and emotionally. Awareness concerning this disease needs to be elevated worldwide and it is one of the reasons I am involved with Prostate Cancer .net The vast majority of men have little to no understanding or awareness of this disease, much less the importance of routine medical visits. Few men understand the emotional and financial burden they place on their spouses and children when they ignore their personal health. Way too many men and doctors (sadly) still hold to the belief that prostate cancer is something you live with until you die from something else. Few realize it is the second leading cause of cancer deaths for men. My personal salvation has been to become involved in support groups. I also have made it a personal mission to speak about prostate cancer awareness to audiences across the nation. As a survivor you have great credibility ...I am glad to see you have done so here and encourage you to continue... we all need to hear your voice. Thank you. ... Dennis(ProstateCancer.net Team)
2. Tony Collier Moderator & Contributor
 Gosh what shocking comments were made to you. People have no idea about the grades of prostate cancer and different treatments that totally depend on grade, spread, age etc. As Amylyn says there is much work to be done to educate people. Prostate cancer diagnosis is devastating and, as you say, treatment is life changing particularly for those diagnosed late. From a personal perspective I was diagnosed stage 4 in May 2017 and no single aspect of my life is the same as it was pre diagnosis. People just don’t get it do they? I know that some men who’ve had your treatment regime do suffer very challenging side effects and I hope that yours settle down over time. In my own case, three years on, I’m finding that I can manage the side effects much better and am able to cope with most things day to day. The passage of time has helped me and I hope it helps you. Best wishes for the future, Tony Collier (<a href='https://prostatecancer.net' target='_blank'>prostatecancer.net</a>, Team)
Dennis E. Golden Moderator & Contributor
The real issue is ... Where do you start a conversation? On one side you have a cancer that tends to be slow moving. For many men it may or may not be an issue. Some are never treated. And the so called "good news" we receive is you may die of something else before this cancer kills you. I can not tell you how happy that makes me. Some men are treated and for a period of time they are fine. Then there are men who find that no matter what treatment is offered their best hope is for shorter and shorter remission periods as their bodies build up resistance to treatments. If that were not enough the ongoing treatments these men experience can significantly impact quality of their lives and their loved ones at every level. In my opinion the real issue surrounding this disease is a lack of awareness that this is a real cancer. Plain and simple it is serious. I have interviewed patients whose MD's have told them not to be tested or worse totally dismissed the significance of this disease. I have spoken with men who had significant family history with this disease or were experiencing significant issues to the point where they need to demand a psa test and digital exam. I am currently working with 3 men in that position. On a national and international level there needs to be a significant leadership effort to educate men and physicians. We need an effort similar to what has been done for breast cancer. When you think of breast cancer one organization name stands out from all the rest. When you think of prostate cancer you find no national thought leadership. rather you discover there are numerous independent organizations each of whom is trying to stake out a claim for a piece of the pie. In my opinion we need to make the pie bigger and in the process educate men and their partners about this disease. Today millions of men are living with undiagnosed prostate cancer - No matter how you look at this ...the nonsense needs to stop and stop now. Dennis (ProstateCancer.net Team)
aditi Member
Prostate cancer can be slow-growing and some men who develop prostate cancer may live many years. If it increases , must for prostate cancer surgery.
1. Dennis E. Golden Moderator & Contributor
 Hi aditi - The trouble with prostate cancer is it hits us all in different ways. In my own case it was an aggressive form and I really had only 2 options. Surgery or radiation. From what I had researched at the time it appeared both protocols could work well. After careful consideration I chose surgery due to my concerns that if the cancer returned I had a fallback - Radiation Apparently in my case it turned out to be a good move as the surgery did not solve the total problem over the long term. That said my business partner had surgery and has been fine now for 15 years at the time of diagnosis he was in a low risk group. My neighbor goes in for surgery a few months ago with a low grade diagnosis and then discovers it has spread and he needed radiation. It is a tough call on what will or will not work. Best advice make a decision and enjoy life every day one day at a time. Dennis (ProstateCancer.net Team)
maggie2019 Member
I am starting this journey, looks like it starts with a shot and some rad.