December 4, 2025 • 29 mins
Neil Scott and Dr. Tom Walsh - "Movember" - Important male health issues, including prostate cancer are discussed. Prostate cancer survivor and travel-guru Rick Steves joins Neil and Dr. Walsh as a guest to tell his story.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Men's Health Matters with doctor Tom Walsh, director
of the University of Washington's Men's Health Center and Associate
Professor of Urology at UW, featuring important topics dealing with
men's health, including prostate cancer and erectiledys function. Now here's
your host, Neil Scott.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Welcome to the November edition of Men's Health Matters, dealing
with health issues that directly affect men. I'm Neil Scott
my co host doctor Tom Walsh, director of the Men's
Health Center, As we discuss topics focusing on men and
providing resources for immediate action. Good health, good men's health
must be priority, especially this month. November, known around the
(00:46):
world as Movember and November, has funded more than twelve
hundred and fifty men's health projects around the world, challenging
the status quo, shaking up men's health research and transforming
the way health services reach and support men, focusing on
mental health, suicide prevention, testicular cancer, and prostate cancer. How
(01:08):
are you, doctor walshon Please tell our listeners why November
is a great time to focus on men's health.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
I'm doing very well, you know. I would like to
say that November For me, I use it as sort
of this flag on my calendar. It's when I do
a lot of my own health maintenance. It's just this memory.
It's this is my time of year where I dial in,
I get my primary care doctor lined up. I was
rushing here to visit with you because I was having
(01:36):
my eyes checked. I'm fifty two years old. There's a
family history of prostate cancer in my family, so I'm
due for my PSA. Maybe do the same thing I'm doing.
This is a time to raise awareness. Maybe get involved.
Whether you're a man or you have a male loved
one in your family, think about ways you can be
an advocate and be attentive to your own health.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
This month, we will again focus on prostate cancer, including
a new research study, and visit with Rick Steves, known
for his travel guys activism and his popular television and
video presentation. Today, he's talking about a journey he took
no not to Europe, but to the U dub and
the Fred hutch Cancer Center. A very successful journey, I
(02:21):
might add, but before we talk to Rick Steves, we're
going to take a few questions from the Men's Health
Matters Anonymous inbox. It's an opportunity for listeners to send
in questions on any men's health issue to Men's Health
Matters at iHeartMedia dot com. We will not reveal your
full name or share your information. This is one hundred
percent anonymous. First up this month Michael, and he writes,
(02:43):
is there anything I can eat or supplements I can
take to increase my sperm quantity?
Speaker 3 (02:50):
It's really good question, Michael, And the truth is there
are no clear, robust, randomized controlled trials that pertain to
diet and actual sperm counts, and a lot of this
is just the challenge in conducting such studies. But what
I would tell you is eat a balanced and healthy diet.
(03:13):
The type of diet that gets the most play in
the fertility world and literature is what we generally refer
to as the Mediterranean diet, but it goes by many names.
You know, it's a diet that's low in saturated fats.
It tends to be relatively low in animal proteins, higher
and vegetable proteins. But it sort of ticks all the
(03:34):
boxes of high protein, lean, low cholesterol, and low salt.
There's no magic diet out there, but just something that
is robust as my wife would say, make sure you
got multiple colors on the plate.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
A question from Philip, is there any health screenings that
I can do at home?
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Really good question. There are certain colon cancer screenings that
are mail in tests. For example, I believe the Coliguard
test is a mail in test, But the vast majority
of really important screenings you actually have to go into
a lab or an office. It's important to talk about
the test, which screenings are necessary for you, and then
(04:19):
get some expert advice, but it may require data collected
at a health care facility. I like to say, you know,
there are some things that you could continually monitor at home,
for example, like your blood pressure, or individuals with diabetes
they monitor their blood sugar, but really these should be
in conjunction with some on site testing and.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Advice from Franklin. What are the disease risks with anal sex.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
I think that just like any form of penetrative intimacy,
similar risks of sexually transmitted infection exist for anal intercourse.
We think of things like HIV H and then with
HPV there's an associated risk of anal cancer. Now this
(05:06):
is not significantly different than other types of intercourse, but
very important. There are rare things like anal fissures or injuries,
but really you need to be thinking about sexually transmitted infections,
which would be with any form of intercourse.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
From Alfred, there is heart disease in my family. What
are the signs that I should be aware of?
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Well, I'll tell you, Alfred. What you need to know
is that cardiovascular disease generally doesn't have signs and symptoms
until it's fairly far progressed. What's really critical then becomes
routine health screenings, having your blood pressure screened, being screened
for diabetes, being screened for your cholesterol, and these are
(05:53):
things that again when your cholesterol is high, other than
when it's extremely high, these generally don't have signs or symptoms,
so it requires screenings.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Remember, if you have a question about men's health, ask
an expert, doctor Tom Walsh. He will answer your questions
each month from the anonymous inbox. Just send an email
to Men's Health Matters one word at iHeartMedia dot com.
We will use first names only and it is completely anonymous.
Our guest this month is an acclaimed American travel writer, activist,
(06:26):
and beloved television personality Rick Steves, who took an unexpected
journey a little over a year ago when doctors at
the UDUB discovered, following an unusually high PSA test of
fifty five, he had prostate cancer. Now, before we talk
to Rick, I want to share some comments that he
recently made to the UDUB newsroom about his unexpected journey.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
I've found I had prostate cancer, and it was the
first night that I think I've ever spent in a hospital.
You know, I'm all about taking trips, and this is
like a journey where I didn't have a guidebook and
I didn't speak the language, and I didn't have an
off road. I had to go through this journey and
I thought, I'm just going to tackle it like a
traveler will I had a PSA off the charts, it's
(07:13):
over fifty, you know, and it sounded horrible. It was
just all hands on deck, let's tackle this thing. But
I'm just trying to be a good patient. And it's
been as good experience as you could expect. And we
all got to be not heroes about avoiding treatment, but
smart about being on the ball and knowing what's going
on inside our bodies. And if that means a blood
(07:36):
test to see how your PSA is and your prostate situation.
