Prostate cancer diagnosis brought us closer, but forced us to have more difficult conversations

An Irish Prostate Cancer Outcomes Research project is working on implementing a questionnaire assessing the sexual concerns of partners of patients with prostate cancer.

Wallace Costa, left, whose parter Martin Sweeney was diagnosed with prostate cancer, would like others — especially doctors — to understand that partners also live through the uncertainty.

JUST over a decade ago, Martin Sweeney, 59, was diagnosed with prostate cancer. The Dublin man had a family history, so was aware of the disease, but “didn’t do anything about it”.

His GP included a PSA test in his annual bloods and, when his levels jumped in the space of a year, he was referred for further investigation, which led to a diagnosis of prostate cancer.