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Introduction: What Gay Men (and Those Near and Dear to Them) Need to Know About Prostate Cancer

There was a time, not too long ago, when having cancer was considered so shameful that those individuals diagnosed were treated by others–and regarded themselves–as social pariahs. Fortunately, much has changed. For example, today one finds numerous popular articles and books written about prostate cancer. Prominent figures from politics, sports, the military and entertainment–Rudy Giuliani, Joe Torre, Norman Schwartzkopf, Andy Grove, and Harry Belafonte to name a few– have gone public with their personal stories of coping with prostate cancer. All this is good news, as celebrity stories have brought prostate cancer out of its closet of shame, stigma, and ignorance and into the open daylight. In this way, those men who are affected can get appropriate diagnosis, treatment, and support. There are some disturbing statistics. Most people probably do not know that prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men, causing almost 30,000 deaths each year. A man has a one in six chance of developing invasive prostate cancer in his lifetime. It is estimated that approximately 230,900 new cases will be diagnosed in 2004. Nor is it just an older person’s disease–the age range of those diagnosed spans from men in their early 30s through those in their 90s.1,2 In the last decade, medicine has advanced considerably in diagnosing and treating