My dad was 62 when he first mentioned having trouble sleeping through the night. "Getting up three times to pee," he grumbled over coffee one morning. "Must be all that beer catching up with me." We laughed it off. Six months later, he was sitting across from Dr. Chen, hearing the words no man wants to hear: "You have prostate cancer."

But here's what happened next that might surprise you. Dad didn't die. Hell, he didn't even get particularly sick. Three years later, he's playing golf twice a week and complaining about his short game just like always. His cancer? Gone. Completely cured.

That's the thing about prostate cancer that nobody talks about enough. While the word "cancer" still makes your blood run cold, prostate cancer isn't the death sentence it used to be. Not even close. In fact, if you're going to get cancer—and nobody wants to—prostate cancer might just be your best bet for beating it.

Let's Talk Numbers That Actually Matter

When doctors throw around survival statistics, they love their five-year numbers. But honestly? Five years doesn't tell you much when you're 55 and planning to see your grandkids graduate college. What you really want to know is whether you'll die from this thing or die with it years down the road from something completely unrelated.

Here's what the data actually shows, and I'm not talking about some cherry-picked study. I'm talking about real-world outcomes from thousands of men. If they catch your prostate cancer before it spreads outside the prostate—and they catch most cases this early—your chances of being alive and cancer-free in ten years are better than 98%. That's not "managing your disease" or "living with cancer." That's being cured.

Even when the cancer has spread a little bit to nearby areas, we're still talking about cure rates above 90%. These aren't feel-good numbers meant to make you optimistic. They're based on decades of following men through their treatment and beyond.

Tom Rodriguez learned this firsthand when his PSA came back elevated during his annual physical. At 59, he figured he was looking at a death sentence. "I went home and started planning my funeral," he told me over lunch last month. "Wrote letters to my kids, the whole dramatic thing." His urologist found cancer, but it was contained. After surgery, his PSA dropped to zero and has stayed there for four years. "I wasted three weeks thinking I was dying when I should have been researching which surgeon had the best track record."

The reason these cure rates keep getting better isn't just improved treatment—though that's part of it. It's that we've gotten smarter about figuring out which cancers actually need aggressive treatment and which ones we can watch carefully without rushing into surgery or radiation.

See, not all prostate cancers behave the same way. Some grow so slowly that you'll die of old age long before they cause problems. Others are more aggressive and need immediate attention. The trick is telling them apart, and we've gotten much better at that over the past decade.

Dr. Lisa Hartman, who's been treating prostate cancer for 15 years, puts it this way: "Twenty years ago, we treated every prostate cancer like it was going to kill you next month. Now we can predict which ones will sit quietly for years and which ones mean business. That's why our cure rates look so good—we're not over-treating the slow growers, and we're hitting the aggressive ones hard and fast."

Recognizing the Warning Signs (And Why Most Men Miss Them)

The frustrating thing about prostate cancer symptoms is that they sneak up on you. Unlike a heart attack or a broken bone, prostate cancer doesn't announce itself with drama. It whispers. And most of us guys are pretty good at ignoring whispers, especially when they're coming from below the belt.

The most common early signs revolve around what happens when you try to pee. But here's the catch: these same symptoms happen to almost every man as he gets older, cancer or no cancer. Your prostate naturally gets bigger as you age—it's called benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH for short. Both BPH and prostate cancer can make it harder to start urinating, weaken your stream, or have you getting up multiple times during the night.

Mike Sullivan noticed he was waking up twice a night to use the bathroom instead of his usual once. "My wife joked that I was getting old," he says. "I figured she was right." Over the next few months, it became three times, then four. His stream got weaker, and sometimes he felt like he wasn't completely emptying his bladder. "I kept putting off going to the doctor because, honestly, what guy wants to talk about his dick not working right?"

When Mike finally went to see his family doctor, a quick PSA test and physical exam led to a referral to a urologist. A biopsy confirmed prostate cancer, but caught it early enough for a complete cure through surgery. "The urologist told me that if I'd waited another year or two, we might have been looking at a very different conversation."

Other symptoms can include blood in your urine or semen, though this scares the hell out of most men and usually gets them to the doctor quickly. Sometimes there's pain with ejaculation or difficulty getting or maintaining an erection. But here's what's tricky: all of these can happen for other reasons too. The only way to know for sure is to get checked out.

