Powell: I Always Suspected I Would Have Prostate Cancer Eventually

I'm 64 years old and not qualified for Medicare. Nor do I have insurance. Even if I did have a checkup and prostate cancer was found, I couldn't do anything about it except die. So, why should anyone in my situation bother having a checkup?

In 2004 I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. It was detected at the VA Healtcare Center, where I am an outpatient. They found tt during a routine blood test and fortunately it was in stage 1. I underwent radiation and at my last examination my osa was at -.5. Interrestingly, at the time of my diagnoss the doctor , at the VA, informed me that upon examining cadavers of men over 80 it was found that 60% had prostate cancer and were not aware it whnthey were alive. I thank God for the VA and the medical staff; they are truly dedicated men and women.

Hi Larry,
My elderly father (80 yo) had prostate cancer. His first symptom was the typical urinary complaints. He had his prostate scraped and was very miserable for the convalescent period. His quality of life was only beginning to improve when he had an unrelated stoke and died. This was 12 years ago. At that time we had wished we had just left it alone. We made the best decisions we could with the information we had at that time. You have made the point a lot has changed.

I am 47. I have a baseline PSA established. I get annual test. Physical & blood. Is there anything else I can do short of getting abiopsy.
Thanks to the panal for talking about this.

Kevin Fee
Calhoun KY

rob – if you test positive, there are many groups who will help you if you need treatment – contact your local PrCa support group via UsTOO or ACS.

Rob if you can afford the PSA test and get a baseline established when you do qualify for Medicare if it changes you will know it. Maybe the panel will explain this better. Good luck.

As a 6 year survivor of prostate cancer, strongly suggest after you are diagnosed find a competant medical oncologist, preferably an oncologist working primarlly with PC to have your options explained so that you can make a knowledgeable decision. Remember a surgeon cuts, a radiologist recommends radiology, etc. Also important to share with family and fnd a support group. Stay positive as you own the cancer, the cancer does not own you. Be your own advocate. I took hormone treatment, Casodex and MRI radiation and am doing very well.

In your prostate cancer segment, you may want to bring up HIFU (high intensity focused ultrasound) which is in final stages of receiving government approval. My urologist says this will be the treatment of choice when approved. Currently being used in Canada and Europe. I could not get my insurance company to cover but my research into it suggest a great alternative. Non-invasive and repeatable. Can be done in a couple of hours as an out-patient. I ended up having freezing procedure since I have several conditions that ruled out more standard procedures.

PrCa needs a national spokesperson to encourage men to get tested and to increase awareness – someone like Tiger Woods whose father Earl passed away from prostate cancer.

We need someone close to him, or a prson he respects, to pitch Tiger to become the national spokesperson – how do we get to him?

American men are almost five times as likely to die from prostate cancer as Japanese men.

Hi Larry,
There is an alternative procedure that I felt comfortable with called HIFU,
(High Intensified Focused Ultrasound). For me this was the least in-vasive procedure. The procedure is done in Canada. For those considering different options make sure you explore the internet and speak with your doctor about this option. I am in my tenth day and knock on wood no set backs.

Thanks for education you are doing about prostate cancer on your program. Great stuff!!!

Jeff Ketcham

Soy foods (like soy nuts and tofu) also appear to be protective. Aim for at least nine fruits and vegetables a day.

DON
HIFU sounds very promising. I have been reading about it since you blogged, did not know about it. I wish that had been available for my dad, his treatment was very barbaric.
Thanks for sharing

found that those who drank soymilk at least once a day had a 70% reduced risk of developing prostate cancer

Effect of broccoli, soy on cancer cells explained.

Soy foods contain genistein, an isoflavone that helps normalize hormone levels linked to a lower risk of prostate cancer

Include soy foods regularly. Soy foods contain genistein, an isoflavone that helps normalize hormone levels and seems to be linked to a lower risk of prostate cancer.

My husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the age of 54. He chose surgery and has been cancer free for over five years. As the other half I find it frustrating how little is talked or written about, including your show, the after effects – incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Survivorship. Isn't that what happens after?

at the age of 59 I was diagonsed with prostate cancer. I had been told since I was age 20 that I had a larger than normal prostate. at my annual check up my PSA went from 3 to5 in a years time and my doctor set me up with a Urologiists. I was given all the options I was convinced for me surgery was the best option due to my age.
Since my surgery in 2006 my PSA 0. At time of my surgery it was found that my cancer was a 7 on the scale of 10, it was determend at the time of surgery that no other organs or limph nodes were affected and I needed no radiation chemo treatments.

