BBC OS Conversations: Living with prostate cancer

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.3 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 24 May 2025

⏱️ 23 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Prostate cancer has been called the silent killer and it is the second most common form of cancer among males in the world. Yet, despite the fact that it only affects men, many are reluctant to talk about it. Following former president Joe Biden’s announcement that he has an aggressive form of the disease, we hear from two men about their diagnosis, their fears, the stigma and the reality of dealing with side effects like erectile dysfunction and incontinence after surgery. Leslie, a 46-year old DJ in Britain, is black and he discusses why black men are at higher risk from the disease with an oncology specialist from Nairobi, Kenya. And, 65-year-old Guy Jenkins also has prostate cancer and his daughter, a pharmacist, is helping her father cope with the condition.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hello, I'm Mark Lohen.
0:09.4	Welcome to the documentary from the BBC World Service.
0:12.8	In BBC OS conversations, we bring people together from around the globe to share their experiences.
0:19.2	This time, we're hearing from people living with prostate cancer.
0:23.2	The news that former US President Joe Biden has prostate cancer is bringing global attention to one of the
0:29.2	most common cancers in men. About 1.4 million men worldwide are diagnosed with a disease each year
0:36.2	and a large study last year predicted that cases
0:39.4	will double by 2040. The prostate is a small gland about the size and shape of a walnut. It sits
0:47.3	just below the bladder and is part of the male reproductive system. Its main job is to produce the
0:52.7	fluid that helps carry sperm, which is why only
0:56.0	men can get prostate cancer. We hear from men in the UK and the US about their cancer diagnoses,
1:03.0	the emotional toll, the side effects like incontinence, and the stigma that still keeps many
1:08.8	men from getting tested. Plus, we hear from a doctor in Kenya on why black men globally are far more likely to be diagnosed
1:16.8	and to die from this kind of cancer.
1:26.2	Following Joe Biden's cancer diagnosis, we spoke to 65-year-old Guy Jenkins, who is living with prostate cancer in Biden's home state of Pennsylvania.
1:36.5	His daughter, Dr. Stevi Jenkins-Kelly, runs a pharmacy in Palm Beach, Florida, and is helping her father cope with his condition.
1:46.2	Guy began by talking about his diagnosis.
1:48.4	It kind of took me by surprise because, like they say, this is called the silent killer.
1:54.0	It basically just robbed me in my future as far as I'm concerned.
1:57.8	But this is a really long, drawn-out disease. More men should get checked
2:03.3	so they can determine is it aggressive? Because you could be 100 years old and have cancer
2:08.4	or 50. It drags on forever. It's just mine went to my bone. And you said that it had robbed you
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 6 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.