I think you should do it. Because of an odd
series of events, I ended up getting tested, and it's
good I did. I realized you can be oblivious to
that when you're in a stage of your life where
you hardly ever go to the doctor, and then you
realize there's a lot of people that spend a lot
of time in these different campuses and it's ever changing, evolving,
(08:00):
and it's something that is a huge blessing for us
as we enjoy active and vital and wonderful years long
after in the past people were able to have a
good time. You go to your GP and then that's
your gateway, and then you just end up when you
need to going off to specialists and so on. But
(08:22):
I'm inclined to trust institutions. I trusted the University watching
medical system and Fred Hutchison, and I'm feeling pretty thankful
with that.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
As a backdrop, we now welcome our guest, Rick Steves, author,
television personality and a prostate cancer survivor. Doctor Walsh.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
You know, Rick, I really appreciated hearing a little bit
about your story, and I could sense that probably there
were some parts of your story that were really frightening
at different points, and now you're sort of navigated through
prostate cancer in a lot of different ways, and knowing
the anxiety idea that a lot of my patients, our
patients have. Can you share with us what was one
(09:05):
of the best decisions you made in this journey.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
One of the best decisions I made was to live
my life in a positive way, regardless of what challenges
and mysteries laid ahead, and keep a positive attitude. I
was overwhelmed with a feeling of just being thankful that
I was able to get the treatment I got, and
to not succumb to all of the crazy, well meaning
(09:30):
and loving ideas that came at me from all quarters
and just embrace conventional medicine with my doctor at Fred Hutchison,
be a good patient.
Speaker 5 (09:41):
All right.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
You were diagnosed in August and you had surgery in October.
Talk about the discussion with your doctor about the treatment options,
how you mentally prepared for the surgery and the f
word fear.
Speaker 4 (09:54):
Oh. I knew that I could shop around my treatment
options and to explore the other ways to go. And
there's probably several right answers for the cancer that I had.
I had prostate cancer with the PSA of fifty five.
My PSA was really high. Psychologically, I just I liked
my surgeon. I liked the idea of getting rid of
(10:16):
that organ that was riddled with cancer. I did not
like the idea of chemo or radiation, and I just
went with the full prostadectomy surgery. As far as fear goes,
it's just like flying. When people have a fear of flying,
it's illogical. You know there's a risk you take when
you fly, but it's tiny. Of course, the risk with
cancer is greater. But I just thought, fear doesn't help me.
(10:38):
I've got a cancer that a lot of people wish
they had, who have cancer, and we've got wonderful technology
to get me through this. I have a strong personal faith.
I was in good hands in every conceivable way, and
I was just thankful I discovered it when I did,
and I had a good surgeon and good medical technology,
tax payer funded medical technology. I got to say and
(11:01):
remind people fear wasn't an option. I had a positive attitude.
My number was up. I had never spent a night
in the hospital for seventy years, and I've long known
one day coming up, I'm going to hit a bump
in the road, and this happened to be prostate cancer.
And I'm thankful to be able to consider myself cancer
free right now. According to my surgeon, I.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Love it that you say you had a cancer that
a lot of people who are diagnosed with cancer wish
that they had. As a man in his fifties, I've
heard this same thing said to me, and I think
it's quite amazing because you've hit on something that we
know is true, which is that prostate cancer, when detected,
is curable. So now that you are at this station
(11:47):
of your treatment, what does the future hold for you
as a prostate cancer survivor.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Well, the future holds for me everything that it held
for me if I didn't have cancer. I mean, I'm
approaching the future as somebody who is mortal, who is old,
who is privileged and has access to great health care,
and is together enough to know that I need to
(12:15):
have a healthy lifestyle and attitude is a big part
of things. I'm reminded that life is fragile. We don't
have any guarantees. I've already had a full life. If
I died tomorrow, I'd have no complaints, no grounds for complaints,
But I fully expect to live many more years and
have lots of travels ahead of me. My approach is
(12:35):
just more. I'm more mindful of how beautiful life is,
how fragile our environment is, how fragile our community is,
how fragile my health is. It's amazing when everything goes well,
and we all got to be realistic. We've got to
be smart. We got to work together and trust each other.
I'm more filled with hopes and dreams now than I've
(12:57):
ever been in my memory.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
What led you do you have your PSA test? Had
you been getting regular checkups?
Speaker 4 (13:04):
No? What led me to get my blood test? It
was I changed doctors, and there is a I don't
fault my previous doctor. I really liked him, but there
was a feeling that, you know, people who don't have
a family history of cancer shouldn't necessarily be worried about
prostate cancer because there's complicated reasons. But the way I
(13:25):
understand it, it's more dangerous to be responding to tests
or getting the test than to ignoring yourself. But whatever
the case, I got a new doctor and he said,
let's get your blood tested and I said, all right.
And at my first meeting with this doctor, it was
all about wellness. I'm seventy, I'm feeling great. I'm very
(13:47):
excited about the seventies, and I'm going to exercise and
I'm going to eat healthy and do some all this
yoga and everything. Two days later it went from wellness
to survival when he called me up and he said,
sit down, I got something very important to talk to
you about. You've got not only do you have prostate cancer,
you've got raging prostate cancer with a PSA of fifty five.
