Dr. Chovanec podcast

Night urination. Weak urine stream. Burning. Urinary infections. Blood in the urine. Back or pelvic pain. Many men immediately ask the same frightening question:“Do I have prostate cancer?”The important answer is nuanced: most of these symptoms are not caused by prostate cancer — but that does not mean they should be ignored. In this video, Dr. Chovanec explains five prostate and urinary symptoms...

You just received a prostate MRI report — and it says PI-RADS 3, PI-RADS 4, or PI-RADS 5.But what does that actually mean? A PI-RADS score is not a cancer diagnosis. It is a risk signal that tells your medical team how suspicious a finding looks on MRI for clinically significant prostate cancer. In this video, I explain what PI-RADS 1 through 5 means, why PI-RADS 3 is such a grey zone, why PI-RADS...

Your PSA is elevated. But before you panic — or agree to a biopsy — there is one number most men have never heard of that changes how you read that result entirely. It is called PSA density. And it asks a smarter question than PSA alone: is your PSA actually high for the size of your prostate? In this video I explain:— Why the same PSA number can mean completely different things in two different m...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Clint Cary, Chair of Urology at Indiana University School of Medicine, to discuss one of the most difficult topics in men’s health: early prostate cancer. Finding prostate cancer early can save lives — but it can also lead to anxiety, unnecessary biopsies, and overtreatment when the cancer found may never have become dangerous. That is why early prostate cancer...

Some doctors improve cancer treatment. Very few change the fate of an entire disease. Dr. Lawrence Einhorn did. In this special episode, I sit down with Dr. Lawrence Einhorn, one of the true legends of oncology, my mentor and my friend. His cisplatin-based treatment helped transform testicular cancer from a once-devastating diagnosis into one of the greatest cure stories in modern medicine. We tal...

For decades, men have been told that testosterone “feeds” prostate cancer. But is that actually what the modern data shows? In this video, I break down the real relationship between testosterone, TRT, PSA, and prostate cancer risk — including where the fear came from, why the old “fuel for the fire” model may be too simplistic, and what newer studies suggest about properly monitored testosterone t...

👉 Free Biopsy Checklist (1 page): Don’t go to your appointment unprepared. Download and print: “Before Prostate Biopsy: 5 Essential Questions to Ask Your Urologist”https://drchovanec.kit.com/30968ddb5c📘 Optional PSA Guide (14 pages):If you want everything organised in one place, this printable guide walks you step-by-step through PSA interpretation, MRI decisions, and biopsy pathways. All inform...

There’s a new blood test being called 94% accurate for prostate cancer. It sounds like a breakthrough. But before you trust that number, you need to understand what it actually means. Because right now, many men are still being sent for biopsy based on a test — PSA — that was never designed to diagnose prostate cancer. And that’s where things start going wrong. In this video, I explain:Why PSA is...

For many men, those words immediately mean one thing:👉 “This is the end.”But that assumption is often wrong. In this video, I explain what metastatic prostate cancer actually means — what is happening inside the body, why it spreads (especially to bone), and how modern treatment has changed what this diagnosis looks like today. We’ll break down:What metastasis really is (and what it is NOT)Why pr...

Spotify Episode Description If you are waking up at night to urinate, dealing with a weak stream, or feeling like your bladder never completely empties, you might be asking yourself the question every man dreads:  "Is this prostate cancer?" In this episode, Dr. Chovanec breaks down the crucial differences between Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer. We separate the fac...

Hearing the words "you have cancer" triggers an immediate instinct: cut it out or radiate it. But what if the smartest, safest medical decision you can make is to do absolutely nothing? In this episode, Dr. Chovanec breaks down the paradox of prostate cancer. Because many prostate tumors grow incredibly slowly, rushing into aggressive treatments like surgery or radiation can permanently...

A prostate cancer diagnosis often leads to a single, urgent thought: "Get it out of me." However, rushing this decision can be dangerous, as the treatment you choose today will shape your urinary control, sexual function, and daily life for decades to come. In this episode, we break down how doctors categorize risk—low, intermediate, or high—using PSA levels, Gleason scores, and MRI findings. We e...