As the cancer progresses—and remember, we're talking about cases where it's not caught early—you might start feeling pain in your back, hips, or pelvis. This usually means the cancer has spread to your bones, which obviously changes the treatment approach significantly. Some men experience unexplained weight loss or fatigue, but these are typically later signs.

The bottom line is this: if you're having urinary symptoms that persist for more than a few weeks, don't assume it's just getting older. Yeah, it might be. But it might not be. And the difference between catching prostate cancer early and catching it late can literally be the difference between a complete cure and managing a chronic disease for the rest of your life.

The Screening Debate: Why Some Doctors Disagree (And What You Should Do About It)

This is where things can get somewhat convoluted, and honestly, one of the most vexing aspects of prostate cancer for both patients and doctors. The medical community cannot fully agree upon the age that men should begin to be screened and how often.

This controversy stems from the PSA test, which is a blood test that measures prostate-specific antigen. When PSA levels are abnormally high, this suggests the possible presence of prostate cancer. However, an elevated PSA can also suggest a myriad of unrelated things: benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate), prostate infection, recent ejaculation, or even riding a bike. The reality is that some men with prostate cancer can have normal PSA levels, while some men with extremely high PSA levels have no cancer at all.

This led to what physicians refer to as "overdiagnosis," which means discovering cancers that would not have ever caused a problem, and treating them unnecessarily. Men underwent surgical or radiation treatment for prostate cancers that would be contained quietly in their prostates for years, or decades, not causing any issue and not impacting the man's life. Then there were the side-effects from treatments (potential incontinence and erectile dysfunction) that were equal to, or even worse than the disease itself.

Because of this, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has gone back and forth in making recommendations regarding PSA screening. At one point during the past decade, they recommended against screening in nearly all men. This caused confusion for men, and ultimately led some men to stop screening altogether, and there were aggressive cancers missed in some, and others who developed aggressive cancers that could have been detected sooner with regular screening.

At the current time, the recommendation is for men to have an informed conversation with their physician about the potential for PSA screening around the age of 50 or younger if they are at risk. The operative phrase is "informed conversation." This is not a decision that you come to alone, nor is it a decision that your physician makes for you.It’s a discussion where you compare your individual risk factors with the possible benefits and harms of screening.

African American men have a really tough situation. They are more likely to develop prostate cancer, they have more aggressive disease, and die more frequently from the disease compared to other men. For these men, discussions about screening should probably occur at age 45 or even at age 40 if there is a family history of prostate cancer.

Family history matters for all men. If you have a father or brother with prostate cancer, your risk is close to doubled; if you have multiple family members, particularly if they were younger when diagnosed, then your risk is even higher. Some men have gene defects, like BRCA2 (which many people associate with breast cancer), which increase the risk of developing prostate cancer.

The space for genetic testing has exploded in recent years. Companies have developed tests to assess the risk of developing prostate cancer in men based on multiple genes. While this testing is not perfect, it can help inform screening decisions and give a more precise individual risk assessment.

Dr. James Park, a urologist in Phoenix, describes the current situation: "What I tell my patients is that PSA screening is not perfect, but it's the best we have right now. The important thing to understand is that a positive PSA does not mean you automatically have cancer, and a negative PSA does not mean you will never get cancer."This is one data point that is considered along with everything else we know about you to make the best decision."

Treatment Options: Surgery to "Watch and Wait"

When a man is initially diagnosed with prostate cancer, the options can be overwhelming. The benefit of multiple options is that the physician will be able to tailor treatment to each individual based on the case, medical history, age, and preferences. The drawback of options is that it will likely come with some difficult decisions.

For many men with localized prostate cancer, surgery is considered to be the standard of care. A radical prostatectomy refers to the procedure to remove the prostate itself, and when performed by a surgeon who is skilled in performing the procedure and other factors, the cure rates are exceptional. You should find it interesting that surgery has changed dramatically in the last twenty years. Most procedures, or prostatectomies, performed today are robotic - offering greater precision for the surgeon, generally less blood loss, shorter length of stay, and quicker recovery.

Robert Chen was age 56 when he underwent his robotic surgery. "The doctor showed me the little incisions where the robot arms go in," he recalled. "I was in the hospital for one night, and I went back to work in two weeks." Since surgery, he has had an undetectable PSA for three years, which indicates no remaining cancer, and "the most difficult part was the catheter for a week in the hospital," he commented. "After that, just getting back into shape."