(14:08):
I didn't know what PSA was, so that was a
public service announcement. That was pretty pretty much a jolt,
and my whole outlook went from, you know, from wellness
to survival, serious business to attend to. I was just
took it step at a time, trusted my doctor. The
weird thing about it is you're in a limbo. You
know you got something that's serious, but you don't know
(14:30):
how serious, and you don't know what the prognosis is,
and you don't know what the right steps are along
the way. I just had to do it one step
at a time, you know, get ready for the surgery,
have the surgery, wait for the blood. First blood test,
and now I'm four blood tests in. I do every
three months get my blood tested and we look at
the PSA and I went from fifty five to zero
(14:52):
point nine to less than point zero three, which is
as low as they can measure in Otherwise you got
it's the best you could have. It's just a trace,
and as long as that we'll just keep an eye
on it. But it's the interesting thing with medical technology.
It's almost a great plan is just to procrastinate, because
the longer you can put off needing to be treated,
(15:12):
the better the treatment's going to be. They're learning so much,
and I don't know what the impact of cutting funding
is going to be to that. But I just love
the idea that I'm a guinea pig for all future
people with prostate cancer, and I'm the recipient of the
advancements resulting from all the guinea pigs that preceded me.
We're all being experimented on, and we're all benefiting from
(15:36):
the people who were experimented on before us. A lot
of people are experts at complaining and looking at things
in a negative way. I'm pretty positive. I'm so thankful.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
Rick you know, you haven't a grin from ear to ear,
which for a physician like me, that's really it's that's
the goal. You've used the word trust a few times,
and it really it's really meaningful for me, both as
having been a patient and as a healthcare provider. And
I was wondering if you could maybe give a little
(16:07):
bit of advice to our listeners about how does one
get sort of trusting in their own decisions and trusting
in the people who are really giving them information and
taking care of them, and how does that trust change
your journey?
Speaker 4 (16:21):
You know, trust in institutions is the mark of a
content and well managed society, and to make it broader
than medicine. Right now, the most well run societies on
the planet are those whose citizenry trusts their institutions. They
realize nothing's perfect, we're all in this together. We've got
to work together. And we've got an environment right now
(16:43):
where we have a president and an administration that finds
institutions to be a hindrance to more power for them,
and they're sowing distrust in our institutions and it is
a tragic thing for our future wellbeing. And it's in
many many different arenas. But in medicine, that's a great institution.
(17:05):
We've come a long way. We've got a lot to
be thankful for, a lot to invest in, a lot
to take advantage of when we do get sick. And
I just marvel at how good it is, and I
have trust in it, and I assume people who are
into that are not out to screw me. They're out
to save me. I've got other people who are they're
wired to be cynical, and they hear this on some
(17:29):
goofy information source, and they hear this from somebody else
who's a conspiracy theorist, and they don't trust medicine, and
they're going to go to Mexico because down there they
really know what's going on. Well, I don't let that
enter into my psyche. I'm almost emotional when I step
in to my doctor's office for the expertise they bring
(17:49):
to it and the love and the commitment to people's
health that they bring to it. It serves me well
that attitude, and the people in medicine deserve that attitude.
I'm sad for our society now that has so many
people that their default reaction to institutions is deep state distrust.
That's what's going to bring us down. I'm a team player,
(18:12):
you know. People need me to put their travels together,
and I need doctors to put my health together. It's
very cool. Call me when you need a good trip.
I'll call you when I've got cancer. It's a deal.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
What has your first year been like since the surgery
and has it been a history of prostate cancer in
your family?
Speaker 4 (18:32):
Well, that's the funny thing I've after I got cancer,
My sisters and cousins you know what's going on. And
we looked and it turns out my uncle at prostate
cancer when he was sixty nine years old, same age
as me when I got it. His father got prostate
cancer when he was sixty nine years old. Had I
known that, in other words, had I been more awaren
(18:55):
on the ball, I would have been tested earlier when
my PSA was different, and it would have been less
of a close call and maybe even an easier thing
to deal with. But that's my takeaway from this is
you can be well educated, you can be smart, you
can be privileged, you can do all this stuff right.
But if you're too busy enjoying life to get tested
(19:18):
ha ha, you may find yourself in a regrettable fix.
So I wanted to be public with my cancer, and
that's what I've did. And to me, it's no big deal.
People go, oh, it's so good that you're not hiding
the fact that you had cancer. People come up to
me still, I heard you've had some health issues. Oh,
(19:38):
I had to procedure. How to go? Are you feeling okay?
I had prostate cancer. I'm feeling great now and my
doctor says I can sender myself cancer free. There's nothing
to be shamed of with that. With a little two
bit celebrity I've got. I can be a good steward
of that by being public about it, because there's a
lot of people out there who are just sloppy like
(19:58):
I was. I didn't know my own collhead prostate cancer.
I was running down the hall at work, probably my
staff was going boyrick Peace a lot, and I just
thought I just drink a lot of water. But I
didn't have time to go get my blood tested. This
is very, very basic wellness to be tuned into your
body and to know that we need to get our
blood tested. When you're an older man like me, especially
(20:20):
if you've had prostate cancer in your family. So if
I can be a model for that, and if I
can remind people that the little annoyance of getting your
blood tested is a tiny price to pay to be
able to catch this nippet in the bud instead of
later when it might have metastasized, I'm happy to do that.
And as I've gone through this journey, and as a
(20:42):
travel writer, I've seen it as a journey, I have realized, Man,
I'm not alone in this. Just like there's a sisterhood
of breast cancer survivors, there's a brotherhood of prostate cancer survivors.
The interesting thing is women talk more freely to each
other and men are more guarded or less sharing, more
stoic or I don't know what the deal is. You
(21:04):
don't get any brownie points by keeping your cancer secret.
You just don't. We're all in this together. I was
just amazed and how many people who are good friends
of mine or workmates of mine and so on, who've
had prostate cancer. I didn't know it. Why did everybody
keep it secret? So I'm just trying to let people
know that, hey, it's a big part of your life story.
