] Re: Newman to share cancer fight with viewers | PerthNow

[Guest guest]

>

> To get back to the Newman story as opposed to a discussion about

metastasis

> to the lungs,

>

>

>

> Without wishing to be too controversial, what value is there in

this story

> - apart from the potential flow of business for the new Da Vinci

machine?

>

>

>

> PCa activists are dancing in the street, but for the naïve man who

hasn't

> any prior information about PCa this is what has emerged from the story:

>

>

>

> 1. Newman went for a cholesterol test and found that he had prostate

cancer

> when another blood test showed this. No mention of DRE (too

embarrassing for

> a football player to contemplate?) or biopsy - just a simple blood test

> (unnamed)

>

>

>

> 2. This blood test showed he had prostate cancer but it was not

possible to

> say if the disease had spread to the bones or the lungs (both of

which are

> clearly fatal - and, it was implied, in a fairly short time frame)

but this

> was likely.

>

>

>

> 3. The only option available to Newman was immediate surgery

because, it was

> said, the disease had advanced to a stage that was not treatable by

> radiation or chemotherapy - no mention of ADT (Androgen Deprivation

Therapy)

> by any name. Has anyone else come up with this kind of diagnosis?

>

>

>

> 4. So Newman is rushed, very publicly, into surgery (allegedly three

weeks

> after diagnosis) with the new incredible Da Vinci machine - until

recently

> only available in the US.

>

>

>

> 5. The surgeon, on camera on 60 minutes last night was shown, after

> reassuring Newman that there was no sign of spread beyond the gland,

" We got

> it [the cancer] all out cleanly. I reckon we nailed it. It looks good. "

>

>

>

> So there we have it - freed from the fear of a terrible death - by

surgery

> and all in three weeks and all because of a simple blood test.

>

>

>

> I believe that this kind of misleading information is not what men

need -

> and interestingly enough there have been some faint voices raised by

doctors

> saying similar things, but naturally their voices are drowned out by the

> overwhelming sound of the cash registers going ca-ching.

>

>

>

> To quote a leading oncologist " Unfortunately, we appear to be

living in a

> time when physician income is more important than patient outcome. "

>

>

>

> All the best

>

>

>

> Terry Herbert

>

> I have no medical qualifications but I was diagnosed in `96: and have

> learned a bit since then.

>

> My sites are at www.yananow.net <http://www.yananow.net/> and

> <http://www.prostatecancerwatchfulwaiting.co.za/>

> www.prostatecancerwatchfulwaiting.co.za

>

> Dr " Snuffy " Myers : " As a physician, I am painfully aware

that most

> of the decisions we make with regard to prostate cancer are made with

> inadequate data "

>

Hi Terry;

Hope you're doing ok!

This Newman person and whoever else was involved in putting together

this semi fariy tale, will wind up hurting a lot of people, not to

mention minimizing a very serious disease.

In the six and a half years since I've had Prostate Cancer, I can't

tell you how many people have said, and I quote " Well, prostate cancer

is normal, almost every guy gets it, I understand it's no big deal. "

I could go on and on about how much damage these types of stories and

comments do.

I wonder how many new treatments and new funding etc. etc. etc., we

would have if EVERYONE realized just how serious this disease really is.

I also wonder how many men with reccuring PC are reading that story

and saying mmmmmmmmm!

What a disservice that story is to all men with Prostate Cancer!

Bob G