Dodd will have surgery for prostate cancer; some men opt against it *

So Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn) has been diagnosed with what he described as an early stage of prostate cancer. He adds that he'll soon undergo surgery. He announced the diagnosis and treatment today at a news conference and on his website.

Dodd and his doctor, also quoted on the website, seem confident in the choice of surgery. Some men are less sure.

An earlier L.A. Times article details the treatment options available to men -- and how difficult it can be to decide.

"It was, many physicians would say, the right thing for a man of 53 to do. So Larry Cano had a prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, test," the article begins. "'It was 5.3,' says Cano, a film producer from Newport Beach. 'They say anything over 4 is noteworthy.' The noteworthy result, followed by a positive biopsy, sent Cano pinballing from surgeon to radiologist and back with what he believes, three years later, was an exaggerated sense of urgency."

An accompanying article adds: "Prostate cancer is riddled with indignities that cut to the core of manhood. It begins with a doctor's request to bend over for a digital rectal exam and can end in impotence and diapers. Very little in between is clear-cut." * 

Meanwhile, here's a recent take on prostate cancer screenings in general from H. Gilbert Welch, a professor of medicine at the Dartmouth Institute of Health Policy and Clinical Practice and the author of "Should I Be Tested for Cancer? Maybe Not and Here's Why."

 "I probably have prostate cancer," Welch writes. "There's no need to feel sorry for me -- so do about half the men my age (I'm in my mid-50s). We doctors have learned this from microscopic examinations of the prostates of men who are autopsied following an accidental death. And the older men get, the more likely it is that they have prostate cancer. Autopsies of men in their 70s have found that about 80% of them had the disease."

And here's more on prostate cancer treatment from the National Cancer Institute. The four types of standard treatment are watchful waiting, surgery, radiation therapy and hormone therapy.

( * An earlier version of this post quoted an error in a previously published story. That story had said that the American Cancer Society and the American Urological Assn. recommend a rectal exam and a prostate specific antigen, or PSA, blood test every year for men older than 50, and five to 10 years sooner for African Americans and men with a family history of the disease. The groups, however, don't recommend routine screening; they recommend that the screening be discussed as an option.)

-- Tami Dennis

Photo: Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) and his wife, Jackie Clegg Dodd, speak at a news conference at his office in Hartford, Conn., on Friday.

Credit: Jessica Hill / Associated Press 

Comments

[fred]

Any chance he'll come clean on his Friend of Angelo loan? Highly doubtful though.

[for parity]

Well, I wish him the best of luck. In the meantime, let's hope that this does not slow down or interfere with the on-going investigation of his and croonies sweet-heart deals received in the Countrywide Financial's "Friends of Angelo" VIP program.

The HUD/FannieMae/Countrywide actions from 1999 forward are what created the fuel for the housing bubble - millions of poor and working Americans, and the country as a whole, has been deeply hurt by their actions.

[fred]

I am a hardcore democrat and while I dont wish illness on anyone (even Bush), I think Dodd has to go - he played a central role in the financial breakdown and lined his own pockets in the process.

[Jim]

Dodd should have gone to jail during the Clinton years.

He was up to his neck with all that illegal Chinese money pouring into the Campaign.

He is a crook, but as is the case with far too many Democratic crooks (Charles Rangel comes to mind) he gets away with it.

[jggrimm]

I would hope that his treatment is successful and his health restored. This can also be an opportunity for Americans to evaluate just how much our "broken health care system" needs to be repaired. While I wish Mr. Dodd a full recovery, his health care treatment will be, and should be, newsworthy. What kind of health insurance does he have? How much does it cost and who pays for it? When he sees the Doctor, what protocols are followed? From the time of the initial diagnosis, how much time will elapse before treatment begins? In a few months, when we read of his recovery, we can then discuss how much better he would have been had the Federal Government been allowed to replace the coverage he must now try to get by on. After all, our health care system is broken, right?

[prostate enlarged]

In general prostate treatment starts with some lifestyle changes like diet, frequent urination, sitting on firm surfaces, and avoiding cold temperatures, plus watchful waiting or active. In many cases, prescription medications are also suggested.