Surgery, personal life, healing: The moving testimony of Ousmane Seck, 70, a prostate cancer survivor [4/4]

For this fourth and final installment of our special report on prostate cancer as part of Blue November, Seneweb gives the floor to Ousmane Seck. Diagnosed in April 2024 following a routine annual check-up, this 70-year-old father speaks candidly about his surgery, his recovery, his return to a normal sex life, and makes an urgent appeal to men to break the silence surrounding screening.

At 70, Ousmane Seck's physique belies the battle he waged against prostate cancer. Married and a father of four, this man seems to have regained all his vitality. Yet, behind this reassuring appearance lies an ordeal that could have drastically altered the course of his life. In April 2024, during his routine annual checkup, an abnormally high PSA level disturbed his peace of mind. This biological warning would change his daily life. Referred to a urologist, he underwent a series of medical examinations, including an MRI, which confirmed the diagnosis: prostate cancer. As the disease was not yet at a very advanced stage, several treatment options were presented to him: radiotherapy, hormone therapy, or surgery. After learning about the advantages and procedures of each treatment, Ousmane Seck chose to have the operation. The procedure was quickly organized. After the surgery, he spent seven days in the hospital before returning home. Some infectious complications occur during the post-operative course, but antibiotic treatment resolves them.

Since then, the septuagenarian has been reassuring. He states that he is experiencing no particular side effects and regularly attends his follow-up appointments. "I feel cured," he confides gratefully. According to him, his latest tests reveal no signs of recurrence. Regarding the impact of surgery on his sex life, often feared by men, Ousmane Seck doesn't hide his initial apprehension. He explains, however, that he gradually regained his physical abilities after the first three months of recovery. He contrasts this personal experience with the many misconceptions that still surround the disease. But beyond his own story, Ousmane Seck takes a critical view of the lack of information surrounding prostate cancer. He admits that he himself was long unfamiliar with this disease, despite his level of education and his urban environment. For him, raising awareness remains the main challenge, particularly among rural populations, especially farmers, herders, and agricultural workers, who have fewer opportunities to access health information.

His advocacy goes further. Inspired by the grassroots initiatives of women committed to fighting breast and cervical cancer, he believes that men should also organize to break the silence surrounding prostate cancer. Because, in his view, the fight is not limited to medical treatments: it begins with knowledge of the disease, prevention, and screening.

At 70, Ousmane Seck wants to turn his experience into a warning message. His story serves as a reminder that early detection of cancer can pave the way for appropriate treatment and that, in the face of this disease, silence and ignorance can be costly.