A radio interview that Prof. Richard Wassersug gave while he was in Australia a few months ago has finally been put on line. It is specifically about prostate cancer and the impact of chemical and surgical castration. While the information should be of interest to Archive members, you might also consider sharing the link with non-Archive members for its valuable information on prostate cancer (and on castration). There are well over a half million PCa eunuchs in North America and hundreds of thousands more around the world. They’re very well hidden and this broadcast tries to make them more comfortable about becoming visible. I’m certainly sending the link to all of my male friends.

The interview was on a show titled “Brains Matter” and was Richard’s second interview. This interview opens with a brief link to his previous talk on tadpole morphology, before moving on to the topic at hand. Other than an annoying commercial in the middle of the show, I found it very interesting. I’ve included information from the Brains Matter website below the link:

http://www.brainsmatter.com/?p=407

Prof Richard Wassersug – Prostate Cancer (http://www.brainsmatter.com/?p=407)

Professor Richard Wassersug is from the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology from Dalhousie University in Canada. He is also a prostate cancer survivor, and I talked to him about his personal and academic interest in issues around prostate cancer, including:

• His personal experience with prostate cancer

• The link between his interest in herpetology and prostate cancer

• The effects of endocrine disrupting drugs

• The different types of castration and their effects

• The psychology of these drugs

• Some of the statistics around prostate cancer

• Androgen deprivation therapy

• The effects of testosterone and oestrogen

• The impact that western culture and society expectations on those undergoing this type of therapy

• Eunuchs in history

• The impact of testosterone on co-operation

• The relationship between testosterone and ageing

• The advantages of increased empathy

• The sociological impact of the ‘viagra culture’

• The extra effort required to tackle the side effects of androgen deprivation drugs

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Where I live, in rural Wisconsin, some miles from the nearest city, I have made it known that I have fended off cancer, prostate and colon, which are serious risk factors based on my family history, and I have mostly been treated favorably for being open. In the past week, I have mentioned being willing to do my part to overcome the stigma against orchiectomy for people who, like me, may have better and longer lives. My family history led me, as someone who understands the relevant biology very well, to strongly favor orchiectomy over chemical castration.

This past week, I spoke with a woman whose dad underwent bilateral orchiectomy when he was around 60. He had a friend of about the same age who did the radiation route. The friend died at about 64, the woman's dad lived to around 90. Two people do not a valid population study make. My choice was not based on double blind study outcomes, it was based on a rather decent grasp of theoretical and applied biology, combined with a preference for being alive over being dead for as long as is feasible.

It is my rather consistent observation that macho men, including many who thought military service was a wonderful time of life, seem to prefer death over very low testosterone and fear loss of manhood would accompany orchiectomy. I guess that depends upon what one thinks manhood is. I have also talked with quite a few women, none of whom have deemed orchiectomy to be something to be afraid of, and some of whom had husbands die from metastatic prostate cancer.

I have had the courage to ask my wife's and my daughter whether she would rather I be alive as I am or dead like her uncle. She favors my being alive as I am. So do I. So, I understand, does my wife.

Which would wisely be deemed the greater manhood? Being dead for fear of others, or being alive out of love for others?

Apologies if you have a policy on this forum on replying to threads over a particular age! Cheers for the link, that was a great interview! This point was still the most important for me :

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JesusA (imported) wrote: Tue Jul 19, 2011 1:16 pm The advantages of increased empathy


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I want my emotions back damn you! I think a lot of these points were especially interesting to hear from someone who involuntarily became a eunuch.