William Shatner is a renowned actor and musician best known for portraying Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek television series. With success in both the acting and music industries, the star had even had the opportunity to make his ambition of traveling to space a reality – something that many people only dream of. Unfortunately, his world was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, a potentially fatal disease.
Shatner stated how he felt tremendously fortunate to have been able to experience such joy during his life but also faced mortality head-on when he received a dismal prognosis. He remembered his doctor telling him that he wouldn’t live long because of his disease, which shocked him because it made him realize that he might not live to be ninety years old, as he had hoped.
The actor’s story serves as a reminder of how rapidly life can change for people suffering from terrible illnesses and how it impacts individuals and their loved ones who must deal with the reality of mortality. It’s no surprise that William Shatner was overcome with fear and worry upon receiving such news, news that could potentially deprive him of further accomplishments or the fulfillment of his aspirations later in life.
Despite this tragic setback, William has repeatedly demonstrated his tremendous spirit, ensuring that nothing stands in the way of living life to the fullest.
“I was completely disoriented when the doctor informed me that I had cancer. I had trouble understanding what he was saying because this was a circumstance I had never encountered before; it seemed so far and foreign to me.”
“It was difficult to comprehend that this could happen to me.” Prostate cancer is frequently slow-growing, and symptoms usually do not appear until the prostate has become large enough to restrict urine flow in the Penis.
“My doctor did a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test to establish the severity of my disease, which can help indicate whether cancer is a dangerous threat or if another non-cancerous ailment causes raised PSA levels.
“He informed me that while my PSA level had previously been between one and two, it had suddenly jumped to ten, indicating that I had an aggressive form of cancer. Hearing these statements made me feel betrayed by my body and filled me with dread for what was to come.”
“I rapidly became concerned about the danger of death looming around the corner. On an intellectual level, I realized that writing a will would be prudent if something were to happen to me, as I wanted certain people to inherit specific items after my death.”
“However, deep down inside, I still held out hope and found it impossible to accept such a terrible prognosis; instead of living life to the fullest, all that ran through my mind was writing my will before eating that lovely piece of strudel I had planned to have today.”
When William Shatner realized that his testosterone supplements were probably linked to prostate cancer, he faced the grim reality of a life-threatening diagnosis. To make sense of the situation, he asked his doctor if he should stop taking them. When faced with this information, his doctor agreed that discontinuing the supplements would be good.
A study in Baltimore, US, using blood samples gathered from 759 men, 111 of whom were diagnosed with prostate cancer, found that men over 55 are more likely to develop the condition if their testosterone levels are high. This supports the hypothesis that excessive testosterone levels can enhance one’s susceptibility to prostate cancer.
However, a study conducted by Oxford University researchers using blood samples from 19000 men, 6900 of whom had prostate cancer, provided an opposing viewpoint, indicating that increased risk is attributable to lower testosterone levels rather than higher ones. It is because androgen receptors- required for testosterone binding- have a limited capacity, so its group quits being vital once they have been “full up.”
The findings of these studies show that low testosterone levels can reduce one’s chances of developing prostate cancer, even when higher quantities do not affect the risk factor. This is precisely what happened to William Shatner.
William Shatner was thrilled to learn that his PSA level had dropped to one after another PSA test three months later. His doctor speculated that testosterone levels could have caused the higher result, given that the PSA test’s sensitivity allowed it to detect even the most minor changes. Fortunately, this did not turn out to be malignant, giving him hope that he would not die soon.
The National Health Service (NHS) has stated that false-positive findings are prevalent in prostate cancer screening. Additional testing such as a blood test, physical examination, MRI scan, or biopsy would be more trustworthy in confirming a diagnosis.
Needing to urinate more frequently or urgently than usual; difficulty starting urination; straining or taking longer than expected; urine flow being weak; feeling like you haven’t completely emptied your bladder; and seeing blood in the urine or sperm are all symptoms of this type of cancer.
When someone is diagnosed with prostate cancer, their healthcare provider will discuss treatment choices with them based on the stage of the disease and the prognosis if no action is taken. Close surveillance throughout the early phases of development, followed by radiation at a later stage if necessary, are possible treatments. In any event, careful care and management can aid those suffering from this ailment.
