The leading cancer diagnosis in men – aside from skin cancer – and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men worldwide comes with few, if any, early symptoms. That’s why Prostate Cancer Awareness Month each September is intended to encourage men to routinely get screened for the disease.
Prostate cancer is complicated. Depending on many factors, treatment plans are also widely varied, ranging from an aggressive treatment plan to a choice not to treat based on other medical issues.
“No one gets through prostate cancer unscathed. Treatment is never one-size-fits-all, there are risks to every treatment option and the outcomes vary greatly,” said urologist Dr. Denny Kubinski. For 17 years, Kubinski performed surgeries for men’s health, focusing on the prostate, and championed the use of robotics in surgery. Over time, he found that he valued spending the extra time with patients and helping counsel them through a variety of men’s health issues. He left the practice and opened The Men’s Center, where he could take on more of a coach’s role.
“The coaching is invaluable to someone who has just been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Often, they’ll get the diagnosis and then have to wait several weeks to talk about it with their doctor,” Kubinski explained. “In the meantime, they’re understandably freaking out about it and come to me to talk about the options. We meet one-on-one. I review all the records and go through everything the patient wants to talk about – then we simplify the diagnosis into terms that are easier to understand. From there, I can give them an unbiased opinion since I am not the one treating them or doing the surgeries.”
While there are many support groups for people diagnosed with an array of other cancer types, Kubinski knew that local options were limited for those with prostate cancer, prompting him to start the Lowcountry Prostate Cancer Support Group at The Men’s Center. The meetings are held at 6 p.m. on the last Thursday of every other month. For those experiencing prostate cancer and those who have been through it, it’s a relaxing and casual environment for men to have pizza together and connect with others over their individual experiences.
“There are men going through this out there that are hungry for a place they can go to talk about it with other guys. Others are reluctant to come, but usually feel a sense of relief when they realize they’re going through the same things and that they are not alone,” Kubinski continued. At the meetings, men can talk to each other about the side effects – how it affects their marriage, what they experience and what they’re doing.
“Treatment can cause significant lifestyle changes that may be hard to talk about, and there’s no one better to talk with than other men going through the same thing as you. There’s great comfort in fraternity,” Kubinski added.
For more information and to RSVP to the next support group meeting, visit the-mens-center.com or contact them at 843-625-4273 or [email protected].
By Anne Toole
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