On the other hand, surgery is not appropriate for everyone. There are men that have similar cure rates to surgery that receive radiation. In fact, radiation may be a better option for older men or men with comorbidities that do not want to have surgery. Most generally, external beam radiation is precise with the newer developments in radiotherapy. Newer techniques of external beam radiation therapy, for example, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, can direct radiation dose to the prostate but limit exposure to adjacent organs.

Brachytherapy or seed implantation is also a treatment modality and has to do with seeds placed directly into the prostate. This gives the treating physician the ability to deliver a considerably high radiation dose to the cancer but limit exposure to the adjacent organs. Most often, this is done as an outpatient procedure, and the vast majority of men return to normal activities in a few days.

Then, there can be men who are treated with a combination of methods. In the case of "high-risk" cancer, the possible treatment is external beam radiation therapy plus hormone therapy, or external beam radiation therapy plus brachytherapy (seeds). Combination methodologies can have better "cure" for cancers not well controlled with just one treatment or approach.

Finally, we have active surveillance, which may be one of the smarter options we have come up with in treating prostate cancer. Instead of treating all diagnosed cancers, your doctor will follow men who have low-risk tumors, and clinics and hospitals have determined that many prostate cancers are such indolent cancers that they are not life-threatening whether treated or not in an expedited fashion.

Active surveillance isn't "doing nothing"—it's doing something very specific and very carefully. Men typically get PSA tests every three to six months, digital rectal exams every six months, and repeat biopsies every year or two. Some doctors also use MRI scans to monitor changes in the prostate. If the cancer shows signs of becoming more aggressive, treatment can begin immediately.

Gary Thompson chose active surveillance when he was diagnosed at 67. "The urologist explained that my cancer was low-grade and likely to grow very slowly. He said we could watch it carefully and only treat it if it changed behavior." That was five years ago. Gary's PSA has remained stable, and his repeat biopsies have shown no progression. "I avoided all the potential side effects of treatment for a cancer that hasn't caused me any problems."

The psychological aspect of active surveillance challenges many men. The idea of leaving cancer in your body without treating it feels counterintuitive. But for the right candidates, it allows them to avoid treatment side effects unless they become necessary.

When Cancer Spreads: Advanced Treatment Options

Not all cases of prostate cancer finish with finding the disease early and curing it. Some men will experience a diagnosis of cancer that has spread beyond the prostate, while some may experience recurrence after treatment. However, even in these situations, treatment options have grown remarkably; we now see men living for years or decades with a good quality of life despite advanced prostate cancer.

Hormone therapy is the mainstay of treatment for men with advanced prostate cancer. Because prostate cancer cells typically rely on testosterone to fuel their growth, we can effectively control the disease by blocking testosterone. Modern hormone therapy is far more sophisticated than the blunt tools of years past.

Medications like leuprolide (Lupron) and goserelin (Zoladex) stop the testicles from producing testosterone. Drugs like bicalutamide (Casodex) prevent testosterone from stimulating prostate cancer cells. More recently, agents such as abiraterone (Zytiga) and enzalutamide (Xtandi) have been brought to the market with better means to totally block testosterone. These agents have resulted in a marked improvement in outcomes for men with advanced prostate cancer.

Frank Martinez was 71 and had surgery three years prior for prostate cancer before his cancer returned. His PSA increased, and scans showed cancer in his lymph nodes. "I thought this is the end," he says. His oncologist started him on hormone therapy, and three months later his PSA was undetectable. "That was four years ago. I play tennis twice a week, and otherwise feel completely normal, just occasionally have a hot flash."

Chemotherapy also has a role in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Drugs such as docetaxel (Taxotere) and cabazitaxel will shrink tumors and increase overall survival. Chemotherapy can come with side effects, and they can be hard, however, many men manage to live their lives during the treatment and manage their symptoms.

Immunotherapy is among the most intriguing advancements in caring for advanced prostate cancer. Sipuleucel-T (Provenge) is a personalized cancer vaccine that enables the immune system to detect and destroy cancer cells. Although it is not a drug that shrinks tumors very much, it can prolong life and generally has few side effects.

Plus, there are some newer immunotherapy treatments in development which have shown promise in clinical trials. There are drugs called checkpoint inhibitors which have changed treatment for some other cancers and are being evaluated in men with specific types of prostate cancer. CAR-T cell therapy, which involves changing a man's own immune cells to fight against cancer, is also still emerging.

