"As a person experiencing homelessness in Chicago, Ford didn't have the ability to regularly see a doctor. As a Black gay man, he didn't feel comfortable in health care settings even when he could access them. As a result, he didn't get screened for prostate cancer until age 59. Ford walked into the clinic that day because he hadn't gotten a check-up in a while."
"Now, at 62, it's also what has given Ford's life a new purpose, making sure others get screened before it's too late. "Men don't really concern themselves with their health," Ford told The Advocate. "I'm on this big bandwagon right now to make sure that every guy - Black, white, green, polka dot, or whatever - gets themselves checked out. You've got to go and have yourself checked out.""
"Radiation therapy is used in more than half of all cancer patients at some point in their treatment, according to the American Cancer Society. While it can damage nearby healthy cells, most recover over time. Chemotherapy, by contrast, targets rapidly dividing cells throughout the body, which is why it often causes side effects such as hair loss and skin changes."
Marcus Ford, a Black gay man experiencing homelessness in Chicago, lacked regular access to medical care and felt uncomfortable in health care settings. He did not receive a prostate cancer screening until age 59 when a spontaneous clinic visit revealed his diagnosis. He has been fighting the disease for nearly three years and is now 62. He advocates for men of all backgrounds to undergo screening early. Treatment options presented included chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Radiotherapy can harm nearby healthy cells but most recover, while chemotherapy targets rapidly dividing cells and often causes systemic side effects.
Read at Advocate.com
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