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For seven months, Torsten Tullberg left with anxiety buried deep inside.
Only those closest to her knew about prostate cancer.
– The worst was the wait. It was so much anxiety and I dreamed of my death, says Torsten, who is now 69 years old and is the campaign leader for the Mustache fight.
Torsten Tullberg was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 when he would turn 60.
– Several friends had rented a castle in Scotland to celebrate our birthday. Everybody was wondering “why is Torsten so low” and I just said “I’m not low”. I didn’t tell anyone that I had prostate cancer.
Why didn’t you want to tell your friends?
– I thought it would be so boring, that everyone would talk about cancer. We who would have fun!
Torsten had to wait seven months for care after receiving his diagnosis. Doctors told her that she had to choose whether to have surgery or other treatment.
– I didn’t find out anything. It was my wife who googled.
It was surgery and then it was easier for Torsten. He started talking to his friends about his illness. It was also then that he began to get involved in the Prostate Cancer Association.
Photo: Getty
– There is a big difference in waiting times. It ranges from 88 days to 175 days. Prostate cancer is the deadliest form of cancer in men. 2,300 men die from the disease each year in Sweden, says Torsten Tullberg.
Provide money for research
Since Torsten had run a communications agency for 20 years, his skills came in handy.
– This is the sixth year we have run Mustaschkampen and during that time we have raised just over SEK 50 million, he says.
The money goes to research, opinion-shaping so that politicians can improve unequal care, and to work hard to get men over 50 to get tested for PSA.
Many men are reluctant to have a PSA test. Why?
– Many men are afraid. They think “I don’t want to know if I’m sick.”
Today, Torsten Tullberg declares himself healthy. But he keeps going to the health center and getting PSA tests for safety. It is a simple blood test that shows the values of the prostate. The PSA test does not determine if you have cancer. This requires more research.
Photo: Mustaschkampen
The blue mustache is the symbol of the Fight Mustache. Today, Torsten Tullberg himself is completely healthy. But he keeps going to the medical center and getting PSA tests for safety. He recommends all men over 50 to do so.
Uneven care
Torsten Tullberg looks forward to a national screening program for men. The fact that it is now starting to conduct organized prostate cancer testing in various regions of Sweden is a good start, he says.
– What I want is for the National Board of Health and Welfare to make a new decision and before detection so that it is the same throughout the country.
Another thing on the wish list is more specialized care for prostate cancer patients.
– More trained clinics are needed that can handle more advanced care. Instead, health centers can deal with the simplest care.
His third wish is for the care of prostate cancer patients to be more equitable.
– Prostate cancer has significantly longer waiting times than other cancers. There are large regional variations in the way prostate cancer is detected early. It is a problem that the disease has not been given enough priority.
Do you want to participate in supporting the fight against prostate cancer? Swisha your gift to 9001017
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