If you want to talk about confusing, let’s talk prostate cancer.
The statistics show about 313,000 men will join former President Joe Biden as prostate cancer patients this year, reports the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Around 36,000 men die annually from prostate cancer, says the NCI, representing nearly 6% of all deaths attributed to cancer. Coincidentally, prostate cancer statistics mimic those of breast cancer in women.
What does the prostate gland do in a man? The National Library of Medicine reports its “most important function is the production of a fluid that, together with sperm cells from the testicles and fluids from other glands, makes up semen. The muscles of the prostate also ensure that the semen is forcefully pressed into the urethra and then expelled outwards during ejaculation.”
If my experience with prostate cancer is indicative of what the former President experienced, the Sturm und Drang over what the doctors knew about his health – and when they knew it! – plus a report in The Wall Street Journal saying he was last screened for prostate cancer in 2014, could be channeled into more meaningful conversations and better science.
Is there a way to improve prostate health? How can a man reduce his chances of becoming the next man hobbled with prostate cancer? That’s a sampling of some of my questions.
In 2018, the results from my annual physical, which included a blood test and an examination of my prostate, were solid. Other than a nagging cholesterol issue, I was fine.
I exercised regularly – and still do – and consumed a lot of broccoli and avocados, which, if nothing else, helped reduce the chances of becoming a cancer patient. Rarely did I eat red meat due to reading studies suggesting a possible connection between its consumption and prostate cancer.
Sometimes my diet was a source of contention. At Five Guys, my sons often scorned my order while eating hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and drinking milkshakes. I’d order the veggie sandwich and water, instead. French fries were (and remain) my guilty pleasure.
So, as I entered my doctor’s office for my annual physical a year later, there wasn’t any reason to believe I had prostate cancer. All went well, and the physical examination of my prostate suggested everything was fine when she announced, “I can’t feel anything.”
Life changed two weeks later.
The blood test showed an increased PSA (prostate-specific antigen) number, 4.4, which meant it was likely cancer cells infected my prostate. Within weeks, I had an appointment with a local urologist.
Like my primary care physician, he, too, conducted a physical examination on my prostate with the same result. The blood test, however, showed an increased PSA reading, just over 5. During a follow-up phone call, he recommended a biopsy, saying it would show what was happening.
“While technically you’re a cancer patient,” he said, discussing the biopsy's results, “the good news is that you’ve got the kind of cancer that should remain confined to your prostate.”
I was a Gleason 6. According to the documents, the cancer cells were benign.
After COVID-19 struck, there was another PSA test followed by a visit with the urologist. My PSA continued its trajectory, but there was no reason to take action. So, I continued doing what I always did: Exercised and ate broccoli and avocados copiously, sometimes with a side of blueberries.
In January 2022, I visited my urologist after a second biopsy. The results were different. I was a Gleason 7 because the cancer cells had spread.
“There’s a 2% chance they’ll leave your prostate and kill you,” he said, adding that my prostate needed to be removed.
That’s where he lost me.
Even my restricted math skills knew there was 98% chance nothing was going to happen.
Media Power
A week later, while listening to Bloomberg radio, I heard an ad for New York University promoting their urology practice, saying there was more than one way to fight prostate cancer.
In time, I arranged an appointment and had my records transferred, too.
The first thing I noticed about Herb Lepor, chair of NYU’s urology department, was his optimism and smile. He entered the room cheerful, saying that while my condition was something that needed to be dealt with, it was far from a death sentence.
He also offered some riveting statistics:
n If a cancer-infected prostate is surgically removed, there’s a 43% chance cancer will return.
n Through cryoablation, something he developed for prostate care, 80% of his patients were cancer-free two years after the procedure.
n Radiation therapy was another option. While it’s effective at killing cancer cells within a prostate, it also risks bringing about cancer in the rectum.
“But first, we need to do an MRI, so we know exactly what we’re dealing with,” Dr. Lepor insisted. “In fact, it’s standard operating procedure.”
After the MRI and running through the options once more, I decided on cryoablation, which freezes and destroys the cancer cells.
Everything went extraordinarily well, and I thank my lucky stars, and the Good Lord Himself, for leading me to Dr. Lepor.
Today, based on follow-up MRIs and blood tests, I’m happy to report I’m cancer-free.
This disease is never a one-and-done fight. I remain vigilant over my diet, continue to exercise often, and pray for good health.
Each day, I recall three gentlemen who died from prostate cancer. One was a scholar; one was a former assistant secretary of housing in the Obama Administration; and one was a Navy Seal during the Vietnam War and, later, an executive with United Press International. Cancer doesn’t care who you are or what you do. It has one mission – kill.
I wish Joe Biden well in his fight against cancer. I hope he makes a full recovery, not only for his sake but also for his family.
