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Breaking conversation barriers for men to discuss cancer diagnoses

Advent of internet and new communications help Tucson doctor guide patients through latest treatment options

By: José Zozaya

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TUCSON, Ariz. - (KGUN) — Each month, cancer care advocates shine a light on the sub-types of the disease that affect us and loved ones. November happens to be both lung and pancreatic cancer awareness month.

In the last years, though, more communities may have seen newer kinds of public service campaigns on social media; maybe, some involve a commitment to not shave, like 'No Shave November.'

In the spirit of talking about diseases that may impact men in particular, KGUN9 had a conversation with Tucson urologist Dr. William Kuo.

Over 27 years of practice, Kuo said he's evolved his approach to guiding patients through their treatments. In that context, Kuo says he and his peers noticed in the past many men felt embarrassed to share their diagnosis.

Prostate cancer is the most common diagnosis for U.S. men, other than skin cancers, per the American Cancer Society. Kuo said he thinks the general conversation about treatment and support has opened up in recent years, thanks, in part, to younger generations having tools like the internet to allay their fears.

"Now you can Google, you can look up something and you can look at possible treatments, possible options. I don't find men are uncomfortable bringing this up anymore," Kuo said. "You may not be hurting, you may not be bleeding, but this might be something bad that's going on inside of you and we need to figure this out."

Kuo also said, especially during September's national prostate cancer awareness campaign, he and his staff will reach out to families living in Tucson's south and west neighborhoods.
He pointed out men living in underserved communities, like some in these sectors of the city, that may not have easy access to health information that could improve their quality of life.

JZO Nov Cancer Awareness 2nd SOTVO

The tough task remains, Kuo said, to have patients of certain age generations and cultural backgrounds open up about their fears and concerns.

There, he said, is where he's grown more comfortable sharing his treatment journey after recovering from his own cancer diagnosis.

"Unfortunately, some of the underserved communities, that's were we find the worst cancer," Kuo said. "It's usually due to the delay in diagnosis. It's much easier to treat cancer at its early stage rather than later stage."

Before learning he'd have to go through treatment, Kuo said he felt invulnerable. "My family had no risk factors and I ended up with Stage III cancer. I think it really brings home to (patients) that this is something we can do together."

Part of that treatment that could make a drastic difference, Kuo said, is finding a strong support system through family, friends and even cancer diagnosis support groups.

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