Share it and it'll remind other people that you will
(21:25):
be much more likely to live longer and have a
better life if you are tuned in to the importance
of older men having their blood tested for prostate cancer.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
Rick, your entire career has been about and inspiring people,
inspiring people towards adventure, towards travel, towards exploration, and you've
been flooding us today with really phenomenal pearls that I
really appreciate, and I know all our listeners do. I
want to give you a platform for that one last
piece of advice, but I wanted to be more specific,
(22:00):
which is what is the advice that you are going
to give your own son? What advice are you going
to give my son about this part of their life
and their journey forward and what they need to do
to lead a long, fruitful and healthy life.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
Well, just like a good part of adulting is making
sure you take your car in to get cleaned up
and tuned up, and just like you take good care
of the roof on your house, and just like you
make sure your kids brush their teeth. As individuals, we
need to be tuned into our own bodies. We need
to know what our family history is and what our
(22:37):
gender realities are and what our age group is all about.
And be good stewards of our bodies. Be positive, live healthy,
active lives, be curious when it comes to wellness. Know
the basics of tuning into your body. In my case,
(22:58):
in the case of men in my category, a big
part of that is prostate cancer. The statistics are huge,
and the advantage of nipping into the bud is massive,
and the consequence or the cost of getting your blood
tested is tiny. Just get your blood tested. Tell your
doctor you'll want your blood tested. Be tuned into what's
(23:20):
going on in your body, because in so many cases
we've got the technology to whoop this thing, but the
technology is not going to help you much if you
are not tuned in to what's happening in your body.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Rick, I appreciate your time very much, sir. I wish
you well on your continued journey.
Speaker 4 (23:38):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Take a brief time out. You're listening to Men's Health Matters.
I'm Neil Scott, my co host, doctor Tom Walsh, director
of the Men's Health Center at the U dub and
our guest this month is Rick Steves. We'll continue our
discussion about prostate cancer and what you can do during
November to change your health for the better. We'll do
that in just thirty seconds.
Speaker 5 (24:00):
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(24:21):
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Speaker 2 (24:30):
We're back in men's health matters. I'm Neil Scott, my
co host, director of the daw Men's Health Center, doctor
Tom Walsh. We've been visiting with acclaimed travel writer, activist,
and beloved television personality Rick Steves a look at one
man's journey through prostate cancer treatment. But now let's talk
more about the advances that are being made in prostate
cancer screenings.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
Doctor Walsh, you know, uh, Neil, this is such a
timely topic and so many of these ideas about prostate
cancer screening emerged in our in our discussion with Rick today,
which is this incredible hope that if detected early, prostate
cancer can be treated and eradicated, allow men to live
(25:11):
a life that is, you know, sort of as long
as it would be otherwise. We've often believed this, but
this idea has recently been really fortified by a new
study that was published just at the end of October
this year, and this was one of the largest studies
of its kind, and these were the twenty three year
(25:32):
results from the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer.
This was a study that began in nineteen ninety three
has enrolled over one hundred and sixty thousand men from
various locations to sort of look at if you have
a group of men who undergo prostate cancer screening with
(25:53):
a PSA versus those who don't, is there a difference?
You know, there's been this controversy should you be screened?
Is being screened more dangerous? What this clearly showed unequivocally
was that among the men who were screened, they had
a thirteen percent lower prostate cancer mortality. So for me,
(26:16):
what do I take away from this? We've long asserted
that getting your PSA, knowing your numbers matters, Getting checked matters.
It especially matters for men who have a family history,
men of certain backgrounds, but we now know that for
all men it really matters. You can reduce your risk
(26:36):
of death associated with prostate cancer significantly by being screened.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related
death for men in the United States, second only to
lung cancer. In fact, one in eight men will be
diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. You've got to
go to your doctor, and as Rick said, the general
practitioner is the gateway to all of this. This is
(27:01):
a great month with the focus on men's health. To
get your damn test done. November is the perfect time
for men to get off their best intentions and take
some actions that can ultimately help them live longer. What
are some action steps that you can recommend during this
month or any month for that matter.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
I want to challenge all of our listeners to do
just two things. Number One, learn a little bit about
your family history. Ask some you know some difficult questions
about the health of your father, your brother, maybe your uncle,
or even a grandparent if they're available. Do that before
it's too late, learn something about your own family history.
(27:43):
And then number two, take this opportunity to make your
annual appointment for screening. That should be done with your
general provider, your general health care provider, your primary health
care provider. Sometimes that'll be a doctor, sometimes it will
be a naturopathic doctor. Some times it will be an
advanced practice provider. But whoever it is, get that appointment
(28:05):
scheduled on the books. And if you're a man at
a certain age, this is a great time to be
screened for prostate cancer.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
You can find more information about November and all of
the activities going on in November, and there's quite a
few of them in the Seattle area in the Washington
area as well. Go to us dot Movember dot com
and search Seattle for a list of activities and ways
to show your support for men's health. If not now,
when well. That wraps up the November edition of Men's
(28:35):
Health Matters. To reach the Men's Health Center at the
UDUB phone two six five nine eight six three five
eight or udubmedicine dot org, forward slash Men's Health Center,
and a reminder if you have a question for my
co host, doctor Tom Walsh on any subject relating to
men's health. Please send us an email at the anonymous
inbox that's Men's Healthmatters at iHeartMedia dot com. We will
(28:58):
not reveal your identity nor retain in your email address.
On behalf of my co host, doctor Walsh and our
very special guest, travel writer and television personality Rick Steves.
I'm thanking all of you. I'm Neil Scott, wishing you
good health and good sense and matters relating to men's health.
Stay safe, live in gratitude, and be kind to one another.
