GREEN BAY (WLUK) — One in eight men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime. That statistic, from the American Cancer Society, reminds us that it’s likely to affect someone we know and love. A friend of FOX 11 is one of those men. Josif Wittnik, of our Monday Morning Makeovers, is going through cancer treatments for the second time.
Josif and Dr. Joseph Bovi, a Radiation Oncologist with ThedaCare Cancer Care, appeared on Good Day Wisconsin for September Prostate Cancer Awareness month.
“A few months ago, I learned my cancer had returned,” says Wittnik. “Reoccurring prostate cancer isn’t easy, but I took it one day at a time — two months on a daily oral treatment and 38 straight days of radiation.” Josif urges every man to get regular checkups. “The most frustrating thing to me is that people say prostate cancer is not a big deal.”
Wittnik was first diagnosed with cancer in 2016. He shared his story with Good Day Wisconsin then.
Dr. Bovi says the America Cancer Society recommends that prostate screenings for most men at the age of 50. That’s for men at average risk of prostate cancer who are expected to live at least 10 more years. Screenings are recommended at age 45 for those at high risk of prostate cancer, including all Black men and any man with a father or brother diagnosed with prostate cancer before age 65. Screenings are recommended at age 40 for men at even higher risk, including those with more than one first-degree relative (father or brother) diagnosed with the cancer at an early age.
Warning Signs of Prostate Cancer:
- Problems urinating
- Blood in urine
- Erectile dysfunction
- Pain: hips, back, chest
- Loss of bladder/bowel control
Risk Factors of Prostate Cancer
- Age
- Race
- Geography
- Family history
- Diet
- Smoking
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