And while radiation therapy can be pretty useful, it can also be completely reasonable for men with advanced prostate cancer. Stereotactic body radiation therapy, or SBRT, is a different radiation technique that targets individual metastases with high doses of radiation, and again can control disease for long periods of time. It is best for men who have only a limited quantity of metastases.

Clinical trials give men access to therapies being studied before they are available for widespread use. Approximately, cancer centers have been creating study protocols to enroll men to give them access to drugs, drug combinations, or approaches to treatment that have not been widely studied. Individuals should not think of trials as being experimented on or as guinea pigs, because it is not—they are simply gaining access to potentially improved treatments while also providing insight into the treatment in hopes of benefiting future patients.

Living Well: Dealing with Side Effects and Maintaining Quality of Life

We can remedy a little secret about something we don't talk about enough—prostate cancer treatment can impact some crucial elements of life. Sexual function and urinary control are both legitimate areas of concern that we should be serious about and you can think through effective management.Many men experience erectile dysfunction following prostate cancer treatment, but it need not be permanent or untreatable. Likeliness and severity depend upon several factors: age, pre-treatment sexual function, extent of cancer, and the method by which it was treated.

Modern surgical techniques, and particularly nerve-sparing robotic surgery, preserve the erections nerves in many men. However, a common expectation with even nerve-sparing techniques is temporary erectile dysfunction while the nerves recover from surgery. Complete recovery may take up to two years, and it is important to note that not all men will reach their prior function.

POIs, such as sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), and vardenafil (Levitra), help many men be able to have acceptable erections following treatment. If the patient does not respond to these medications, there are still good options including vacuum erection devices, penile injections, and/or inflatable penile implants.

The psychological aspects of sexual dysfunction should not be overlooked. Even when sexual function is restored, many men find it difficult to navigate a new sexual relationship with their partner. Counseling, where available, can be a great resource!Sexual rehabilitation programs are often available at cancer centers that focus on both the emotional and the physical dimensions of sexual dysfunction following cancer treatment.

Urinary incontinence can also be a complication of surgery, and the good news is that while some men (but not many) can develop severe and permanent incontinence with modern techniques, for the most part, men who develop incontinence following their surgery will see continued improvement over the first 6-12 months.

Pelvic floor exercises, like Kegel exercises for women following childbirth, can be very helpful in speeding recovery of urinary control. There are physical therapists who specialize in pelvic floor dysfunction who can help teach you these exercises and other strategies to assist in dealing with incontinence.There are a range of surgical options for men with chronic incontinence. For men who don’t recover naturally, there are artificial urinary sphincters or adjustable slings that can restore continence.

Mark Davis had transient incontinence after his prostate surgery. "Those first few weeks were rough," he said, "I was wearing the pads, and I was always worried I would leak.” His urologist sent him to a physical therapist who specialized in rehabilitation after prostate surgery. “The exercises were helpful but to be truthful, time was the largest factor. After about four months, I felt like I was back to normal."

Feeling fatigued is common during radiation therapy or chemotherapy, but most men get better after treatment is over. Staying physically active during treatment will often reduce fatigue and will help improve recovery. Most men can safely exercise during treatment, but men should talk with their treatment teams about what type of exercise would be appropriate.

Hormonal therapy has its own side effects that will affect a man’s quality of life. Hot flashes are experienced by most men on hormonal therapy and can be bothersome. There are several medications that can help with hot flashes, and some men report lifestyle changes—such as avoiding spicy foods, coffee, and alcohol—can help decrease the number and intensity of hot flashes.

For men on long-term hormonal therapy, the loss of bone density is an important consideration. The use of weight-bearing exercises, coupled with calcium and vitamin D supplementation, can assist in maintaining bone density. Some men benefit from medications that are indicated to prevent bone loss.

Men will also experience weight gain and muscle loss while on hormonal therapy. Exercise and resistance training can help both maintain muscle mass and prevent excessive weight gain.Collaborating with a dietitian can be a great tool in building eating strategies that nourish one's overall health during treatment.

The Emotional Experience: Facing Fear, Uncertainty, and Hope

When the doctor gives you a cancer diagnosis it messes with your mind in ways nobody prepares you for. Even with an outstanding prognosis (which most of the time does apply to prostate cancer), cancer is an emotional word that can throw you for a loop.

