Man up and start sharing these symptoms with your doctor, guys.
Between 2015 and 2022, men were more likely to be diagnosed with 16 different late-stage cancers than women, according to a new study published last week — with the biggest discrepancies for salivary gland cancer, oropharyngeal cancer, thyroid cancer and stomach cancer.
One of the reasons behind this worrying trend?
“Women go to the doctor more than men, which could mean more opportunities for clinicians to catch cancer symptoms earlier, thus leading more women to get diagnosed at the localized stage instead of regional or distant stages,” said the study’s lead author, Beth Maclin, PhD, MPH, a postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the National Cancer Institute.
This trend doesn’t just impact cancer odds: Men generally die younger, only living to age 76 compared to women’s 81.
Time and again, medical experts have urged men to be more proactive about their health care with regular checkups and screenings.
“Men have biological vulnerabilities,” Dr. David Shusterman, board-certified urologist and founder of UroLongevity and Modern Urologist, previously told The Post. “But the bigger problem is that men tend to practice reactive medicine. They wait until something is obviously wrong.”
Still not sure which symptoms are worth flagging? Dr. Michael Herman, Director of Urology at Mount Sinai South Nassau, shared the four red flags he wishes patients would mention sooner.
1. Enlarged testicles
Even if they don’t hurt, bigger balls or a swollen scrotum are cause for concern.
“We all know that patients often go online to search their symptoms and what they mean,” Herman told The Post. “However, it’s typically difficult for patients to know what they’re examining, or whether the swelling is coming from fluid inside the scrotum, or from the testicle itself.”
Though it’s most often due to benign causes like fluid buildup, unusual growth could also indicate testicular cancer — which isn’t necessarily painful. ANd putting off getting things checked out can have serious consequences.
“It’s not uncommon for there to be a delay in diagnosis for testicular cancer of at least 30 days, and the longer the delay, the worse the prognosis,” Herman explained.
2. Erectile dysfunction
While erectile dysfunction is an incredibly common issue, Herman says that it could be bad news for more than just yoru sex life.
“What many men don’t realize is that ED can often be the first sign of vascular disease, especially ED that’s not related to psychological factors such as stress, anxiety or relationship issues,” he said.
“To get a good erection, there needs to be strong blood flow into the penis, so if there isn’t, that could be a sign that the blood vessels aren’t working well,” he said.
There have also been several studies showing that erection issues can precede cardiac symptoms by several years.
Getting everything checked out as soon as an issue comes up (or doesn’t) can give men ample time to change lifestyle habits to improve their cardiovascular health.
3. Urinary frequency
An unexpected early sign of diabetes? Frequent urination or trouble peeing.
And getting your urine checked could determine whether you’re dealing with diabetes, according to Herman.
“Once a patient’s blood sugar is about 180 or so, the kidneys are no longer able to handle the extra sugar, and it spills into the urine,” he said. “Water is pulled along with the sugar molecules through osmosis into the urine, leading to very high urine outputs.”
4. Depression, fatigue and decreased sex drive
These common issues can be related to work or personal problems, medication side effects, or mental health issues.
But they could also be signs of low testosterone, a condition that affects nearly 39% of men aged 45 years and older, according to the University of Washington’s School of Public Health.
“Because these symptoms have many potential causes, a thorough evaluation is important to identify the underlying issue and guide appropriate treatment,” Herman said.
“When seeking treatment, it is important to evaluate all the possible causes, including low testosterone.”
Testosterone levels should be checked first thing in the morning for an accurate result, as testosterone peaks in the morning, with normal levels landing anywhere between 300 and 1,000 nanograms per deciliter.
However, testosterone does naturally decline as men age by about 1% each year after 30.
Treatment can vary depending on the cause of the symptoms, as testosterone replacement therapy is often recommended for low hormone levels.
