Here is one for PCa Partners.

[pjoshea13]

New study below [1].

Studies that have taken marital status into account have always found a survival advantage in having a partner. On the other hand, length of marriage has been reported to be an PCa incidence risk factor. I was diagnosed after 37 years of marriage, 15 years ago - supporting both findings.

The new study included "men with early-stage prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy"

"Not being married (vs. married) at the time of radical prostatectomy was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality [Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.42 ...]"

In one study, long-term unmarried men did not have increased mortality. But in this one "never-married men were at highest risk of all-cause mortality (HR 1.77 ...)"

"Unmarried status (vs. married) was also associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer-specific mortality (HR 1.97 ...)"

The study makes tangible the value of the support that partners give.

-Patrick

[1] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/312...

Cancer Causes Control. 2019 Jun 18. doi: 10.1007/s10552-019-01194-y. [Epub ahead of print]

The association of marital status and mortality among men with early-stage prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy: insight into post-prostatectomy survival strategies.

Khan S1, Nepple KG2, Kibel AS3, Sandhu G4, Kallogjeri D5, Strope S6, Grubb R 3rd7, Wolin KY8, Sutcliffe S9.

Author information

Abstract

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this study was to determine the association of marital status, a marker of social support, with all-cause and prostate cancer-specific mortality in a cohort of men with early-stage prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy.

METHODS:

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 3,579 men treated for localized (stage 1-2) prostate cancer with radical prostatectomy at a single institution between 1994 and 2004. Marital status (not married vs. married) and marital history (never married, divorced, widowed vs. married) at the time of prostatectomy were examined in relation to (1) all-cause mortality and (2) prostate cancer-specific mortality using Cox proportional hazards regression.

RESULTS:

Not being married (vs. married) at the time of radical prostatectomy was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality [Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.42; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.10, 1.85]. Similarly, in analyses of marital history, never-married men were at highest risk of all-cause mortality (HR 1.77, 95% CI 1.19, 2.63). Unmarried status (vs. married) was also associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer-specific mortality (HR 1.97; 95% CI 1.01, 3.83).

CONCLUSIONS:

Unmarried men with prostate cancer were at greater risk for death after radical prostatectomy. Among married men with prostate cancer, marriage likely serves as a multi-faceted proxy for many protective factors including social support. Future studies should explore the mechanisms underlying these findings to inform the development of novel prostate cancer survival interventions for unmarried men and those with low social support.

KEYWORDS:

Marital status; Married; Mortality; Prostate cancer; Radical prostatectomy; Single

PMID: 31214808 DOI: 10.1007/s10552-019-01194-y

[GranPaSmurf]

53 years with the same obstinate woman should qualify me for a disease-free life and Pearly Gates Instant Pass!

[j-o-h-n in reply to GranPaSmurf]

No more instant passes... now you gotta use easy pass....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Friday 06/21/2019 11:45 AM DST

[snoraste]

No question about the role of a partner. I think that's also a testament to the powerful role that psychology and mental fitness plays in this disease (and really everywhere).

[LearnAll]

Same here...Nurses make the most caring wives...I am married to a Nurse...but my father was against this marriage. completing 34 years of solid,fulfilling marriage this month.

A supportive partner might enhance your immune system...the studies will be confirming this fact in year 2050.

[Hirsch]

39 for me. A nurse as well.

[pilot52]

I read this too...so went out and got a young blonde...she loves me even though I am much older...she paddle boards, runs , and watches tv....and she is with me 85% of the time...we go out to eat and the for satisfaction that she is liked we frequent some places and she gets tons of attention....she is in my pic with me woof!!!!! Blue Skies a grounded Sky King

[Dachshundlove in reply to pilot52]

Relationships with dogs exemplify pure uncomplicated love. Enjoy her, you guys will care for each other in more ways than one.

[NurseRatched in reply to pilot52]

Hahaha! She’s one gorgeous blonde! 👍🏻

[monte1111 in reply to pilot52]

You really really had me their for a minute. Love the puppies.

