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Ignacio Calderón Balanzátegui: My name is Ignacio Calderón Balanzátegui, and I received the diagnosis; I had surgery three years ago, with which the diagnosis would have been six months earlier, something like that. I was 72 years old. And at that moment, they operated on me very quickly because the doctors always told me that, and they were even very good friends of mine, and I deeply respect the doctors. So, I was willing to do whatever they said, and they told me it was very important to deal with this as soon as possible and not let it grow.

And so, I had my prostate removed three years ago, and I have had very little treatment because they gave me chemotherapy, but very, very little, very little, because they saw that, indeed, it had metastasized, but not too much, precisely because of the speed in taking action when they found it, the data from all of the tests that were done on me. That, in fact, showed there was a tumor in the prostate.

Well, actually, as I was saying, I have been lucky, having doctors who are very close friends, who took a very up-front approach with me, on treatment, then, with the diagnosis, and the follow-up, which made me feel good, even though my generation is, in fact, a generation that has always been afraid of cancer.

In this country, when my father died of cancer, they used to say that if someone had cancer, that was it. And yet, in my case, a very important phenomenon occurred that...that might seem absurd that I am presenting it like this. I have diabetes mellitus. And for years, this has forced me to get frequent checkups, at least every other month.

And suddenly, I had a very high PSA. If I hadn’t had diabetes, I never would have had a test, and that would have resulted in my disease growing and it would have gotten much worse, and then the metastasis, definitely, by then, would have spread much more, and things would have become more aggressive, with a greater need for treatment.

I had a metastasis, a tumor on a vertebra in my spine, in addition to the prostate cancer, but very incipient. That’s why, with my experience in this, which has obviously been an experience, I never thought that I could have cancer. What has come to mind, and which I repeat constantly, is that men, since this is a male disease, well, that experience led me to be very, very, very demanding and to ask around in areas where I have influence, for an awareness campaign to be made for men with regard to prostate cancer. So, that starting at a certain age, maybe 50 years old, unless there was a genetic predisposition, that advice be given to men for them to get checkups that would make it possible to find out if there is anything that needs to be done. And I am sure of this, and they have confirmed it to me, that this would significantly reduce the risk and the number of cancer cases in men.

Because for men to discuss sensitive areas like the ones we have, and that we get checkups, we automatically don’t want to think about it, because to us, it seems that this is an issue that has nothing to do with us. Women get checkups with much more urgency, and they are getting very positive results. Well, no, because I never had feelings of guilt, that I might have acted in a way that caused that (Cancer). It was the first time that I had a high PSA. I have no idea why, I got a tumor of that type, but the doctors never implied that I was minimally responsible for the way I acted. In fact, I have no responsibility. Because, as I said a moment ago, I am convinced that you have to do that. And I didn’t know for certain. Those checkups that could have helped me realize my problem as soon as possible. But in my case, it happened unintentionally. I didn’t do it to prevent such a possibility. I did it because I had an illness like diabetes, that for years forced me to get those checkups, and those checkups detected a bigger problem like this, of which I was totally unaware, so, if I had not had these checkups, on account of the diabetes, what you pointed out probably would have occurred to me, because I would have said that the problem was that I never took any precautions.

While it is true that, in addition, on many occasions, and the media would have pointed this out by saying the data show that, starting at a certain age, there is a percentage. But that wasn’t the case, because I had those checkups, not for that but for something else, and they led to me getting my diagnosis, but today, well, I’m not worried, especially because I have no symptoms, no treatment, no discomfort. I received very little chemotherapy, they gave me three cycles, maybe, and that is my own interpretation, it happened, during the pandemic.

And since it was during the pandemic, the oncologist was very careful, and tried to avoid that I had to go to the hospital. And, of course, I understand, what she saw was more, more positive, so she did not give me any more chemotherapy because she did not think it was essential, so as not to risk contagion with COVID-19, at that time, going to a hospital, which was the case for one or two years. And we had, and continue to have, and I’m sure that we will continue to have, periodic checkups. I had one last week with a PSA of 0.02, and when this happens, my oncologist smiles, and I give her a hug.

