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
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