The Blue Ribbon Challenge: What Every Man Needs to Know About Prostate Cancer

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Prostate cancer remains in the shadows compared to other cancers despite being the leading cause of death in men. The episode sheds light on this critical health issue, offering education on risk factors, symptoms, diagnostic methods, treatment options, and ways to support those affected.

• Prostate cancer primarily affects men over 50, with the average diagnosis age being 68
• African American/Black men face significantly higher risks of diagnosis and mortality from this disease
• Early stages typically show no symptoms, making regular screening vital for at-risk individuals
• Diagnosis methods include PSA blood tests, digital rectal exams, biopsies, and various imaging techniques
• Treatment options range from active surveillance to surgery, radiation, hormone therapy, and newer approaches
• Support for patients includes education, emotional support groups, and practical assistance from loved ones
• Simple gestures like encouraging texts, rides to appointments, and just listening can make a significant difference
• The Blue Ribbon Challenge encourages wearing blue and sharing on social media to raise awareness

More information about Prostate Cancer:
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/prostate-cancer.html

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Episode Transcript

Wondra Spencer (00:01):
Welcome to the Motivational Fuel Podcast.
weekly dose of inspiration,empowerment and real talk.
Whether you're tuning in frommy YouTube channel or listening
on your favorite podcastplatform, I am so grateful for
your presence.
Your decision to join thiscommunity fills me with joy.
I am thrilled to have you here.

(00:21):
I am your host, Wondra, thefounder of Inspire and Drive LLC
, and a firm believer inmotivation from within.
This podcast is designed touplift anyone seeking stability,
clarity and a sense of purpose.
I want to explore with you love, health, self-care, lifestyle,

(00:44):
finances, personal growth andspirituality.
Alongside the incrediblelisteners like you, I share
stories and insights that helpyou rise, reset and refocus,
both professionally andpersonally.
So grab your coffee, tea orwater, take a deep breath and
let's fuel your drive from theinside out.

(01:06):
Today's episode September is aProstate Cancer Awareness Month,
and this is a new episode thatI want to share with you, and it
is what every man should knowabout prostate cancer.
This topic engages everyone andit's for all individuals, all

(01:28):
races.
All men can participate in thisdiscussion.
It is time to do it.
If you're listening to thispodcast and it's not September,
I want you to still encourageyourself to get a checkup with
your provider.
Encourage your family and yourfriends because your health is

(01:51):
important.
Your action calendar month overmonth so you can stay active
January schedule your annualcheckup.
In March you can join a supportgroup, watch some webinars.
In June, revisit your lifestylegoals such as nutrition and
exercise.
In September, the ProstateCancer Awareness Month, you can

(02:12):
share resources, podcasts likethis one, and you can wear the
color blue.
I will share information aboutrisk, symptoms, diagnosis,
treatment and you can supporteach other with letters, cards
and just listening to thatindividual.
If you know about prostatecancer, you can send me an email

(02:34):
, a direct message at WondraSpencer, or email support at
wondraspencercom dot com, wherethere is a lot of conversation
about breast cancer.
We can see these campaigns andads on the television and
throughout social media.

(02:56):
So the topic around prostatecancer?
It can be in the shadows.
The difference is a lot ofpeople don't know about it.
They don't know about thesymptoms or treatment available
for prostate cancer and man,they just don't talk about it.
Less attention compared toother cancers.
But it is critical to raiseawareness about this disease,

(03:35):
educate oneself about riskfactors and encourage open
discussions to promote earlydetection and effective
management.
We are shining light on thistopic because it affects
millions.
It can be overlooked.
With the men in our lives, wewant to support them.
We want to share the earlydetection, the awareness.
If you are a prostate cancersurvivor, thank you.

(03:57):
If you're a caregiver takingcare of someone, thank you.
If you definitely want to learnmore about this topic, this
conversation is for you.
So please keep going, shareyour story and support each
other, because you got this.

(04:18):
What is prostate cancer?
Tumor that develops in theprostate gland is a small
walnut-shaped organ in men thatproduces the semen of fluid to

(04:40):
nourish and transfer semen.
The cancer in men from 65 to 74.
The middle age is 68.
So prostate cancer is theleading causing death of men.
I repeat, it is the leadingcausing death of men, which is
prostate cancer.
This is definitely aneye-opener for me.

(05:02):
It is not being discussed andit needs to be addressed.
Some of the myths andmisconceptions you hear.
Some people say prostate canceronly affects older men.
If I don't have any symptoms,I'm fine.
Screening is painful orunnecessary.
Only family history matters.

