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He Faced Cancer Three Times Before 50. His Advice Could Save Your Life.
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THE LATEST EPISODE of The Future You features a refreshingly candid conversation about a disease that affects every human being—or someone they know—at some point in their lives: cancer. While a sobering topic, the discussion is at once stoic and hopeful—and provides plenty of actionable takeaways for people living with or without the disease.
Host and editorial director Rich Dorment gets the perspective of a medical oncologist—Elizabeth Comen, MD, co-director of the Mignone Women's Health Collective at NYU Langone and author of All in Her Head—as well as two patients who have lived through the experience. Colin Egglesfield is an actor who was diagnosed with testicular cancer at 32 years old. Suleika Jaouad is the best-selling author of The Book of Alchemy and Between Two Kingdoms, who was diagnosed with leukemia at 22.
Both Sulekia and Colin were diagnosed at a young age, which is unfortunately becoming more common, per Dr. Comen, who says rates of breast and colon cancer are particularly on the rise. Her tip for listeners: Think about what you can do to reduce your risk—limiting alcohol, eating a well-balanced diet, exercising, not smoking—not the things out of your control. And don't be afraid to go to the doctor if something feels off—but also when everything feels right. People should be talking to their doctors about their personal risk for cancer based on their family history, which may warrant additional or earlier screening. Here's a look at some of the themes covered in the episode:
Pay attention to early warning signs
Colin was six months into a three-year contract for the show All My Children when he noticed his left testicle had swollen. At first, he wrote it off, but ultimately went to see a urologist for a blood test and PET scan. Three days later, he was having surgery for advanced stage testicular cancer. Men may be more likely than women to delay getting a diagnosis—don't be one of them!
Be open about what you're going through
Colin told his immediate family and a couple close friends, but didn't share the news more broadly or with his colleagues out of fear of losing what he'd worked so hard to achieve. He also says he didn't want that "stigma," and was afraid of what people would say. However, there shouldn't be shame around talking about sexual health issues—for men or women.
Face fears head-on
Colin thought he beat the cancer, but just a year later, a tumor on his other testicle was discovered—and the fear was more intense this time. In particular, he worried about being able to get an erection or to have sex again. Luckily, hormone replacement therapy helped him in both areas. 'The first time I got my first erection after surgery I was like 'thank god, first hurdle crossed,' he says.
Monitor and stay ahead of disease
Fast-forward to just one and a half years ago, at 50 years old, cancerous cells were detected in one side of Colin's prostate. Now, many men will get diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lives, Dorment points out. But Colin was told there was a five-year window until the doctors predicted the cancer would metastasize if he didn't get surgery.
He had to push aside fears, including of incontinence, to do what he felt was right for himself and for his family. Six months post-op, he has a message for other men facing this same difficult decision: 'Any guy out there worried about having this surgery, I'm glad I had it. I feel relieved and now I don't have to worry about this, and incontinence isn't an issue,' he says.
Today, he says things are moving in a positive direction, and he's looking forward to doing more movies and being an advocate for other men facing similar situations.
A sexual health education gap
Also in this episode, Suleika talks about advocating for herself, learning to live with uncertainty, and shifting from survival mode to quality of life. The sexual health education gap is also discussed.
Specifically, Dr. Comen talks about the fact that Colin received sexual health counseling ahead of his surgeries—something that's still much less likely to happen for women. Historically, when a man is diagnosed with prostate cancer, doctors will talk to him about erectile dysfunction before his surgery, but most academic centers do not have dedicated sexual health specialists for women, Dr. Comen says. 'We're two times more likely to ask men about sexual side effects from targeted cancer therapy than we are to ask women.' Fortunately, support for women's sexual health during cancer treatments is changing, Dr. Comen says.
And ultimately, the episode ends on a hopeful note that positive change more broadly is also on the horizon, something the doctors at NYU Langone are on the forefront of. 'What we've wanted for so long is really personalized care and we're actually moving towards that,' she says. 'I'm really thrilled about the progress we're making in that space.'
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