Some may not want to get tested because if they have the high PSA levels and then lose their job, i.e. lose their health insurance, they now have a pre-existing condition and will never be able to qualify for health insurance while unemployed. Must be nice for people like Tony LaRussa and Colin Powell to have good and reliable health insurance with a choice of doctors.

I was diagnosed with a aggressive form of prostate cancer at age 53, I had a PSA every year since age 45 due my family history. Had I not been aware of the threat I probably wouldn't have bothered with the blood test.

Awareness is everything and this show is great for awareness WTG Larry.

@ David Borovicka

Congrats on being a "C" survivor

I had prostate cancer 16 yrs ago and had radical surgery, my bother who is 1 year older had it 5 years ago my other brother who is 3 years older had it about 3 yeas ago and both had surgury plus there is more to life than sex this is a beautiful world we live in and our family and friends are much more important, marrige if not just about sex you get married because you love who you are marrying. Sex is a bonus. thats all.

go mavis ...... avoiding all animal protein is the best option! and daily exercise – we re working towards a national exercise and cancer program through our non-profit i was diagnosed in august 2007, have no testosterone in my body and exercise daily to mitigate side effects.

I have a good friend who did not want to go through chemo, Radiation, surgery, etc. He was DX with Prostate cancer and I think he was an 8 or 9. He went to China and received herbal treatment plus some other techniques. That was 5 years ago and to date, his PSA = 0.

@ Tony Wonderful Attitude!!!

Do you and your brothers all live in the same area? I had some friends (6 in all) that lived near a nuclear reactor (within 20 miles) and everyone has died from cancer prior to age 40.

As a 47 year old woman who lost her husband to prostate cancer when he was 50...WOMEN UNITE!! Drag, bribe, beg your husbands to be tested if they are 40 or older!! Tell them it's what you want for your birthday, anniversary, Mothers Day or Christmas every year. This simple test can be the greatest gift they every give you!!

He was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer right after his 43rd birthday. If the American Cancer Society had recommended the PSA screening at 40 instead of 50, his cancer would have been detected early and Bill could still be with his family today!!

Husbands and fathers, if you are 40 or older, please call Monday and schedule an appointment to have a PSA Blood Test. It's a simple test that can save your life!

It is 2 years almost to the day that my husband got the call from his doctor telling him he had prostate cancer. At 57, he thought he was too young to get the disease that his father had at 91. We were also traveling to his 40th high school reunion after we got the call. The first thing my husband did when we reached the hotel was search his iPhone for information. That's when we first heard about Michael Milken and his bout with prostate cancer something my husband could relate too because his condition was practIcally the same as Mr. Milken's.We got the cookbooks from the library and started the Milken regimen. He soon became our source of hope. During radiation and now that he is on hormone therapy, when my husband gets down he says "Michael Milken" and that gives him hope knowing that it is a treTable disease. We 've learned about hope and what a powerful concept that is. The doctors at Sloane are phenomenal. I regret that we didnt insist on the PSA when he saw the doctor on two previous visits. So ladies, take your man to get his PSA. Michael Milken you are our hero and there will be a cure!

Larry..... thanks for discussing this crucially important topic. I do have a concern, though, and that is with the appearance of the felon Michael Milken, who it appears, is deeply involved in a cabal of hedge funds and conflicted physicians in attempting to scuttle a new treatment for prostate cancer, Provenge. An amazing 15-part investigative series into this scandalous story is available at: under the title "Michael Milken, 60,000 deaths and the story of Dendreon."

While I could understand your hosting this discussion, I would simply caution you about any close affiliation with the Milken crowd and his questionable foundation.

I implore the show to explore all the new therapies available now. . ESPECIALLY an amazing new Prostate Cancer Vaccine named PROVENGE (other vaccines are in the works), that’s the talk of the Urologist World now !! It’s had a very long haul, and SHOULD have been approved 2 years ago, when the FDA’s own panel recommended that it be approved,, but due to some really ominous forces – it wasn’t.

However – PROVENGE is due to be approved in early 2010 (the FDA promised), since it met the specifics of what the FDA asked for.. and the company which makes PROVENGE (Dendreon) – SURPASSED the results from the larger trial it conducted, based on what the FDA said it needed in order to keep it’s promise to appove it !!

PROVENGE has minimal side effects compared to ANY chemo offered (mild chills and fever – only, for 2 days), and extends lives as long as (and longer) than the other therapy at stage 4 Prostate Cancer. Soon, people will be able to use it earlier, if they express these wishes to their doctor…. It’s a whole new transition out of the dark and tortured cancer treatment ages – into more humane and comfortable treatments.

