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I suppose that if you had to choose a subject with as big a taboo as erectile dysfunction (ED), it would be prostate cancer. Fear, shame and denial dominate because men associate the cancer with two equally shameful conditions: impotence and incontinence. This denial is all the more dangerous because, as the prostate enlarges, sexual performance will become painful as it steadily fades away. Worse, it is accompanied by incontinence, particularly at night. Urination grows painful and it can be difficult to start and stop the flow.

At the outset, I will warn that attempting to self-medicate with Viagra, Cialis or Levitra when your erections are already painful could be very dangerous. Whenever you have pain whether in urination or an erection, this should be a signal to visit a physician immediately.

I will simply state the fact - cancer of the prostate is the most common form of malignant cancer diagnosed in men. To give you an insight into the scale of the problem in the USA, about 317,000 cases were diagnosed in 2006, and about 41,000 men died. But, only about 15% of the new cases were in men aged less than 65 years. It almost never appears in men under the age of 55 years.

So what is the true scale of the risk? Read the rest of this entry »