Early Detection
Another silent killer, prostate cancer, is currently expected to affect 164,690 men in the U.S. alone in 2018, according to the American Cancer Society. Prostate cancer is especially worrisome for Latino men who are diagnosed at high rates. About 2,000 Latino men are expected to die from prostate cancer this year alone.
The key to treatment of both cancers is early detection. According to Eric Peterson, a registered nurse at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, neither cancer will show symptoms until they are “well established.”
“If there is a family history, then it should always be mentioned at a doctor’s visit,” Peterson said. “Older men tend to dismiss symptoms of prostate cancer because they think it’s just [signs of them] getting older.”
For Terrero, the key to beating the disease was catching it early. He emphasized the importance of self-exams as a means of early detection for men of all ages. “Constantly check yourself!” Terrero said. “I have met patients that have been diagnosed later in life, even past the age of 50, and they never thought it would happen to them, so always be sure to ‘feel your balls!’”