After the initial shock wears off you enter something psychologists call "cancer overwhelm." In a matter of days you find yourself learning medical terminology, researching treatment options, even making life-altering decisions. Information overload is real and contributes to analysis paralysis at a time you make a vital decision.

In the weeks after David Kim's diagnosis he recalls: "I spent every waking moment on the Internet reading everything I could find about prostate cancer. Medical journals, support group forums, treatment center websites. My wife finally had to intervene and take my lap top away." All but one of you reading this will have a story either similar to David's or in living color to your own. The desire to see and understand what's going on is positive, natural, and even productive—until the need to see becomes the demotivator to delay decision making or create anxiety.

Then there's the fear of dying. Even with reassuring statistics, the fear of death is completely understandable. Most men report thoughts coming to mind around dying in a way that has typically never been considered. With these feelings one man reported experience "cancer anxiety," or a continued worry about cancer returning, or spreading.

Family dynamics often shift after a cancer diagnosis. Partners of patients often struggle with their own fear while trying to be supportive.Some individuals become excessively protective, and others use minimization as a coping strategy. Again, communication is vital; however, it is often the victim of increased stress.

Children, especially adult children, want involvement in health care decisionmaking, but these same children often feel powerless. Some families find that it can be helpful for the family to designate one person to communicate with the providers in order to avoid confusion and give everyone the same set of information.

Both the diagnosis itself, along with possible effects of treatment, can conflict with the notion of masculinity. Many men derive a part of their identity from being the strong, independent breadwinner. A diagnosis of cancer can shake these self-perceptions and the treatment effects on sexual functioning can further compromise a masculine identity.

Support groups, either face-to-face or virtual, offer connection and identification with other men in similar circumstances. Many men initially hesitate to join support groups because they view them as touchy-feely or unnecessary in their situation. However, those at the group meeting, report that the support and advice they receive for themselves and their loved ones is worthwhile.

Professional counseling can assist men and their families reconciling the emotional burden regarding a cancer diagnosis and treatment. Many cancer facilities now have social workers or counselor trained to deal specifically with cancer issues. Individual counseling, couple counseling, and family counseling can assist in addressing multiple components to a cancer experience.

Even after successful treatment, cancer recurrence remains a significant concern. Learning to live with uncertainty, while still holding out hope, can take time to adjust to. Many men believe that focusing on their controllable life factors, such as healthy lifestyle, regular follow-up appointments, and staying engaged with family and friends, mitigate the recurrence concern.

Can You Reduce Your Risk for Prostate Cancer?

Although intervention strategies will not rid a person of their prostate cancer, there is increasing evidence that the selection of certain types of lifestyle decisions might reduce the risk of prostate cancer and/or slow down the progression of prostate cancer once it develops. The exact nature of the interaction between diet, exercise, and prostate cancer is still unknown, but some patterns have begun to surface that might be worth noting.

Diet does play some role, but the evidence is not available to say that it plays a definitive role. Eating patterns consistent with a Mediterranean style diet, including plenty of vegetables, fruits, fish, olive oil, and whole grains, while limiting red meat and processed foods, are related to lower risk of prostate cancer and have better outcomes once diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Products containing tomatoes and tomato-based products contain lycopene, an antioxidant, and might be associated with some protection from prostate cancer. Some studies seem to conclude that men who eat larger amounts of tomato products have lower rates of prostate cancer; however, there is no evidence that could recommend lycopene supplements.

Soy products, cruciferous vegetables, and green tea, have all shown some potential in regards to prostate cancer; although mixed findings of the literature still remain on soy products, cruciferous vegetables, and green tea. It appears that the bottom line is a generally healthy diet that includes plenty of vegetables and fruits while limiting processed foods is most likely beneficial; but again, there is no one specific food that will prevent prostate cancer.

Physical activity appears to lower the risk of aggressive prostate cancer and improve the outcomes for men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer. It also seems the type and intensity of exercise do not matter as much as getting regular activity into each day. Mild physical activity, such as walking, seems to provide benefit.Weight management may be quite important. Obesity is associated with worse treatment outcomes and prostate cancers that are worse in prognosis. Keeping a healthy weight using lifestyle interventions such as diet and excercise is associated with health in general, and in the case of prostate cancer specifically, some evidence suggests it may reduce risk.