The fear of prostate cancer isn't just about survival—it’s about the life that comes after. Will I have an erection again? Will I leak urine? These are the questions that keep men awake at night, yet the answers in the doctor's office are often rushed or incomplete. In this episode,  Dr. Chovanec , associate professor of oncology, breaks down the medical evidence behind post-surgical recov...

Episode Description If you logged into your patient portal tomorrow and saw your PSA rising, what would be your next move?  Most men—and many doctors—panic and rush straight into a blind biopsy. As an oncologist, I see this mistake every day. In this episode, I’m taking off the white coat to share my personal playbook. If my own PSA spiked tomorrow, here is the exact 4-step sequence I would follow...

Episode Description Most men are never told the full truth about prostate cancer screening. When a single PSA test comes back high, the medical "conveyor belt" often kicks into high gear, moving you straight toward a biopsy without a second thought. This is what I call the  Biopsy Trap . In this episode, I explain why a reflex biopsy can lead to "battleship medicine"—a blind sa...

You’ve been told your PSA is “normal” because it’s under 4.0. But what if that number doesn’t tell the full story? For decades, men were reassured that anything below 4.0 ng/mL was safe. Today, we know that prostate cancer risk is far more nuanced. PSA must be interpreted in context — including age, prostate volume, PSA density, and changes over time. In this episode, I explain: • Why the 4.0 cuto...

Many people notice symptoms like blood in the stool or changes in bowel habits and assume it’s “just hemorrhoids” or something benign. Most of the time, that assumption is correct — but sometimes, it’s exactly how colon cancer gets missed. In this episode, I walk through the  most common warning signs of colon cancer  that people tend to ignore, explain why early colon cancer is often silent, and...

Prostate supplements are a multi-billion dollar industry — and many men take them hoping to protect their prostate or lower their cancer risk. In this episode, I explain what the evidence actually shows. We talk about vitamin E, saw palmetto, vitamin D, lycopene, green tea extracts, and why “natural” doesn’t always mean safe or helpful. I also discuss an important lab-testing issue that can mislea...

You can’t control your age. You can’t control your genetics. But you  can  control what you eat — every single day. In this episode,  Dr. Chovanec , a medical oncologist, explains the  practical nutrition strategy  he discusses with patients concerned about prostate cancer risk and rising PSA levels. This is not about fad diets or selling supplements. It’s about the  chemistry of food  — and how w...

We are told the PSA test is a simple lifesaver. But for 12 out of 13 men, it can lead to a "trap" of unnecessary biopsies, anxiety, and permanent side effects. In this episode, Dr. Michal Chovanec reveals the hidden risks of prostate cancer screening that most doctors don't have time to explain. You will learn why a "high number" doesn't always mean cancer, and the exac...

Is your daily vitamin routine actually helping you, or are you just creating "expensive urine"? 🚽💊 In this episode, Dr. Chovanec breaks down the uncomfortable truth about the supplement industry. Many of us take pills in good faith, believing we are investing in our longevity, but without the right knowledge, we might be wasting money—or worse, risking our health. We cover the 5 major...

Every month, millions of women put their hands under a UV or LED lamp to get their gel manicure. We are told it's just light. We are told it's safe. But as an oncologist, I don't see a beauty tool. I see a miniature tanning bed for your fingers. In this episode, Dr. Chovanec breaks down the controversial 2023 study from UC San Diego that found significant DNA damage caused by nail drye...

Everyone wants a simple blood test that finds cancer early. It sounds like the Holy Grail of medicine. But for many healthy people, relying on tumor markers is actually a statistical trap that can lead to unnecessary surgery and life-altering damage. In this episode, I expose the "False Assurance Trap" of tests like CEA and CA-125. We break down the massive PLCO trial, where thousands of...

In 2014, NFL linebacker Alex Singleton did the unthinkable: he failed a drug test because he tested positive for pregnancy. It sounds like a joke or a lab error, but it was actually a biological warning sign that saved his life. In this episode, I break down the fascinating medical science behind why a male elite athlete would produce hCG (the "pregnancy hormone") and how this "biol...

You rang the bell. You finished the chemo. Everyone tells you that you should be happy. But for many, the reality of "Life After Cancer" is harder than the treatment itself. In this episode, Dr. Michael Chovanec (Professor of Oncology) debunks the myth that you should just "pick up the pieces" and return to your old self. Instead, he explains why survivorship is a distinct phas...