A MAN’S WORLD
From heart and obesity-related disease to prostate cancer
and sexual dysfunction, men’s health issues are a focus of
Scott & White specialists
Men, like women, harbor certain fears about going to the doctor. Some may even feel
embarrassed about discussing their health because they don’t want to be perceived as
weak. Making time for screening tests and lifestyle changes is not just good practice,
it also is an act of bravery.
“O
ften men are reluctant to be
screened because of fear of the
obvious possibility of having a
disease,” says Kristofer Wagner, MD, a
urologist in the Division of Urology at
Scott & White Healthcare, and director of
robotic surgery. “For some, it’s not a
priority, or they just never get around to it.
With regard to prostate cancer screening, it
is easy to convince yourself that you are
fine if you have no symptoms.”
That’s where the danger can lie.
Preventable diseases such as heart disease
and diabetes, like prostate cancer, can also
lie in wait without any external symptoms.
But diseases like these can be wreaking
havoc in the body for years before they are
revealed, usually through screening exams,
tests and checkups, or more alarmingly,
through a crisis such as a heart attack.
“A man is less likely to make
an appointment to see his doctor. It
often takes a wife’s encouragement or a
workplace incentive to get a man to come
in,” says Phillip Cain, MD, associate
chairman of the Department of Medicine
and vice-chair for Clinical Affairs at Scott
& White Healthcare. “Routine checkups,
screenings and annual vaccinations can
help to prevent some of the most common
“Routine checkups, screenings and annual
vaccinations can help to prevent some of the
most common causes of death for men.”
—Phillip Cain, MD
sw.org | Spring 10 THE CATALYST
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