Please go to DeepCapture.com and learn about Dendreon’s Provenge Vaccine, what it’s shown it can do (was announced at the AUA last April), and the slings and arrows it’s had to endure in order to get this wonderful new Vaccine to thousands of men who have ‘died’ waiting for it !!

Best to all suffering cancer patients and their Loved Ones who have been deprived of Provenge… Hopefully, soon, your wait (for Provenge) will SOON be over !! 🙂

very disappointed, they panel only talked about old way of cure with side effects, where as new revolutionary immunotherapy drug soon will be available with no side effects

For a show like this to give M Milken a forum is sad. With no mention of PROVENGE and Dendreon the show was a farce. If you would like to learn about Mr Milken google DEEP CAPTURE .. you will be shocked but will also far better understand him and his actual agenda

Best of luck to all victims of PC

All late stage prostate cancer patients need Provenge. But you won't get it for 4-7 more months because Michael Milken helped to delay its approval so he and his hedge funds friends could cash in. It should have ben avaiable over 2 years ago.

He had the help of then FDA commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach. Together they set back the war on cancer by 5 years.

The biggest break through in prostate cancer treatment has arrrived and Milken not only had nothing to do with it he tried to stop it and attack the company (Dendreon) trying so courageously to get it to tthe patients!!.

Now he and his PCF have egg all over their face as everyone knows they hurt the very patients they act as if they protect.

Once a criminal always a criminal...Michael Milken.

Michael Milken was asked many times to support Provenge by cancer advocates. He didn't support it . Michael Milken supports lining his pockets with green. Do you know who the junk bond king is? The fox is guarding the hen house here. This show made me sick watching this convicted felon. No wonder there is a healthcare crisis ..look who is being asked to fix it? Does he think that he is a doctor? It is now time to see who will be the next trillionaire instead of billionaire.right Mikey?

Why not have more convicted felons on the show. For instance Charles manson could fix the credit crisis. Bernie Madoff should be on a panel to figure out how to get credit flowing to small businesses.

It was fantastic to see a show about prostate cancer at last. While it is encouraging that more men are starting to talk about this disease, it is disheartening to see so little support for those who do get prostate cancer. Since prostate cancer rates in men are equivalent or higher than breast cancer rates in women, where are the blue ribbons? Where are the dinners, benefits, bumper stickers? Where is the corporate sponsorship? I am able to buy printer paper wrapped in pink ribbons yet I find nothing comparable to show my support for men afflicted by prostate cancer. I can see delivery vehicles and even passenger jets with pink ribbons but not one blue ribbon for us men. Why? It is not that I think breast cancer survivors and patients deserve less support, I just think prostate cancer survivors deserve an equivalent amount of support. Getting those men to come on your show is but one small step forward. Perhaps someone will read this. Perhaps someone in a corporate setting will realize that it might be OK and even a decent thing to show their support by donating time and money for research and awareness programs. Men's health issues are about 50 years behind where women's health issues are because men don't talk about this stuff. It is time.

Please ask Mr. Milken why he is not a patient advocate supporting the greatest breakthrough in prostate cancer therapy in decades, the life-extending cancer vaccine Provenge? Would there be some other conflict of interest?

I am 80 years old and prostate cancer was detected in 2003 when I was 74. My doctor was checking my PSA every August during my Physical exam, and I noticed that it had gone from 2.5 in 2001 to 3.8 in 2002. I saw on TV that John Kerry had been diagnosed with prostaste cancer and he said he found it because his PSA had been increasing. Because of this, I asked my doctor to recheck my PSA in January, 2003 . The doctor examined my prostate and said it was smooth and he did not think I had prostate cancer. I insisted on another PSA test and it came back 4.5! He immediately sent me to a urologist,wwho did a biopsy of my prostate gland.. The urologist took 9 sections from the right side and 9 from the left side of my prostate gland. He said he good news and bad news. All the sections from the right side were clear and OK, but three of the nine sections from the left contained cancer. He said without a biopsy which took sections from deep within the gland, the cancer would never have been detected, because the gland was smoothe on the outside.

I had 46 radiation treatmente during the summer of 2003, and chemotherapy shots each month from May thru October. Medicare and my supplemental West Virginia Public Employees Insurance Agency policy paid for everything, which was more than $40,000. I seem to be cancer free. My last PSA in January,2009 was 0.3. My urologist says I am one of the lucky ones where they caught the cancer early and cured it!