(29:19):
Thanks for listening.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
You've been listening to Men's Health Matters with doctor Tom Walsh,
Associate Professor of Youurology at the University of Washington and
director of UW's Men's Health Center, and your host Neil
Scott on Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM
Welcome to Men's Health Matters with doctor Tom Walsh, director
of the University of Washington's Men's Health Center and Associate
Professor of Urology at UW, featuring important topics dealing with
men's health, including prostate cancer and erectiledys function. Now here's
your host, Neil Scott.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Welcome to the November edition of Men's Health Matters, dealing
with health issues that directly affect men. I'm Neil Scott
my co host doctor Tom Walsh, director of the Men's
Health Center, As we discuss topics focusing on men and
providing resources for immediate action. Good health, good men's health
must be priority, especially this month. November, known around the
(00:46):
world as Movember and November, has funded more than twelve
hundred and fifty men's health projects around the world, challenging
the status quo, shaking up men's health research and transforming
the way health services reach and support men, focusing on
mental health, suicide prevention, testicular cancer, and prostate cancer. How
(01:08):
are you, doctor walshon Please tell our listeners why November
is a great time to focus on men's health.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
I'm doing very well, you know. I would like to
say that November For me, I use it as sort
of this flag on my calendar. It's when I do
a lot of my own health maintenance. It's just this memory.
It's this is my time of year where I dial in,
I get my primary care doctor lined up. I was
rushing here to visit with you because I was having
(01:36):
my eyes checked. I'm fifty two years old. There's a
family history of prostate cancer in my family, so I'm
due for my PSA. Maybe do the same thing I'm doing.
This is a time to raise awareness. Maybe get involved.
Whether you're a man or you have a male loved
one in your family, think about ways you can be
an advocate and be attentive to your own health.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
This month, we will again focus on prostate cancer, including
a new research study, and visit with Rick Steves, known
for his travel guys activism and his popular television and
video presentation. Today, he's talking about a journey he took
no not to Europe, but to the U dub and
the Fred hutch Cancer Center. A very successful journey, I
(02:21):
might add, but before we talk to Rick Steves, we're
going to take a few questions from the Men's Health
Matters Anonymous inbox. It's an opportunity for listeners to send
in questions on any men's health issue to Men's Health
Matters at iHeartMedia dot com. We will not reveal your
full name or share your information. This is one hundred
percent anonymous. First up this month Michael, and he writes,
(02:43):
is there anything I can eat or supplements I can
take to increase my sperm quantity?
Speaker 3 (02:50):
It's really good question, Michael, And the truth is there
are no clear, robust, randomized controlled trials that pertain to
diet and actual sperm counts, and a lot of this
is just the challenge in conducting such studies. But what
I would tell you is eat a balanced and healthy diet.
(03:13):
The type of diet that gets the most play in
the fertility world and literature is what we generally refer
to as the Mediterranean diet, but it goes by many names.
You know, it's a diet that's low in saturated fats.
It tends to be relatively low in animal proteins, higher
and vegetable proteins. But it sort of ticks all the
(03:34):
boxes of high protein, lean, low cholesterol, and low salt.
There's no magic diet out there, but just something that
is robust as my wife would say, make sure you
got multiple colors on the plate.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
A question from Philip, is there any health screenings that
I can do at home?
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Really good question. There are certain colon cancer screenings that
are mail in tests. For example, I believe the Coliguard
test is a mail in test, But the vast majority
of really important screenings you actually have to go into
a lab or an office. It's important to talk about
the test, which screenings are necessary for you, and then
(04:19):
get some expert advice, but it may require data collected
at a health care facility. I like to say, you know,
there are some things that you could continually monitor at home,
for example, like your blood pressure, or individuals with diabetes
they monitor their blood sugar, but really these should be
in conjunction with some on site testing and.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Advice from Franklin. What are the disease risks with anal sex.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
I think that just like any form of penetrative intimacy,
similar risks of sexually transmitted infection exist for anal intercourse.
We think of things like HIV H and then with
HPV there's an associated risk of anal cancer. Now this
(05:06):
is not significantly different than other types of intercourse, but
very important. There are rare things like anal fissures or injuries,
but really you need to be thinking about sexually transmitted infections,
which would be with any form of intercourse.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
From Alfred, there is heart disease in my family. What
are the signs that I should be aware of?
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Well, I'll tell you, Alfred. What you need to know
is that cardiovascular disease generally doesn't have signs and symptoms
until it's fairly far progressed. What's really critical then becomes
routine health screenings, having your blood pressure screened, being screened
for diabetes, being screened for your cholesterol, and these are
(05:53):
things that again when your cholesterol is high, other than
when it's extremely high, these generally don't have signs or symptoms,
so it requires screenings.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Remember, if you have a question about men's health, ask
an expert, doctor Tom Walsh. He will answer your questions
each month from the anonymous inbox. Just send an email
to Men's Health Matters one word at iHeartMedia dot com.
We will use first names only and it is completely anonymous.
Our guest this month is an acclaimed American travel writer, activist,
(06:26):
and beloved television personality Rick Steves, who took an unexpected
journey a little over a year ago when doctors at
the UDUB discovered, following an unusually high PSA test of
fifty five, he had prostate cancer. Now, before we talk
to Rick, I want to share some comments that he
recently made to the UDUB newsroom about his unexpected journey.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
I've found I had prostate cancer, and it was the
first night that I think I've ever spent in a hospital.
You know, I'm all about taking trips, and this is
like a journey where I didn't have a guidebook and
I didn't speak the language, and I didn't have an
off road. I had to go through this journey and
I thought, I'm just going to tackle it like a
traveler will I had a PSA off the charts, it's
(07:13):
over fifty, you know, and it sounded horrible. It was
just all hands on deck, let's tackle this thing. But
I'm just trying to be a good patient. And it's
been as good experience as you could expect. And we
all got to be not heroes about avoiding treatment, but
smart about being on the ball and knowing what's going
on inside our bodies. And if that means a blood
(07:36):
test to see how your PSA is and your prostate situation.
