Steven
W. Bennet lives in California, USA. He was 50 when he was diagnosed in April,
2008. His initial PSA was 4.3 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 6 and he was staged
T1c. His choice of treatment was Proton Beam Therapy. Here is his story.
I
had 2 to 3 years of BPH (Benign Prostate Hyperplasia)-like symptoms under care
of my Urologist. I was (and continue) using Uroxatral to manage BPH, fairly successfully.
An incidence of blood in urine triggered further medical review. Kidney scan looked
fine. But, PSA had jumped from high 2's to low 4's. A retest in 2 weeks confirmed,
followed by an 11 core biopsy. Result was positive for Adenocarcinoma.
I
spent three days with the 'Why Me's?' then did a ton of reading and research;
adopted a "hit it hard, hit it fast" mind-set (thanks to Andy Grove).
In
the course of my research I had two additional reviews of my original biopsy slides
(hoping it was all a mistake). Unfortunately, they all concurred.
I consulted
with my Urologist about open Radical Prostatectomy. Followed by a consult with
City of Hope regarding da Vinci Robotic. I was ready to sign-up when I ran into
an old friend who confided that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa)
2 years ago; he is incredibly smart, analytic, and with his Oncologist brother,
traveled to several of the major prostate cancer institutions in the US and selected
Proton Therapy at Loma Linda.
I researched x-ray, brachy, cryo, and was
even prepared to go to Canada or Europe for HIFU. By the end of this process I
felt that
(a) prostate cancer patients are really left on their own for
independent advice, and
(b) I hit a point when the treatment was right
for me became clear and that decision gave me comfort in itself - -in this case
it was Proton therapy. (I concluded that da Vinci Robotic surgery has reduced
radical removal risks substantially, but it's still major organ/cancer surgery,
and has substantial risk of sudden or lifetime complications.)
By now
my priorities were firmly set on
(a) a cancer-free life going forward,
(b) maintaining continence, and
(c) maintaining sufficient sexual function,
in that order.
Loma Linda is booked so far in advance I can't even get
a consult until beginning of 2009. I applied in parallel to MGH (Massachusetts
General Hospital), UFPTI (University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute), and
MD Anderson, with the strategy that whichever I felt was the best facility, with
the best medical team, and was available soonest, I would select. For me, that
turned out to be MGH (the day I confirmed, UFPTI called and said they were ready,
followed by MD Anderson). So far, I'm extremely happy with the people, doctors,
and facility.
Each Proton center uses a slightly different approach, but
all are directionally similar. I start treatment late June for approx. 8 weeks.
I'm happy to share details of my decision process with you. I suggest
a book by Robert Marckini, "You Can
Beat Prostate Cancer".
In closing, I'll share the following for the
benefit of those who are newly diagnosed:
I was terrified. This evolves over time - -now it's just a little stress.
This was a humbling
experience since I grew up thinking only other people get cancer.
One needs to make
room in their life for this; it shows up unannounced and you need some space to
address it proactively, research it, plan for it, and deal with it.
I also learned that
this news affects not only me, but the people around me - - sometimes even more.
Lastly, I feel very
lucky: PCa is highly treatable and in most cases very slow moving. While there
are no guarantees for us PCa patients, there are many other cancers that have
very challenging treatment regimens, and equally challenging outlooks. By comparison,
we are fortunate.
Best of luck.
Steven's e-mail address is: stewb_2000@yahoo.com
