golfrewind.com

From this article, Earl Woods apparently had a relapse of prostate and it spread out, forming lesions on his back and a tumor behind his eye. I guess they eliminated the tumor so that is a good thing. Prayers go out to Earl Woods, here's to a full recovery. Love him or hate him, he has been a huge influence on Tiger's career and it's probable that without the support and training Earl gave Tiger from a young age, we wouldn't have seen the greatness we've seen from Tiger. Think maybe his father's illness had a part in the "slump" this year?


http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.a...1&select=14192

That's too bad. I hope all goes well with the whole family. I think Tiger is mentally tough that he is able to block out 99% of things, but when something like this is close to your heart, I can't see anyone not being affected.

If you want some info on prostate cancer (PCa), here's an American Cancer Society page:
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/LRN/LRN_0.asp?dt=36

This topic should be on the radar of any man who's 45 or 50 years old and above.

My layperson's understanding is that this is a common cancer in men that often does not get detected early enough, unfortunately. However, as with many cancers, early detection is the key to effective treatment. If it goes untreated long enough, cancer cells can shed from the original tumor to other sites, making the problem more difficult to manage.

The PSA test is a simple blood test that measures the levels of prostate-specific antigen in the bloodstream. My previous 2 primary-care physicians did not believe in the test (for reasons your doctor can explain to you). My current physician does, and I'm glad of it, myself.

Certainly I hope the best for Tiger's dad.

The PSA test when used together with digital examination should help identify any problems, especially if the patient is honest in describing his symptoms. Of course, the definitive word is a biopsy, a minimally invasive procedure.

I had no idea that Earl Woods had this cancer problem in addition to his much-publicized heart ailment. I'm sure that Tiger has to have been affected this season, even though Earl raised him to be independent. The loss of a parent, or the prospect of losing a parent, is very stressful, as is an impending marriage, both of which Tiger is experiencing right now.