In My Prostate is a musical about men and their prostate cancers. In it, each man in a prostate support group recounts his experience with his diagnosis and treatment.
This musical showcases songs that span the full spectrum of prostate cancer. From cancers that may not require treatment at all, to cancers that are currently not curable but can be controlled for decades. When a man is diagnosed, he might picture prostate cancer as a “single” cancer, with few choices for treatment. In fact, there is a wide spectrum of cancer types.
In the modern era, it is critical to understand that there are excellent, proven treatments for every point along the spectrum. That is the good news. The challenge for men is choosing among very different options.
Extreme anxiety after a diagnosis is understandable. Hearing the words “You have cancer” is always one of the lowest points in life and creates panic in some, and terror in others. Thankfully, this phrase does not carry the same weight today that it had 15 or 20 years ago when the phrase “He has cancer” was spoken in a solemn whisper.
Most of us know several people who have been cured of their cancer, drastically changing the emotional impact of the term. That said, the phrase still defines a life-altering moment. For some men it is the first real brush with their own mortality. That is why it is critical for a man to know where he fits on the prostate cancer spectrum. Some prostate cancers are not a brush with mortality, but are instead very solvable problems.
A second source of anxiety is that the usual sources of relief (doctors & friends) may actually increase anxiety. A man goes to doctors treating prostate cancer and hears widely varying options for his treatment. He may feel torn between treatments and between doctors. The weight of these decisions can seem overwhelming.
Many men wish for the days when they could go to the doctor and be told what to do in no uncertain terms. There are definitely doctors who will tell you their way is the only way; but the truth is there are several excellent options for each degree of cancer. Each man must review his options carefully and decide which treatment is best for him.
Some men turn to support groups, either locally or online, and initially experience greater anxiety than relief. One individual who is very happy with his treatment choice may end up sitting next to another who had an equally bad experience. Men with very curable disease may become distressed to hear the stories of others with metastatic/incurable prostate cancer, thinking that will be their inevitable fate. But progression to incurable prostate cancer is very rare in the modern treatment era.
For the purpose of this web site, the songs are grouped by risk categories and showcase each man's struggles with his specific cancer challenges. It is possible some will find this resource overwhelming, unhelpful, or even disrespectful. The intent is to help men deal with a dramatic life situation through music, a tried-and-true method to deal with extreme emotions.
In addition to the songs, there is also a prostate cancer risk calculator, as well as a discusion of these risk categories and the prostate cancer spectrum, The preferred approach for newly diagnosed men is to: define their risk level, understand the options appropriate for that risk, and then trust their gut to make the best decision.
There is another reason these songs were written. After more than 25 years of talking to men and their partners about prostate cancer, it became clear to me that the aging male is under-represented in popular music. Hopefully, these songs and non-prostate songs on another site will begin to correct this.