440,000

Like for many other US citizens most of the treatments available are simply out of reach. I happen to have an insurance, but with several thousand dollar deductible I can't afford doctor visits. PSA checking is perhaps good for those that can afford to do something if it indicates prostate cancer. I rather don't know. The health care in US is fine for those that are relatively rich or have top grade insurance from work.

And our health system is geared to provide only expensive treatments, even if cheaper ones are promising. Companies have no incentives to discover cheap treatments or cures. It would put them out of business.

just read deep capture..see the truth about the MONSTER MILKEN

THIS MAN IS A REAL MONSTER TO AMERICAN MEN..

I have localized prostate cancer I am going to have hifu treatment what can you tell me about it.

I was glad to see some national coverage on such a high rated talk show with such high profile people. Prostate cancer has a long way to go to get the front line coverage and the high level of funding that breast cancer gets. I think that the ED side effects were side stepped and not really talked about. I know it's a tough issue for such high profle men to be public about, but the real statistics on the ED are not really out there. I had mine removed at 52( 27 months ago)and I could read between the lines on what they were saying. It's unfortunate that it's not untill after treatment that men really find out the truths about their treatments side effects. There is no doubt that early detection is important and key to successful treatment but all treatment options do have major impacts on quality of life going forward.

I am 56 and have terminal prostate cancer. I was diagnosed last year and it spread outside the prostate while I was on hormone treatment, preparing for surgery.

Your show on prostate cancer was extremely irresponsible and grossly misleading. Why did you not have any men on the show with advanced prostate cancer? Do you know what that is? Because you did not mention it on the show.

There was a giant gap in your show....started with "Prostate Cancer is the #2 killer of men" and then a bunch of candy stories about how everyone is cured. Well, how can it be the #2 killer if everyone gets a cure? You only cover 10% of the issue.

Again, to have only famous guys with a great story and cured only tells 10% of the story, is misleading and tells men prostate cancer is not that big of a deal. It can be cured, grows slow, so whats the rush to test.

If you really want to get men to get a PSA test, tell them about the hundreds of thousands of men that had the cancer escape the prostate, ie the guys that are dying a slow death with no cure in sight.

The normal path for prostate cancer that escapes the prostate is to the bones. No cure and a painful way to die. The radio-oncologist on your show can only treat prostate cancer inside the prostate and has no experience with the advanced cases. For that, you should have had a leading prostate cancer research Urologist, like Dr. Ian Thompson of the University of Texas, San Antonio Cancer Treatment and Research Center (CTRC).

Having said the above, there are more than 5 new drugs coming out in the 1-3 year time range (I have 3-5 years to live) and these may be able to prolong life until something better comes along.

I was waiting and waiting for your show to say anything about how prostate cancer progresses and about the many, many poor guys like me that found out too late.

I think you should research this subject more and have a follow on show with the prostate cancer guys that did not get the cure.

Best Regards,

Michael Doyle
Saigon, Vietnam

One last note, Larry...

With all due respect, if and when a cure for prostate cancer is found, it will NOT be called the Milken Cure!

Instead, it more likely will be called the "Gold Standard", after Dr. Mitch Gold, the President and CEO of Dendreon Corporation, the developer of Provenge, the first cancer vaccine that will be approved for sale in the United States.

Larry,

Thanks for putting a program together. I sincerely you do a follow-on program on Prostate Cancer and include the CEO of Dendreon in Seattle. Dendreon's Provenge passed Phase III binding agreement with FDA and will be approved by FDA early 2010. It is very effective for late stage cancer with no side effect like Chemo. If/when used in early stage cancer, it may turns out to be a cure for Prostate Cancer.

Statistics seem to be really confusing. So, if i read it right, blacks are more likely to get prostata cancer, only if they live in West europe, caribean, US? If they are black, living in africa they are LESS likely to get it than white? But as likely as white latinos living in US?

It was interesting to listen to Powell!

McEnroe and Powell's smug comments to "follow your doctor's advice" in treating prostate cancer and to have regular medical checkups struck me as being very insensitive to people like in my family who do not have health insurance to get such medical care.

