2025-05-24
23 分钟Hello, I'm Mark Lowen.
Welcome to the documentary from the BBC World Service.
In BBC OS Conversations, we bring people together from around the globe to share their experiences.
This time we're hearing from people living with prostate cancer.
The news that former US President Joe Biden has prostate cancer is bringing global attention to one of the most common cancers in men.
About 1.4 million men worldwide are diagnosed with the disease each year,
and a large study last year predicted that cases will double by 2040.
The prostate is a small gland about the size and shape of a walnut.
It sits just below the bladder and is part of the male reproductive system.
Its main job is to produce the fluid that helps carry sperm,
which is why only men can get prostate cancer.
We hear from men in the UK and the US about their cancer diagnoses, the emotional toll,
the side effects like incontinence, and the stigma that still keeps many men from getting tested.
Plus we hear from a doctor in Kenya on why black men globally are far more likely to be diagnosed and to die from this kind of cancer.
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.
His daughter, Dr. Stevi Jenkins-Kelly, runs a pharmacy in Palm Beach,
Florida, and is helping her father cope with his condition.
Guy began by talking about his diagnosis.
It kind of took me by surprise because, like they say, this is called the silent killer.