Biden's prostate cancer diagnosis prompts questions about screening for average Americans
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) – Just four months after leaving office, President Biden has revealed he has advanced prostate cancer and medical experts characterize it as aggressive. Suddenly prostate cancer is in the news, prompting some to wonder how prevalent it is among American men, how it can be prevented, and what treatment options are available.
Americans have largely rallied around the threat of breast cancer but we don't seem to see the same level of concern when it comes to prostate cancer. Why is that? Could President Biden's diagnosis change that?
One would hope.
The former president's diagnosis is yet another reminder that cancer is not impressed by power, money or notoriety.
Screening for prostate cancer is so simple. It's the unwillingness that is the downfall. We all know what that pink ribbon means. This uniquely male malady is a different story. It is not so romanticized, if we can use that term.
Some may be surprised to learn the two cancers are related.
Dr. Ravi Patel has been treating various cancers throughout a distinguished career with his Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center on Truxtun Avenue in west Bakersfield.
'One in eight women will get breast cancer,' Patel said. 'One in roughly nine will get prostate cancer. But there is a connection, and a very deep connection. Certain genes, which are called the PcrA gene, are found also in prostate cancer. So it can behave in a similar way.'
Which means, since those cancers can be hereditary, a family history of breast cancer can be an indicator of the increased threat of prostate cancer, and vice versa.
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Leonard Zasoski's life was dramatically impacted by prostate cancer years before it actually invaded his body.
His father, Leonard Zasoski Sr., was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the age of 55, and he died from it at age 57.
Now Zasocki himself is a 13-year survivor of the all-too-common growth that attacks the walnut-sized male reproductive gland. More than a survivor – he is a vocal proponent of vigilance.
Problem is, many men would prefer not to think about the nether region where the prostate resides – never mind endure the quick and painless but somewhat notorious screening. But he's a big advocate of the digital exam – and of the complementary PSA blood test. It saved his life.
'I had mine,' he said. 'It came up at the age of 49, (and) at 50 I was diagnosed with it – very early on. Very fortunate because of the PSA test, which caught mine early and I chose to have a radical prostatectomy because I've seen the other side and decided I wanted it taken out, and 13 plus years now I've been here.'
When is the right time to get one's first screening?
'I would definitely by 50,' Zasoski said. 'Just get a baseline. That way you sorta know where you are. If everything is good and clear, you know, most of the time it's not real aggressive, again, quote, most of the time. If not, go back in a year later and get it checked, but don't skip two or three years.'
Patel knows men may be reluctant to undergo routine testing.
'Understandably they don't want a rectal exam,' he said, 'so they'll skip or, you know, prolong it, but a good, determined primary care physician will make sure that they get it done.'
Moral of the story: Get a simple and painless PSA screening asap,, guys, if you haven't done so recently, and pay attention to the risk factors of this highly preventable but very common cancer. As for the digital screening: Get over it – it's just an index finger.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Pillay, who is also a leadership development expert who works with Fortune 500 companies to help them build more resilient, agile, creative and productive teams, shares that according to research from McKinsey & Co., employee disengagement and attrition could cost a median-size S&P 500 company between $228 million and $355 million a year in lost productivity. 'Over five years, that's at least $1.1 billion in lost value per company. The multitasking that occurs while working and engaging social media may slow people down, hamper creativity, and increase anxiety, thereby impacting engagement.' Taking breaks and getting outside can help you get back on track with your day after a disruptive ... More scrolling session. Prentis Hemphill, a therapist focused on embodiment and the author of What It Takes to Heal, encourages starting by acknowledging how social media is actually designed to hijack your attention. 'I think it's good for us to know and understand that the design of social media has us consuming a lot of information and experiences of other people, but the speed at which we can do that doesn't align with the speed at which our body processes emotion and experiences. So if we end up in that scrolling vortex, we usually experience some kind of overwhelm.' That information about your mental state gives you a starting place. 'Once we notice we're triggered or overwhelmed, that's a time to take a step back.' They encourage checking in with yourself about exactly what you're feeling. 'This can give you clues as to which actions you can take. Discern exactly what it is you feel.' When we recognize what we're feeling and what's contributing to the uncomfortable feelings, explains Dr. Fleck, 'we get some information about what the antidote would be.' In many cases, she says, the inverse can be helpful. If you're scrolling inside, get outdoors, if you're in a climate with sun. 'You can even just sit outside without your phone.' Or if you've been sitting down while scrolling, 'flip that on its head and get some movement. These are just some physiological ways of regulating your body.' Considering how social media impacts your thoughts is also helpful, she says. 