followup to 6:21 pm ET post from me: Yes, I do understand the effects of prostate cancer... my husband died from cancer last year following extensive treatments for several malignancies....for the end stage prostate cancer, he had an orchiectomy surgery. In a sense, he was lucky in that he had Medicare insurance. I also am fortunate to have Medicare. My complaints are that the economy is so bad here in the Ft Myers area, there essentially are no new jobs. I have four adults in my immediate amily who not only cannot find a job (jobless for over two years) but also they do not have health insurance. The main message in King's show (Colin Powell, et.al.) was to have regular checkups and do what your doc says in the followup... This is insulting to folks who cannot possibly pay for routine medical checkups, diagnoses and treatments. Gee, I wish they had Powell's Walter Reed Hospital care plan... I would not be going bankrupt and losing all my retirement funds to support my unemployed family without health insurance.
We now live in a society of "haves" and "have nots" and the "haves" are yelling rudely that they do not care about those less fortunate because it will cost the "haves" money.
Note: I do not want illegal immigrants to have health coverage.
I do not know the answer to this urgent problem but I do know that I was born during the Great Depression and now, I am back where I started economically.... poor with no health insurance even though I am a highly-educated professional who worked hard during a lifetime of working to have a decent retirement period.

Let me tell you ,if Mike Milken was no longer around, there would have been 100's more men still alive....

The GOV really screwd up by letting this BILLION DOLLAR THIEF OUT OF PRISON...SHOULD HAVE LEFT THERE TO DIE

The much commented on story here centers around a prostate cancer vaccine called Provenge and billionaire Michael Milken, founder of the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Milken is a convicted felon who controls an insidious labyrinth of financial networks that is well documented and includes prominent FDA physicians as well as a few select captains of finance, including the recently disgraced Bernie Madoff.

The Provenge vaccine is about to make it to market in a few months because of recently released results of another expensive trial that Dendreon, the manufacturer of Provenge, was ordered to complete back in 2007 by the FDA, which controversially went against the recommendation of its panel of non-FDA experts and squashed Provenge. The FDA action came after a prominent physician, Dr. Howard Scher, led an attack against the vaccine. As a direct result of this FDA action, Dr. Scher gained millions of dollars through his positions with both a Provenge competitor and Milken, who likely gained hundreds of millions of dollars.

A couple of weeks ago, my wife flew to Dallas to visit a friend of ours who is in hospice for prostate cancer and who has tried unsuccessfully these last few years to get the Provenge vaccine. He was a Special Forces type in Vietnam. He's in his 60s. Up to a couple years ago he was a kids' soccer coach, still working. Now he and his wife are literally writing his obituary. I point him out as an example of the 70,000 men in the U.S. alone who have died since the Provenge vaccine was first squashed by the FDA and the likes of Milken and Madoff in 2007.

Provenge is an innovative and possibly curative therapy for cancer, as cancer immunotherapy may ultimately prove. The Provenge debacle alone has delayed investigation into cancer immunotherapy for years and has single-handedly increased the cost of investigating these drugs.

Still think it should be called the "Milken Cure"?

It looks like the moderator here has deleted all references to DeepCapture and CareToLive web sites where you can obtain more information on the "Philanthropic" Michael Milken.

Milken hurts rather than helps prostate cancer patients. His friends likely profit as well. Open your eyes to the real Milken!

Back in August 2007 I wrote a letter to Michael Milken begging him to help patients gets Provenge. He never responded. In fact his Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) continued to refuse to help and instead actually threw roadbloacks in the path of Provenge approval for their own greed and ego.

DESPITE the efforts of the PCF, Provenge will soon be approved but the fact that the PCF helped to delay that date by 2 1/2 years should not be forgotten. There was a much better chance for a cure to cancer to have been found by 2016 if NOT for the activities of Milkens PCF.

Milken should be ashamed of himself (but he has no conscience) not promoted on your show as a hero. Same old criminal he always was. He was the Madoff of the 80's and destroyed many companies and lives. Now in the 22nd Century he has no conscience when he is willing to try to destroy biotech companies like Dendreon who are trying to HELP cancer patients.

Milken is a fraud.

Please look at those web sites that you and Mike do not want anyone else to see and you will know the story although I expect you already do.

I forgot to mention in my earlier post – the WONDERFUL organization that advocates for PC patients. They unquestionably have their BEST interests at heart... "getting better" (unlike another foundation which is well-known) !! Their site is 'Care To Live dot com'. It's gives the cancer patients an INCREDIBLE option... and hopefully soon (beginning or mid-2010), it will be available, not only to end-stage cancer patients, but also to earlier stage patients, as well !!

Best to all Cancer Patients and their Loved Ones !! 🙂

Hello, I was diagnosed at age 58, about a year and a half ago and underwent the DiVici robot nerve sparing surgery. Believe me, if you doctor says this will work for you, forget the offbeat tratments and get the surgery. Urination and sex for me are better than before the surgery. It is truly the way to go. There are many surgeons that are very good. Anybody worried about it may contact me. I'd be happy to share my experience with anyone who has this condition.