This BLOG has almost always been about prostate cancer, things
related to prostate cancer, or coping with prostate cancer. I have written
about diagnosis, surgery, no surgery, radiation therapy, clinical trials,
hormones, chemo, psychological factors, support groups, family, stages, and
more.
But to put life and diseases into some sort of perspective
there are a lot of things other than prostate cancer, that can make old men
sick. Really. Prostate cancer has long been the center of my world, but it is
not the major cause of illness and death in old men. It’s not even the most
dangerous cancer!
Heart disease is the most dangerous condition for older
people, both men and women. About 25% of older men die from heart disease. So take
care of your heart!
Cancer in general is the second leading cause of death in
older men—23%. A majority of those deaths are from lung cancer with prostate
cancer and colorectal cancer trailing behind.
After those two major categories there is a long list of
life threatening things that can happen. The list includes injuries, COPD,
stroke, diabetes, suicide, pneumonia, Alzheimer’s, and liver disease. None of
those conditions account for more than 6% of all deaths, but we all know
somebody who has had to cope with them.
I’m not trying to preach doom and gloom; just the opposite. Most of us
are living long lives and managing all those diseases and conditions pretty
well. Nobody lives forever, but ‘almost forever’ is probably good enough. And having
prostate cancer doesn’t mean you can ignore all those other things that could
go wrong. We all need to pay attention, take care of ourselves, and have lots
of fun.
axman
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