'On social media, you're being told to buy this and do that. You're getting the fundamental messaging that you're not enough. Self-validation is so important. You can say to yourself, 'I don't need anything other than what I am and what I have. I am enough.' You can validate, of course I'm feeling bad—I'm comparing myself to people who are photoshopped to the nth degree. Recognize that it's a distorted reality.' Sometimes being honest with yourself about what you're looking for on social media can also offer valuable clues, explains Dr. Fleck. 'If you're getting into scrolling while you're working, most likely what you need in that moment is a break from the mental stimulation of the work you're doing.' However, instead of giving ourselves a break, we flood our nervous system with these messages, she says, 'and it makes us feel keyed up and burnt out at the same time. Instead of restoring our faculties, we've exhausted them. So if the function is to regulate or distract, if you notice this pattern more than once, it becomes about, 'What can I do' to change this pattern.' Hemphill adds, 'Carving out some time and space to be with your focus and train your focus as best you can makes it a little easier to you do have to refocus or shift, having a mini ritual, such as a mini meditation, to help you be intentional about that transition to where you're back in the driver's seat of your attention can help you. A lot of us don't transition back—our minds are still in that other space but we have work to do. This helps us get back into our bodies.' Some other examples they share are taking a deep breath and going outside to connect with nature and your body. Dr. Pillay adds that deliberately seeking positive online experiences can help in the shrt term too. 'For example, if laughing babies make a person happy, they might search for a video online to switch their mood instantly. Or if a particular song puts them in a better mood, they might listen to that song immediately.' He also points to a study that demonstrated that affirming one's values is rewarding to the brain. 'This works especially if you think about what you want to honor in the future.' Your mindset around social media has been shown to play a role in how it impacts you. Dr Fleck encourages being honest with yourself about why you're scrolling. To go back to the example of someone looking up symptoms, she says, 'When we look up symptoms on social media, sometimes we're seeking some degree of, 'Is there anybody out there who's feeling what I feel?' What we're seeking there is some signal that what we're going through is real and overwhelming and hard. But that isn't always the type of validation that serves us. It would be so much healthier to have someone to talk to rather than validation that things are as bad as they seem.' If you've noticed that some people you know will tell you they find social media uplifting while others find it draining, the reason for that likely lies within, explains Dr. Pillay. 'Recent research suggests the answer lies not in the platforms themselves, but in the mindsets we bring to them. In a large-scale, multi-study investigation involving over 2,000 participants, scientists introduced the concept of social media mindsets—core beliefs about how much control people feel over their use and whether they view it as helpful or harmful to their lives.' 'The study found that people with a sense of agency and a positive outlook on social media's role in their lives tend to enjoy greater psychological and relational well-being,' he says. 'In contrast, those who feel out of control and believe social media harms them report higher levels of distress.' Those who felt like they could control when they scrolled and could take a break whenever they wanted fared better than those who felt like it was out of their control. 'As you rethink your digital health behaviors,' says Dr. Pillay, 'consider that changing your mindset may just change your relationship with social media—and yourself. Health experts recommend setting healthy boundaries with social media and building in restorative ... More daily practices. The Lifestance survey data reflects that an increasing number of people are considering using digital detoxes as ways to disconnect, with 76% of respondents reporting that they find the idea of a digital detox appealing, with Gen Z (84%) and millennial (83%) respondents most interested compared to respondents from other generations. Over a quarter of respondents stated that they actually believe a permanent TikTok ban would positively impact their mental health. 'I think these questions of how we manage social media in our lives are so important,' says Hemphill. 'I think it's so important for us to have identities and lives that are full beyond social media.' They encourage exploring how you can cultivate a sense of autonomy when we have such strong algorithms driving negative emotions like insecurity and fear. Hemphill recommends designating specific times and spaces for social media. 'Setting blocks of time can help you set a reliable place and time where you know you can go in and come out. There are also places that are sacred spaces. I don't scroll on social media when I'm with my kid or my partner. I also try to have other practices during my day and hold certain spaces sacred where social media can't enter. You can also fill out your own social media experience with the types of content you want to see.' Matthew Solit, LCSW, Executive Clinical Director at LifeStance Health, adds, 'Be careful with online mental health content and self-diagnosis. While it may seem more comfortable, it is not reliable. Wellness takes work and that work is most likely actualized through working in direct partnership with mental health professionals. The mental health challenges that can be fueled by excessive internet use, 'doom-scrolling' and overstimulation are real. If your thoughts involve harming yourself or others, please seek help immediately.'