I think you should do it. Because of an odd
series of events, I ended up getting tested, and it's
good I did. I realized you can be oblivious to
that when you're in a stage of your life where
you hardly ever go to the doctor, and then you
realize there's a lot of people that spend a lot
of time in these different campuses and it's ever changing, evolving,
(08:00):
and it's something that is a huge blessing for us
as we enjoy active and vital and wonderful years long
after in the past people were able to have a
good time. You go to your GP and then that's
your gateway, and then you just end up when you
need to going off to specialists and so on. But
(08:22):
I'm inclined to trust institutions. I trusted the University watching
medical system and Fred Hutchison, and I'm feeling pretty thankful
with that.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
As a backdrop, we now welcome our guest, Rick Steves, author,
television personality and a prostate cancer survivor. Doctor Walsh.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
You know, Rick, I really appreciated hearing a little bit
about your story, and I could sense that probably there
were some parts of your story that were really frightening
at different points, and now you're sort of navigated through
prostate cancer in a lot of different ways, and knowing
the anxiety idea that a lot of my patients, our
patients have. Can you share with us what was one
(09:05):
of the best decisions you made in this journey.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
One of the best decisions I made was to live
my life in a positive way, regardless of what challenges
and mysteries laid ahead, and keep a positive attitude. I
was overwhelmed with a feeling of just being thankful that
I was able to get the treatment I got, and
to not succumb to all of the crazy, well meaning
(09:30):
and loving ideas that came at me from all quarters
and just embrace conventional medicine with my doctor at Fred Hutchison,
be a good patient.
Speaker 5 (09:41):
All right.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
You were diagnosed in August and you had surgery in October.
Talk about the discussion with your doctor about the treatment options,
how you mentally prepared for the surgery and the f
word fear.
Speaker 4 (09:54):
Oh. I knew that I could shop around my treatment
options and to explore the other ways to go. And
there's probably several right answers for the cancer that I had.
I had prostate cancer with the PSA of fifty five.
My PSA was really high. Psychologically, I just I liked
my surgeon. I liked the idea of getting rid of
(10:16):
that organ that was riddled with cancer. I did not
like the idea of chemo or radiation, and I just
went with the full prostadectomy surgery. As far as fear goes,
it's just like flying. When people have a fear of flying,
it's illogical. You know there's a risk you take when
you fly, but it's tiny. Of course, the risk with
cancer is greater. But I just thought, fear doesn't help me.
(10:38):
I've got a cancer that a lot of people wish
they had, who have cancer, and we've got wonderful technology
to get me through this. I have a strong personal faith.
I was in good hands in every conceivable way, and
I was just thankful I discovered it when I did,
and I had a good surgeon and good medical technology,
tax payer funded medical technology. I got to say and
(11:01):
remind people fear wasn't an option. I had a positive attitude.
My number was up. I had never spent a night
in the hospital for seventy years, and I've long known
one day coming up, I'm going to hit a bump
in the road, and this happened to be prostate cancer.
And I'm thankful to be able to consider myself cancer
free right now. According to my surgeon, I.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Love it that you say you had a cancer that
a lot of people who are diagnosed with cancer wish
that they had. As a man in his fifties, I've
heard this same thing said to me, and I think
it's quite amazing because you've hit on something that we
know is true, which is that prostate cancer, when detected,
is curable. So now that you are at this station
(11:47):
of your treatment, what does the future hold for you
as a prostate cancer survivor.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Well, the future holds for me everything that it held
for me if I didn't have cancer. I mean, I'm
approaching the future as somebody who is mortal, who is old,
who is privileged and has access to great health care,
and is together enough to know that I need to
(12:15):
have a healthy lifestyle and attitude is a big part
of things. I'm reminded that life is fragile. We don't
have any guarantees. I've already had a full life. If
I died tomorrow, I'd have no complaints, no grounds for complaints,
But I fully expect to live many more years and
have lots of travels ahead of me. My approach is
(12:35):
just more. I'm more mindful of how beautiful life is,
how fragile our environment is, how fragile our community is,
how fragile my health is. It's amazing when everything goes well,
and we all got to be realistic. We've got to
be smart. We got to work together and trust each other.
I'm more filled with hopes and dreams now than I've
(12:57):
ever been in my memory.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
What led you do you have your PSA test? Had
you been getting regular checkups?
Speaker 4 (13:04):
No? What led me to get my blood test? It
was I changed doctors, and there is a I don't
fault my previous doctor. I really liked him, but there
was a feeling that, you know, people who don't have
a family history of cancer shouldn't necessarily be worried about
prostate cancer because there's complicated reasons. But the way I
(13:25):
understand it, it's more dangerous to be responding to tests
or getting the test than to ignoring yourself. But whatever
the case, I got a new doctor and he said,
let's get your blood tested and I said, all right.
And at my first meeting with this doctor, it was
all about wellness. I'm seventy, I'm feeling great. I'm very
(13:47):
excited about the seventies, and I'm going to exercise and
I'm going to eat healthy and do some all this
yoga and everything. Two days later it went from wellness
to survival when he called me up and he said,
sit down, I got something very important to talk to
you about. You've got not only do you have prostate cancer,
you've got raging prostate cancer with a PSA of fifty five.
(14:08):
I didn't know what PSA was, so that was a
public service announcement. That was pretty pretty much a jolt,
and my whole outlook went from, you know, from wellness
to survival, serious business to attend to. I was just
took it step at a time, trusted my doctor. The
weird thing about it is you're in a limbo. You
know you got something that's serious, but you don't know
(14:30):
how serious, and you don't know what the prognosis is,
and you don't know what the right steps are along
the way. I just had to do it one step
at a time, you know, get ready for the surgery,
have the surgery, wait for the blood. First blood test,
and now I'm four blood tests in. I do every
three months get my blood tested and we look at
the PSA and I went from fifty five to zero
(14:52):
point nine to less than point zero three, which is
as low as they can measure in Otherwise you got
it's the best you could have. It's just a trace,
and as long as that we'll just keep an eye
on it. But it's the interesting thing with medical technology.
