As a retired physician (radiologist) and also someone who went through prostate cancer myself, I appreciate both of you sharing your stories. There’s a lot of value in discussions like this because many people, especially men, delay getting evaluated even when they know something isn’t right.
I had a prostatectomy about 8½ years ago. Fortunately, because I kept up with annual checkups and PSA testing, we caught it early after my PSA doubled to 6. I acted quickly and was able to avoid any adjuvant therapy, and I’ve remained cancer free since.
Regarding Lazarus’s (btw appropriate name) experience, had he presented in the US with persistent back and flank pain that wasn’t resolving, he would very likely have been imaged earlier. American medicine tends toward more aggressive diagnostic workup. A CT would almost certainly have been ordered, and that tumor near his spleen would not have waited months to be found.
Congratulations to both of you on being cancer free.