Denial is not a cure

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MARY REICHARD, HOST: Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Mary Reichard.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher.

Next up, WORLD commentator Cal Thomas. You’d never know it, because Cal simply does not miss deadlines—he once filed a commentary for us from a hospital bed! But over the summer, he went through a personal health trial he’s sharing with us today. It’s a direct message for men—and the families who love them—on why a simple blood test can be a matter of life and death.

CAL THOMAS: The diagnosis really came as no surprise. Like so many men facing a health issue, I tried to deny and delay it.

But we all know the truth: early detection is critical to a cure.

For two years, my blood test numbers had been slowly creeping upward. The relevant figure to watch is known as the PSA, the prostate-specific antigen.

When my PSA reached 9.0, along with a high Gleason score, my doctor said it was time to act. A biopsy revealed a cancerous tumor.

My doctors gave me two choices: surgery or radiation paired with hormone treatment.

I chose option two.

It took 38 radiation treatments, five days a week. But today, my PSA is down to zero. The tumor appears to be completely gone, though I’ll remain on hormone therapy for two years.

I’m sharing something this deeply personal because I want to speak to you directly: If you’re a man over 50, I urge you to get regular checkups, including a simple PSA blood test. That goes for even younger men in high-risk groups. And to family and friends—encourage them. This is so preventable.

Roughly one in eight men will be diagnosed in their lifetime. Black men face an even greater risk. The American Cancer Society estimates this year alone, more than 333,000 new cases of prostate cancer in the U.S. Ten percent will die.

But here is the most important figure: when cancer hasn't spread outside the prostate, the survival rate is 99 percent. Mine had not spread.

Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death among American men, behind lung cancer. Early detection changes everything.

Men are notoriously reluctant to see doctors, especially regarding our private parts. Me, too. But denial is not a cure. Refusing an exam guarantees the cancer will spread, potentially past the point where medicine can help.

Yes, treatment can have side effects—including loss of libido. For some men, even a temporary loss of libido sounds worse than cancer. But ask yourself: How does death sound?

So don’t wait. Do it for your family, your friends, and yourself.

It appears I’m going to be around for a few more years to annoy my liberal friends. I am deeply grateful to God, my supportive wife, and a tremendous medical team acting as instruments of healing that the Lord provides.

For WORLD, I’m Cal Thomas.

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