(05:22):
I encourage you to takeproactive steps for your health.
So who's at risk?
Any man that is over the age of50 that has a family history of
prostate cancer.
I want you to make your medicalappointment quickly.
So if you do some math, 2025minus 50 is 1975.

(05:46):
So 1975 and older.
If you have a family history ofprostate cancer, call your
provider and get a scheduledappointment.
You can review your license oridentification, because you can
forget your age and it will haveyour birth date on it.
You can forget your age and itwill have your birth date on it.

(06:08):
Black men, african American men, face a significantly higher
risk of diagnosis and dying fromthis cancer.
So look this up because a lotof people don't know that, but
black men, african American men,face a higher risk of diagnosis
and dying from this cancer.
If you have a family history ofprostate cancer or breast

(06:29):
cancer, if you have differentgenetic mutations, you can ask
your provider about it and seekgenetic counseling.
If you have a family history ofit, your different symptoms they
can be silent, but early stageof prostate cancer usually have

(06:51):
no symptoms, which is whyscreening is vital.
As it progresses, your symptomsmay include painful ejaculation
, blood in the urine or semen,difficulty urine or a weak urine
flow, bone pain.
That means that is in theadvanced stages.

(07:12):
And how it's diagnosed, whichis your psa prostate-specific
antigen levels.
That's a simple blood testwhere they will take the blood
from you and it's mostly by theprostate that may be found an
increased amount of blood in menthat has prostate cancer.

(07:36):
The level of the PSA may behigher in men, which is an
infection or inflammation of theprostate, It enlarges over
time, and the enlargement canput pressure on the urethra, the
tube that carries urine fromthe bladder to the outside of
the body, and it can lead tourinary problems.
the BPH, which is the benignprostate hyperplasia, which is
an enlarged, non-cancerousprostate, and with this
condition it is located in theprostate gland which is below

(08:01):
the bladder in men.
So which is frequent urination, difficulty starting or
stopping urination, a weak urineflow like trickling urine and

(08:27):
it feels like the bladder is notempty.
So that's your PSA blood test.
Your digital rectum exam thatcan check for anything abnormal.
Your doctor can put on a glove,put some lubrication on the
finger and check your rectum andfeels the rectum and anus and

(08:50):
the prostate in males andchecking for anything that's
abnormal.
Your biopsy it confirms cancerand determines the
aggressiveness.
Your imaging, which is your MRI, your CT or your bone scans
that can reveal the spread ofthe cancer.

(09:11):
Your different treatment options.
So your treatment demands forthis cancer stages and
aggressiveness.
Your active surveillance forslow growing cases.
Your surgery your prostatectomy, which can remove all a part of
your prostate gland.
Your radiation therapy hormonetherapy your cryosurgery is a

(09:35):
cold liquid nitrogen thatfreezes away the cancers.
Your chemotherapy immunetherapy for advanced cases.
They do have many clinicaltrials to talk to your provider
and they have a ton of newtechnology that's available and

(09:57):
you can ask your provider aboutit.
So make sure you explore all ofyour treatment options so you
can seek support from prostatecancer.
So you can seek support fromprostate cancer.
Your education can beunderstanding the diagnosis,
your treatment, the side effects, and it definitely Prostate
Cancer Foundation.

(10:17):
It has provides webinars.
You can listen to patientstories and seek support groups.

(10:40):
The emotional and peer support.
Your support groups.
That can be online or in person.
They are a safe space to shareyour fears.
They are a safe space to shareyour fears, your victories and
your advice.
And don't be afraid to join thelocal and online and in-person
support teams and you canbenefit from these by connecting
to others who understand theemotional toll on supporting a

(11:04):
loved one on supporting a lovedone.
You can listen to each otheremotions, listening without any
minimizing or validating.
Your family can support you bysmall and simple gestures, by
sending a text, flowers or evenperforming acts of service.

(11:25):
If they are someone who hascancer and they're still working
, you can support them.
And you can talk to youremployer and see the steps that
they have in supporting you withprostate cancer in any support
groups, because they are there.

