How many of you have sons?

My husband's elder son is 35. He had a baseline PSA about 2 years ago,  but does not disclose it. He is happy with it, whatever it is. He's a very private person but we keep the lines of communication open, and he has all the facts of his dad who was diagnosed at 49 - low amount and contained, but several small tumors and Gleeson 7. No symptoms and no family history. This son has 2 little girls and has completed his family he says. This year his dad (my husband) will have another chat, as they always have an annual chat about PSA, and he reassures my hubby that he is fine. So we walk side-by-side with the 35- year-old.

The son we share together is only 12 years old, but has lived with the knowledge that his dad had Pca since he was 6. He is not freaked out by it, but for the moment we just stress healthy diet to stay healthy, and have not gone into details of his risk, other than saying that as a boy and man, it is really important for his to keep his prostate healthy and checked like dad when he is older in case there was ever a problem. It does worry me a little that the 12-year-old won't eat tomatoes! But I guess that's a rather mute point really! Next week it is 6 years since my husband was diagnosed on his 49th birthday. We are grateful that he has had such a good outcome to now. Hope this helps, 81 Gy and that you are doing well. cheers.

 

My son is still a long way from his 40’s (he’s only 21), so it is unlikely that PSA screening as it exists today—with very poor prostate cancer specificity—will still be around then.   My crystal ball says that a form of baseline screening other than PSA testing be in use based on genetic analysis. It has already been shown that only a small percentage of all PC cases are hereditary ; that is, from a gene flaw passed from one generation to the other…so while the hereditary gene identification will also be valuable in the future, it only affects about 5% of current cases .   [Why do they say, then, that PC runs in families?   A lot of smaller reasons, and two big reasons:   1 ) one’s diet and lifestyle choices tend to be rooted in early childhood exposures at home which becomes a baseline for future habits, and   2) because if your father/brother has or had PC, then you are more likely to be screened …and PC is such a prevalent and natural part of aging, if you get screened as you get older (especially in this age of being diagnosing extremely small cell “abnormalities”), then you are increasingly likely to find PC (although most likely indolent PC).] Today, the vast majority of PC cases are sporadic cancer (environmental)…so the gene alteration which may lead to eventual PC tumor growth for most cases is, to an extent, controllable.   Recognizing this, our sons' diet and lifestyle are the most significant controllable environmental factors influencing “early development” of PC.   This is the area to focus on now …to adopt cancer-fighting behaviors . We know that we all carry cancers cells in our bodies, even if only a few.   But we also have natural defenses that usually suppress the cells to remain indolent and prevent these cells from becoming an aggressive disease.   These defenses include our immune system, the bodily functions that control inflammation and foods that reduce the growth of blood vessels needed by tumors.     So what are the key behaviors he needs to reinforce now?   The Sep-2011 PAACT newsletter highlighted the big picture steps for an anti-cancer lifestyle and diet that reduces the risk of dying from heart disease (the #1 killer of men with PC) and other causes.   The article (available free online) reported that “ the four primary and consistent factors that provided the most benefit ” were:   maintaining a healthy weight, getting 30 minutes a day of exercise (most days of the week), eating a primarily plant-based diet, and not smoking.   If he is eventually diagnosed with PC, I will do my part to make sure he doesn’t rush a treatment decision, but I don’t want to help my son with any PC treatment decisions…instead, I want to help him prevent cancer in his future.    As the widely-known Graham Nash song goes, “ Teach your children (well) .”    

I have 3 sons who are all in their 40s.

medved, your father taught you well...

Good question. I have a son 43 and a son-in-law who is 38. My answers would be as follows:

Talk to them starting at age 40 to establish a PSA baseline

I told my two guys everything I could about my situation and why I chose the treatment I did.

I plan to remind them from time to time...how often to be determined. While both of my guys are in very good physical shape, they both tend to put things off.

I'm less worried about my son-in-law since his father had prostate surgery that left him incontinent and I would think his dad would urge him to get tested and get plenty of information.

Medved, did you see Dr. Strum personally to get a program to prevent PCa or are these just general recommendations of his to everyone? I am very interested in healthy living, not only for my kids but especially for my husband to prevent any recurrance of his PCa. Some of it is common sense - more fruits and vegetables, less meat and dairy. I would be interested in having my husband consult with a prostate oncologist who has an interest in the healthy living aspect to see if we should do anything that we are not currently doing.