It’s not that I made a great discovery by any means. This type of thing has a significant physiological effect, in some cases more than in others, but it also has a psychological effect.

And the psychological effect depends on several personal circumstances, and on the disease, the effect it produces. I have often told my oncologist, that I have loved playing sports my entire life. And I continue to be very active. Playing sports, doing physical exercise, has had an incredibly positive effect on the psychological issue. And I have advised people who have this kind of problem to exercise daily, to be physically active, which enables both your head and your body to find positions and mental attitudes, that if you don’t play sports, they become much more oppressive for you, and you are at a greater risk of having psychological problems. And I have always been big on exercising, and I am convinced that it has done a great deal for me to have a more positive mental attitude, because, among other things, I realized that I could do it.

And if I could do it, it is because I was not ill. Yes, maybe I have a little pain from a periodic injection, every six months, and then I also have to take a calcium supplement, but it’s a daily pill, and the injection is just every six months, and well, I don’t feel anything. I’m sure that they are even thinking of stopping prescribing it because after three years and having seen the good results, but anyway,

I have never received a medication that has given me any imbalances, discomfort, or difficulties. Well, right now... I have been walking for approximately 180 kilometers a month. Fast walk. And then I play Padel three times a week.

But I recently had a checkup, because I fell down a ladder and I hurt my knee, so I haven’t played for three months, and I have noticed a big psychological difference, because I feel much more restless, and much more disturbed psychologically, which again confirms that, at least for me, I think that exercise has a very positive effect on everyone and I highly recommend it. And so, of course, I’m going to try to go back to it as soon as possible.

Well, not really much. The only thing I have, I’m at a certain age now, 75, when I have a good circle of friends, many of whom are suffering from cancer, much more serious cancer than prostate cancer. I’m sorry, not than prostate cancer.

They are suffering from pancreatic or liver cancer. And I suffer because I see them with some very aggressive treatments that destabilize them a lot. But, of course, the risk is definitely much greater. In my case, I have been fortunate, I’ve never had that feeling.

Possibly because they worked on the problem with extraordinary speed that has led to me not needing more aggressive treatments, which I’m sure they would have affected me. Therefore, that effect of imbalance, let’s say, in every sense, in my case, it has made me live.

I’m not saying that as if nothing has ever happened to me because indeed, something occurred to me, and I noticed how the doctor who operated on me told me the only thing you have to know is that this will result in erectile dysfunction and loss of urinary continence, which are the two...

And you should also know that you are not going to die from this. I repeat what I said at the beginning, and I have also offered myself in the possibilities that I have, that I have in that sense, to those who didn’t have it...

Due to their age and because they have not had it, to get preventive checkups, such a simple thing, as getting an analysis every so many months, let your GP tell you, or make it every three or six months.

This is crucial, because I’m sure it would reduce, and doctors have confirmed this, it would significantly reduce the risk of this problem occurring. And we, men, don’t want to hear or talk about it, because we say to ourselves, "It won’t happen to me; that’s nonsense." If it was liver cancer, Well, maybe they did, but...a topic related to reproductive and sexual systems, men do not easily talk about it, so I would ask the media to raise awareness, starting from a much younger age, but the sooner young people see that from a certain age, it’s good to know if you have any abnormal tests or risk factors that has shown up that might increase the risk of having prostate cancer, because I repeat, what I have been told, and I believe them, that early detection, for me, it has been a blessing from heaven.

They have told me a lot. And the second thing that I recommend is that everyone who is, and who might have, psychological problems should think about doing some daily exercise, which doesn’t mean training for the Olympics, but going outside every day, to walking a couple of miles, that takes time, that tires you out, that helps you sleep better, and that makes you much more active.

Thank you very much, because I believe that what you are doing is very necessary.