Vim & Vigor - Summer 2013 - Gwinnett Medical Center - (Page 36)

Rick’s Story TreaTmenT of choice: radiation therapy Rick Otey faced his prostate cancer diagnosis at age 55 with no fear and just one matter-of-fact question: What now? He was optimistic, immediately jumping online and scouring prostate cancer discussion boards to see what others with a similar diagnosis were doing. “I thought I’d heard that prostate cancer was the one you wanted to get because it’s the most treatable,” he says. Treatment for prostate cancer comes in many forms: radiation, chemotherapy, surgery to remove the entire prostate gland or some of the tissue, hormone therapy, immunotherapy and active surveillance, known as watchful waiting. Otey opted for radiation therapy, which uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. There are two main types of radiation therapy: brachytherapy and external beam radiation. Brachytherapy delivers radiation from inside the body via “seeds” that are implanted under the skin with a needle. External beam radiation delivers rays of radiation from a machine outside the body. Both methods are effective, according to the American Cancer Society. Today, radiation therapy can be delivered more directly to the site of the tumor, thereby causing less damage to surrounding healthy cells. That was important to Otey, as it meant eradicating his cancer without effects on his bladder and rectum. A runner who’s been married for 38 years, Otey has four kids and seven grandkids. He kept busy and wanted to stay that way. “So, to me, it came down to what [treatment] was going to give me the best quality of life.” Otey opted for a type of external beam radiation called proton therapy. It is a newer treatment that is thought by some to cause less damage to nearby healthy cells than other types of external beam therapy. But it is still a relatively new approach, and its long-term cancer-control capabilities have yet to be proved, says Durado Brooks, MD, an American Cancer Society spokesman. The resulTs: Otey underwent 44 proton therapy treatments, which were painless and lasted only a few seconds each. He experienced no significant side effects. “I ran four to six miles every day of my treatment.” The radiation destroyed the cancer slowly, as it’s meant to do, and within three years, he saw his prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, score drop from a 5.0 to a 1.0. Today, at age 63, his PSA is at a 0.6, a likely indicator that his cancer is in remission. “I look at myself as cured,” says Otey, who still makes sure to get his PSA test every year. So far, so good. “I can’t 36 SU M M E R 2 013 say I’m glad I got cancer, but the fact that I got cancer and treated it effectively with no side effects has opened up a whole new world for me to help people.” Joel’s Story TreaTmenTs of choice: radical prostatectomy and hormone deprivation therapy Joel Nowak, 61, always suspected that he and prostate cancer would meet. His father, grandfather, uncle and cousin had prostate cancer, and Nowak was vigilant about monitoring his PSA level. At age 50, he got his diagnosis and decided on radical prostatectomy, or the surgical removal of his entire prostate gland. In retrospect, he says, he wishes he would have been more educated about his choices. “I can’t remember my urologist offering me lots of options other than surgery. Some doctors are good about sharing alternatives and some aren’t.” Brooks estimates 40 to 45 percent of men diagnosed with prostate cancer choose to take the prostatectomy route, while 35 percent choose radiation. Nowak opted for a laparoscopic surgery because he had heard the recovery would be quicker. He was in the hospital for three days but was able to get up and

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Summer 2013 - Gwinnett Medical Center

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2013 - Gwinnett Medical Center
Contents
Phil’s Feature
ACL Double Take
Saving the Littlest Lives
The Ultimate Backto- School Checklist
Join the Movement
Stroke Stories
5 Steps to Better Bone Health
Gut Instinct
Morgan Freeman
Prostate Playbook
The Main Ingredient
Looking Ahead
Virtual Health
PrimeTime Health
Delivered from Devastation
A Big Reason to Smile
Out of the White Coat
Transforming Healthcare

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2013 - Gwinnett Medical Center