It's almost a great plan is just to procrastinate, because
the longer you can put off needing to be treated,
(15:12):
the better the treatment's going to be. They're learning so much,
and I don't know what the impact of cutting funding
is going to be to that. But I just love
the idea that I'm a guinea pig for all future
people with prostate cancer, and I'm the recipient of the
advancements resulting from all the guinea pigs that preceded me.
We're all being experimented on, and we're all benefiting from
(15:36):
the people who were experimented on before us. A lot
of people are experts at complaining and looking at things
in a negative way. I'm pretty positive. I'm so thankful.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
Rick you know, you haven't a grin from ear to ear,
which for a physician like me, that's really it's that's
the goal. You've used the word trust a few times,
and it really it's really meaningful for me, both as
having been a patient and as a healthcare provider. And
I was wondering if you could maybe give a little
(16:07):
bit of advice to our listeners about how does one
get sort of trusting in their own decisions and trusting
in the people who are really giving them information and
taking care of them, and how does that trust change
your journey?
Speaker 4 (16:21):
You know, trust in institutions is the mark of a
content and well managed society, and to make it broader
than medicine. Right now, the most well run societies on
the planet are those whose citizenry trusts their institutions. They
realize nothing's perfect, we're all in this together. We've got
to work together. And we've got an environment right now
(16:43):
where we have a president and an administration that finds
institutions to be a hindrance to more power for them,
and they're sowing distrust in our institutions and it is
a tragic thing for our future wellbeing. And it's in
many many different arenas. But in medicine, that's a great institution.
(17:05):
We've come a long way. We've got a lot to
be thankful for, a lot to invest in, a lot
to take advantage of when we do get sick. And
I just marvel at how good it is, and I
have trust in it, and I assume people who are
into that are not out to screw me. They're out
to save me. I've got other people who are they're
wired to be cynical, and they hear this on some
(17:29):
goofy information source, and they hear this from somebody else
who's a conspiracy theorist, and they don't trust medicine, and
they're going to go to Mexico because down there they
really know what's going on. Well, I don't let that
enter into my psyche. I'm almost emotional when I step
in to my doctor's office for the expertise they bring
(17:49):
to it and the love and the commitment to people's
health that they bring to it. It serves me well
that attitude, and the people in medicine deserve that attitude.
I'm sad for our society now that has so many
people that their default reaction to institutions is deep state distrust.
That's what's going to bring us down. I'm a team player,
(18:12):
you know. People need me to put their travels together,
and I need doctors to put my health together. It's
very cool. Call me when you need a good trip.
I'll call you when I've got cancer. It's a deal.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
What has your first year been like since the surgery
and has it been a history of prostate cancer in
your family?
Speaker 4 (18:32):
Well, that's the funny thing I've after I got cancer,
My sisters and cousins you know what's going on. And
we looked and it turns out my uncle at prostate
cancer when he was sixty nine years old, same age
as me when I got it. His father got prostate
cancer when he was sixty nine years old. Had I
known that, in other words, had I been more awaren
(18:55):
on the ball, I would have been tested earlier when
my PSA was different, and it would have been less
of a close call and maybe even an easier thing
to deal with. But that's my takeaway from this is
you can be well educated, you can be smart, you
can be privileged, you can do all this stuff right.
But if you're too busy enjoying life to get tested
(19:18):
ha ha, you may find yourself in a regrettable fix.
So I wanted to be public with my cancer, and
that's what I've did. And to me, it's no big deal.
People go, oh, it's so good that you're not hiding
the fact that you had cancer. People come up to
me still, I heard you've had some health issues. Oh,
(19:38):
I had to procedure. How to go? Are you feeling okay?
I had prostate cancer. I'm feeling great now and my
doctor says I can sender myself cancer free. There's nothing
to be shamed of with that. With a little two
bit celebrity I've got. I can be a good steward
of that by being public about it, because there's a
lot of people out there who are just sloppy like
(19:58):
I was. I didn't know my own collhead prostate cancer.
I was running down the hall at work, probably my
staff was going boyrick Peace a lot, and I just
thought I just drink a lot of water. But I
didn't have time to go get my blood tested. This
is very, very basic wellness to be tuned into your
body and to know that we need to get our
blood tested. When you're an older man like me, especially
(20:20):
if you've had prostate cancer in your family. So if
I can be a model for that, and if I
can remind people that the little annoyance of getting your
blood tested is a tiny price to pay to be
able to catch this nippet in the bud instead of
later when it might have metastasized, I'm happy to do that.
And as I've gone through this journey, and as a
(20:42):
travel writer, I've seen it as a journey, I have realized, Man,
I'm not alone in this. Just like there's a sisterhood
of breast cancer survivors, there's a brotherhood of prostate cancer survivors.
The interesting thing is women talk more freely to each
other and men are more guarded or less sharing, more
stoic or I don't know what the deal is. You
(21:04):
don't get any brownie points by keeping your cancer secret.
You just don't. We're all in this together. I was
just amazed and how many people who are good friends
of mine or workmates of mine and so on, who've
had prostate cancer. I didn't know it. Why did everybody
keep it secret? So I'm just trying to let people
know that, hey, it's a big part of your life story.
