There is very important ongoing research to track frequency of urination before, during, and after various methods of prostate cancer treatment. These studies can be potentially valuable to newly diagnosed men who seek accurate comparisons of possible side effects of the treatment options available to them. As a prostate cancer survivor treated with proton beam therapy, I regularly complete questionnaires asking me, among other things, about my frequency. We all want valid studies that reflect the truth, and I am …

For those who don’t know, let me briefly explain that one of the more thrilling elements of each session of proton therapy for prostate cancer is the insertion of a special saline-filled balloon into the orifice where the sun don’t shine. Its purpose is to stabilize the prostate during radiation, and after each treatment it is removed until next time. In, then out. In, out. 39 times for me and most guys, more or less for some others. While the …

Ah, the beloved DRE—digital rectal exam. As it happens, it’s the most convenient method for a doctor to cop a feel of the prostate to determine its size, its texture, and its potential lumpiness. It provides one of very few diagnostic clues for prostate cancer, so we put up with it. But—and I think I can speak for nearly all DRE recipients—we don’t especially like it, at least not at first. Once a year? Twice a year? Whatever the frequency, …