[pilot52]

she made a great co-pilot until I got grounded....the controllers understood that woof woof meant N40JB cleared to land Rwy 07 left.....

[roadrider]

Yawn. More propaganda from the cult of marriage. I have never been married and I got through surgery and salvage radiation just find without any freaking survival interventions from well-meaning idiots. The study, as quoted, tells us nothing about whether there were any differences between the two groups other than not being married. Neither did they present any data for happily married vs unhappily married men. So I would classify this as low-quality evidence.

Look, if marriage is something you value then that's wonderful. Go ahead and do it and good luck to you. But not everyone is interested or cut out for that kind of life and those of us who aren't interested are tired of being preached to about how miserable we are and how we're going to die early unless we sign up. I, for one, am doing just fine and frankly a lot better than some of the married men with PCa that I've encountered. I'll bet there a lot more out there just like me.

[j-o-h-n in reply to roadrider]

I disagree with what your post. My wife told me to write this....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Friday 06/21/2019 11:50 AM DST

[PhilipSZacarias]

Every time I go to PCA support groups I see the loving partners of fellow men in attendance. I have stood up many times and complimented those partners as well as my own wife. Coping with a man who has PCa is not always easy.

It would be interesting to know why being married is a risk factor for being diagnosed with PCa. Perhaps we eat too well as married men? You would think that a single partner is less risky than multiple ones with respect to STDs (although I have not seen any papers yet linking STDs with PCa). I was told by a doctor that frequent sex was good for the prostate because it drained the prostatic fluids, flushing bacteria out and reducing the risk of infections. Cheers, Phil

[pjoshea13 in reply to PhilipSZacarias]

Phil,

I believe that the risk factor in a long marriage if the man has a vasectomy early on, say, is frequent exposure to 'innocuous' bacteria over many years.

Prostatitis can be caused by a STD. I have never had a STD, nor prostatitis, but wonder about those innocuous bacteria that might have made the trip to my prostate.

-Patrick

[PhilipSZacarias in reply to pjoshea13]

Patrick, I had about 4 bouts of prostatitis in my 30’s similar to my father (who succumbed to this disease). It was attributed to the excessive amount of spicy hot food that I was eating at the time. I was monogamous and so was my wife, so it may not have been STD but just a change in the urogenital microbiome. My family doctor at the time prescribed more sex which left me with a grin my face and my gobsmacked! The serial infections exposed my prostate to inflammation which probably initiated the disease ( my BRCA is normal). It is also possible that I had a low level chronic infection for many years and did not know it, but this is conjecture. Cheers, Phil

[PhilipSZacarias]

I can’t argue with the fact that unhappily married men were not compared to happily married. I think there is published literature in a indicating that unhappily married men have other risk factors (can’t remember) - it is better to be happily unmarried than to be in happily married. I don’t think Patrick or the article are preaching that men with PCa should marry - they are only stating that being married statistically has advantages. Then again married men stay married after diagnosis not because of the advantages but because they have loving partners. I offered my wife separation after diagnosis (I was depressed) and she became very angry that I even thought such a thing. Cheers, Phil

[pjoshea13 in reply to PhilipSZacarias]

Marriages have been known to beak up after a PCa diagnosis, & there can be stress in those that do not break-up. It's not even clear from studies whether a partner has to do much more than be there, but the studies are clear - there is a survival advantage.

The post was intended to bring out appreciation of partners & not intended to be an attack on men who have no partners.

I have never seen a study on pets & survival, but I would expect there to be a survival benefit - even among married men.

And then there is the support found in local groups.

As well as the camaraderie of online groups such as this.

-Patrick

[PhilipSZacarias in reply to pjoshea13]

Your comment about the possible survival benefit of pets is a good one and would be worthy of study. Perhaps the authors of the recent paper that is the subject of this thread should be contacted and the idea proposed...for the next retrospective study they do. Cheers, Phil

[j-o-h-n]

You wanna good life? Marry a rich wife......

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Friday 06/21/2019 11:49 AM DST

[monte1111]

I told my daughter to marry a dentist.

[rocket09]

Thanks for that, my wife is an angel and I am so great full to have her support and love!