Reducing alcohol consumption, as well as avoiding tobacco use, has self-evident general health benefits and may also reduce risk and outcomes in prostate cancer treatments. Smoking is also associated with more aggressive prostate cancers and worse treatment outcomes.

Some nutritional supplements have been studied for the prevention of prostate cancer; however results have largely been disappointing. In landmark clinical trials in men, selenium and vitamin E supplements did not prevent prostate cancer, and may actually increase risk in some men. As a general rule, based on all of the evidence to date, it really does support taking nutrients through food and not through supplements unless there is a particular deficiency.

The future: What's next

The future of prostate cancer therapies is incredibly promising; therapies are advancing on multiple fronts simultaneously. Precision medicine is migrating from research labs to clinical practices, allowing for personalized treatments based on tumor features and patient genetics.

We're becoming more advanced and sophisticated with genetic testing of patients and tumors. We will very soon learn how to identify men at very high risk prior to the occurrence of cancer and have therapies that are selected based on the specific genetic characteristics of their tumors, which will allow for more effective therapies with better treatment effect outcomes and less side effects.Artificial intelligence is on the verge of transforming cancer diagnosis and treatment formulation. AI technology can analyze MRI images with more significant accuracy than some human radiologists which may lead to improving early detection. Treatment planning algorithms can assist in the selection of the best dose and delivery methods of radiation by physicians.

There also are new imaging technologies that aid diagnosis and provide follow-up assistance after treatment. For instance, advanced imaging with MRI may at times detect cancers that standard biopsies do not identify. Furthermore, PET scans using new tracer materials can detect cancer spread much sooner and with better accuracy than conventional imaging.

Immunotherapy is still expanding with new approaches emerging in clinical studies that appear beneficial in certain cancers, CAR-T cell therapy is a promising treatment modality initially developed for blood cancers and is being adapted for prostate cancer. Cancer vaccines are becoming more reliable and effective.

Pharmacologic advances have led to high interest in targeted therapies that disrupt specific cancer pathways to expand treatment opportunities in men with advanced disease. These targeted drugs act on DNA repair mechanisms, growth factor receptors, and other cancer cell vulnerabilities.

Furthermore, technology is also being adapted into the healthcare environment for broader options in access to care and follow-up monitoring. Telemedicine consults are available for men that live in remote areas to see specialists. Then, apps for cell phones allow patients to identify their symptoms and report if they took their medications. Patients can be monitored remotely from a distance beyond their direct contact with their physician.

Summary and Final Thoughts: Why This Should Encourage You

Regardless of what else you take from this conversation, let me explain this one thing: prostate cancer is not the death sentence of prior years.The overwhelming majority of men who are presently diagnosed with prostate cancer will be successfully treated for their cancer and will go on to live a full life, eventually dying of other ailments entirely unrelated to their prostate. It all comes down to two things: remaining educated, but not paralyzed by too much information; and getting the correct screening and, ultimately, treatment based on your own risk factors. Working with healthcare professionals you trust to make treatment decisions that match your values and preferences will go a long way. Certainly, a cancer diagnosis, with treatment that may have some side effects that could affect aspects of your life, is a scary situation. However, with early detection, appropriate therapy, and good supportive care, the overwhelming vast majority of men move through prostate cancer and emerge on the other side intact with bright futures. The men I spoke to doing research for this article, from a recent diagnosis to long-term prostate cancer survivors, all said the same thing: Educate yourself, find good physicians, rely on your support network, and maintain perspective. This is a challenge you can face, and will face. My dad, as I said above, played golf last week and shot a 78 at his favorite golf course. Now almost three years after his diagnosis and treated prostate cancer he is the healthiest and most active he has ever been in his life, and indeed even more so than prior to his diagnosis now that he has made some positive lifestyle changes. His only complaint is not about cancer, rather about how poorly he puts on the golf course. This is, as I have suggested, the future for most men diagnosed with prostate cancer today. It is not just surviving, but a full and active and enjoyable life after definitive therapy. The statistics support this optimism, treatment continues to improve, and support systems have never been more plentiful. The bottom line is simple: Prostate cancer is beatable. More than beatable: the majority of men are curable. I am not providing any false hopes, or medical marketing speak. This is the reality of prostate cancer management in 2025, and it will only continue to improve.