(11:46):
So simple yet some powerfulacts of supports in your text
messages.
If you're checking on someonewho has prostate cancer, you can
add thinking of you.
You got this.
Let me know if you needanything.
I'm here.
I just wanted to remind you ofhow strong you are, or even just

(12:08):
a short message to someone tolet them know that they are not
alone.
So you can send flowers andcare packages, a flower with a
card on it saying for yourstrength, your hope and healing.
You can write a special letter.
You can send something throughthe mail online they have these

(12:30):
online cards and you can send abox with different snacks in it,
some cozy socks, journals,puzzle books or even a nice book
to read, and you can includesomething personal, like a photo
, a memory to lift their spirits.
Even packing a basket of apples, bananas, fruits, different

(12:53):
things like that.
Your acts of some service can beoffering to drive them to and
from their appointments orpicking them up from their
appointments.
You can cook a meal or drop offsome groceries.
You can help with differenterrands, such as child care or

(13:14):
dog care.
We can ease their load.
Or you can just sit and listenand say nothing because this is
some critical and valuable timeand it will lift their spirits.
Even cleaning their home thatcan be helpful to to that
individual.
The clinical support you want tohave a strong team of providers

(13:37):
nurses, social workers,supportive family members and
friends and mental healthprofessionals and just be open
and listening to theircommunication because it can
make you feel seen and heard,share your complex decisions,
your information and if you donot have that support from your

(13:59):
providers, the healthcareprofessionals, families,
families and friends find thatsupport so you can support
yourself, your self-care andlifestyle support.
This can be with your nutrition, exercise and stress management
.
It can take a role in seekingrecovery and long-term health.

(14:21):
You can walk 30 minutes a dayonce you're feeling great too,
you can help with weight loss,stress anxiety and you can take
that time to think for yourselfand just to relax.
You can take the time tode-stress by doing these things,
such as smelling the fresh air,getting eight hours of sleep,

(14:45):
practicing relaxation, and youhave your mindfulness practices,
such as your counseling thatcan help you manage anxiety and
depression.
And you can try meditation.
I have a quick three minutemeditation that's on my YouTube
channel.
It's about three minutes andtwo seconds and it is on YouTube

(15:08):
that you can check out.
So your support if you'resupporting someone that has
prostate cancer, you can askwhat do you need today?
Say I am here to listen.
Remind them that they're notalone in this process.
Mental health make sure youcheck on their and your mental

(15:31):
health.
Create a space to talk aboutthe anxiety around the diagnosis
, depression, doing treatment.
Men they can discuss manhoodand openness.
Therapy and counseling can helptoo.
So it is time to talk aboutprostate cancer, because many
men do not want to talk aboutthis type of cancer.

(15:54):
You want to make sure yourfamily, your friends, are there
in your life so they can behealthy and enjoy the life
experiences.
The action plan is to sharesome of these tips with the men
in your life and encourage themto share with others.
Contact your local provider'soffice, share an appointment If

(16:17):
needed.
Bring a support team with youIf you cannot get into the
doctor's office.
A lot of times, the providersthey're changing their
appointments to the weekends tosupport all of their high volume
scheduling and to help everypatient that's on their schedule
.
Before you visit your doctor,write down all of your

(16:38):
medications, your aches, yourpains, anything that you're
going through, so your providercan support you and take a
support team.
Maybe you're not understandingor you're not in the mood for it
.
Take someone that can meet youat the location or can take you

(16:59):
there.
Just build you a great supportteam and put this appointment at
the top of your list, becauseyour life and your health
matters.
Whether you're a survivor or acaregiver or simply someone who
wants to learn more aboutprostate cancer, please visit

(17:23):
Cancer.
ProstateCancerorg.
I want you to please keep going, share your story, support each
other because you can do this.
You can review the Cancer.
org and search for prostate.
Let's help each other thismonth and other months.

(17:44):
Please take a picture of youwearing your blue and supporting
prostate cancer with thehashtag Blue Ribbon Challenge
and tag it to my podcast.
Thank you for listening to thispodcast and your ongoing
support.
Get ready to celebrate NationalHuman Resources Day.

(18:06):
I invite you to share a specialupdate highlighting the
remarkable contributions of yourHR team.
Let's come together to showcasetheir hard work and dedication.
You can purchase my books on mywebsite and at local retailers.
Let's come together to showcasethe hard work and dedication

(18:30):
you can purchase my books on mywebsite and at local retailers.
And I want you to remember youhave this.
Your power, your story and yourspirit matters.
The podcast is Motivation fromWithin, brought to you by the
Inspire and Drive team.
If today's episode spoke to you, subscribe to my YouTube
channel and my Motivational foryou podcast, and it is on many

(18:51):
stations where you can subscribe.
You can follow me on Facebook,instagram, tiktok X, linkedin,
alignable, and you can do lookme up at Wondra Spencer.
I see that my listeners aretuning in from all around the
world.
I am so grateful for each andevery one of you.

(19:12):
You can see my email directmessage and I will send one back
to you, and I will send oneback to you and I can even shout
you out on the next episode.
So for my prostate cancersurvivors, thank you so much for
listening to this.
I hope this uplifts yourspirits and share your story

(19:35):
with others.
Until next time, protect yourenergy, honor your growth and
keep driving forward.
Have a great day.