Share it and it'll remind other people that you will
(21:25):
be much more likely to live longer and have a
better life if you are tuned in to the importance
of older men having their blood tested for prostate cancer.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
Rick, your entire career has been about and inspiring people,
inspiring people towards adventure, towards travel, towards exploration, and you've
been flooding us today with really phenomenal pearls that I
really appreciate, and I know all our listeners do. I
want to give you a platform for that one last
piece of advice, but I wanted to be more specific,
(22:00):
which is what is the advice that you are going
to give your own son? What advice are you going
to give my son about this part of their life
and their journey forward and what they need to do
to lead a long, fruitful and healthy life.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
Well, just like a good part of adulting is making
sure you take your car in to get cleaned up
and tuned up, and just like you take good care
of the roof on your house, and just like you
make sure your kids brush their teeth. As individuals, we
need to be tuned into our own bodies. We need
to know what our family history is and what our
(22:37):
gender realities are and what our age group is all about.
And be good stewards of our bodies. Be positive, live healthy,
active lives, be curious when it comes to wellness. Know
the basics of tuning into your body. In my case,
(22:58):
in the case of men in my category, a big
part of that is prostate cancer. The statistics are huge,
and the advantage of nipping into the bud is massive,
and the consequence or the cost of getting your blood
tested is tiny. Just get your blood tested. Tell your
doctor you'll want your blood tested. Be tuned into what's
(23:20):
going on in your body, because in so many cases
we've got the technology to whoop this thing, but the
technology is not going to help you much if you
are not tuned in to what's happening in your body.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Rick, I appreciate your time very much, sir. I wish
you well on your continued journey.
Speaker 4 (23:38):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Take a brief time out. You're listening to Men's Health Matters.
I'm Neil Scott, my co host, doctor Tom Walsh, director
of the Men's Health Center at the U dub and
our guest this month is Rick Steves. We'll continue our
discussion about prostate cancer and what you can do during
November to change your health for the better. We'll do
that in just thirty seconds.
Speaker 5 (24:00):
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procedures can contribute to a rectile dysfunction? Many men aren't
aware of this or of all the treatment options that
a board certified urologists can offer. Understand your options and
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to help. Visit edcure dot com or called two O
six two two two O three twenty three to get
(24:21):
more information. Again, that's edcure dot com or called two
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by Boston Scientific.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
We're back in men's health matters. I'm Neil Scott, my
co host, director of the daw Men's Health Center, doctor
Tom Walsh. We've been visiting with acclaimed travel writer, activist,
and beloved television personality Rick Steves a look at one
man's journey through prostate cancer treatment. But now let's talk
more about the advances that are being made in prostate
cancer screenings.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
Doctor Walsh, you know, uh, Neil, this is such a
timely topic and so many of these ideas about prostate
cancer screening emerged in our in our discussion with Rick today,
which is this incredible hope that if detected early, prostate
cancer can be treated and eradicated, allow men to live
(25:11):
a life that is, you know, sort of as long
as it would be otherwise. We've often believed this, but
this idea has recently been really fortified by a new
study that was published just at the end of October
this year, and this was one of the largest studies
of its kind, and these were the twenty three year
(25:32):
results from the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer.
This was a study that began in nineteen ninety three
has enrolled over one hundred and sixty thousand men from
various locations to sort of look at if you have
a group of men who undergo prostate cancer screening with
(25:53):
a PSA versus those who don't, is there a difference?
You know, there's been this controversy should you be screened?
Is being screened more dangerous? What this clearly showed unequivocally
was that among the men who were screened, they had
a thirteen percent lower prostate cancer mortality. So for me,
(26:16):
what do I take away from this? We've long asserted
that getting your PSA, knowing your numbers matters, Getting checked matters.
It especially matters for men who have a family history,
men of certain backgrounds, but we now know that for
all men it really matters. You can reduce your risk
(26:36):
of death associated with prostate cancer significantly by being screened.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related
death for men in the United States, second only to
lung cancer. In fact, one in eight men will be
diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. You've got to
go to your doctor, and as Rick said, the general
practitioner is the gateway to all of this. This is
(27:01):
a great month with the focus on men's health. To
get your damn test done. November is the perfect time
for men to get off their best intentions and take
some actions that can ultimately help them live longer. What
are some action steps that you can recommend during this
month or any month for that matter.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
I want to challenge all of our listeners to do
just two things. Number One, learn a little bit about
your family history. Ask some you know some difficult questions
about the health of your father, your brother, maybe your uncle,
or even a grandparent if they're available. Do that before
it's too late, learn something about your own family history.
(27:43):
And then number two, take this opportunity to make your
annual appointment for screening. That should be done with your
general provider, your general health care provider, your primary health
care provider. Sometimes that'll be a doctor, sometimes it will
be a naturopathic doctor. Some times it will be an
advanced practice provider. But whoever it is, get that appointment
(28:05):
scheduled on the books. And if you're a man at
a certain age, this is a great time to be
screened for prostate cancer.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
You can find more information about November and all of
the activities going on in November, and there's quite a
few of them in the Seattle area in the Washington
area as well. Go to us dot Movember dot com
and search Seattle for a list of activities and ways
to show your support for men's health. If not now,
when well. That wraps up the November edition of Men's
(28:35):
Health Matters. To reach the Men's Health Center at the
UDUB phone two six five nine eight six three five
eight or udubmedicine dot org, forward slash Men's Health Center,
and a reminder if you have a question for my
co host, doctor Tom Walsh on any subject relating to
men's health. Please send us an email at the anonymous
inbox that's Men's Healthmatters at iHeartMedia dot com. We will
(28:58):
not reveal your identity nor retain in your email address.
On behalf of my co host, doctor Walsh and our
very special guest, travel writer and television personality Rick Steves.
I'm thanking all of you. I'm Neil Scott, wishing you
good health and good sense and matters relating to men's health.
Stay safe, live in gratitude, and be kind to one another.
(29:19):
Thanks for listening.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
You've been listening to Men's Health Matters with doctor Tom Walsh,
Associate Professor of Youurology at the University of Washington and
director of UW's Men's Health Center, and your host Neil
Scott on Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM
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