Even the Healthiest Men Get Prostate Cancer

By shelgor

3 min read

When I was diagnosed with prostate cancer it didn’t come as a complete surprise. Besides me, three of my five siblings had cancer, including my brother Richie who also had prostate cancer. My five siblings and I grew up in Brooklyn, and I never left. In fact, I moved nine blocks from the house I was raised into the house I live in now with my wife, Louise, of 47 years.

My family history with cancer

Only my sister Elena and I are cancer survivors. Sadly, our other siblings have passed away. So this dreaded disease runs in our family. But I’ve been very diligent about maintaining good health by exercising daily and eating right. Up until I had a hip replacement, I was running on the treadmill for 60 to 90 minutes every day. I turned 80 in June 2021 and haven’t even had the flu since 2000. My strong faith and attending mass every morning has also kept my health in check.

My symptoms

My symptoms started with a PSA score that kept rising, starting out at 2.5, which is in the normal range. My urologist, Dr. Ben Jacobs, sent me for an MRI in January 2020, just before we all went into pandemic lockdown. Dr. Jacobs spotted something suspicious and referred me to Dr. David Silver at Maimonides Medical Center, one of the three major hospitals in Brooklyn.

Prostate biopsy

Dr. Silver scheduled me for a biopsy and the results showed a Stage 1 tumor. Luckily the cancer hadn’t spread and he reassured me that prostate cancer is slow growing, which was fortunate since all elective procedures were put on hold while the hospital was treating only Covid-19 patients. So I could delay treatment for several months, although not indefinitely.

The second MRI

In January 2021 Dr. Silver sent me for a second MRI after my PSA score jumped to 5.6, and now it was time to treat the cancer. That’s when he told me about HIFU, which stands for high-intensity focused ultrasound. Dr. Silver was one of the few doctors who does this procedure, and the only one in Brooklyn. He said that HIFU is ideal for patients whose prostate cancer is still confined to the prostate, which mine was.

My treatment

Dr. Silver explained that with HIFU he is able to destroy only the diseased portion of the prostate, which means that side effects like urinary incontinence and sexual function are less likely to occur. HIFU is done quickly (approximately two to three hours), in a single session and at an outpatient surgery center, away from the main hospital, so I could get in and out quickly, and avoid any risk of contracting Covid. Dr. Silver told me HIFU has really increased in popularity, especially during this pandemic, and patients are asking for this because they’ve heard that they can come in the morning, have the procedure and go home before lunch.

My thoughts about radiation

I had thought about radiation. My brother Pete had kidney cancer which metastasized. He had radiation and it really just put him under. My other brother Richie had brachytherapy for his prostate cancer. This involves planting radioactive seeds in the prostate. He also really suffered. After my daughter researched both HIFU and radiation, and encouraged me to go with HIFU, I made my decision. Also, as of January 1, 2021, HIFU was being covered by Medicare (and most private insurers.) Of the entire bill, I only had to pay the $500 deductible charge.

Recovery

I had no pain after the HIFU procedure, which took about 90 minutes. Recovery was fine although I did have to have a catheter put in for four days and then I had to have it taken out during a major snowstorm! I’ve been able to return to the things I enjoy, taking long drives with Louise, shopping for nice accent pieces for our home, eating dinner at our favorite restaurants, and providing daily companionship and care to a family friend. And soon I hope to return to the gym.

My experience is recommended

I would recommend HIFU to anyone looking at treatment for prostate cancer. It’s like you’re waiting for something to go wrong but nothing did! It’s been fantastic. I’d rather have HIFU than go to the dentist!
Bob and wife Louise

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Dennis E. Golden Moderator & Contributor
shelgor... Thank you for writing this article. HIFU is as you noted not well known and you are the second man now I know of who successfully underwent the treatment and has done quite well. The other fellow actually was treated out of the states and was glad he made that decision. It is my understanding that with any of these treatments the approach depends on the stage of the cancer and the aggressiveness of the disease. I was diagnosed in 2013 with a contained Gleason 9 . At the time my options were limited to surgery or external beam radiation. Seed therapy was not recommended. I did surgery in 2013 and in 2018 I did the follow-up radiation treatment with hormone therapy ... all is good so far. My personal experience with surgery and Radiation was positive. That said we are all different and may not have the same experience and outcome. With any of this the best advice is "get checked regularly and ask questions." rSilence is not a cure when it comes to Prostate Cancer. I tell men in our education groups to do some research on your own and ask about HIFU and Proton therapy in addition to the standard offerings of radiation, hormone therapy and surgery. So glad to hear you are doing well. Dennis(ProstateCancer.net TEAM) 
1. shelgor Member
 <inline-mention username="Dennis Golden" user-id="3259730"/>, you’re absolutely right. The best advice for men is to get checked regularly. I read about a study from USC that showed that metastatic prostate cancer is on the rise since the decrease in PSA tests. It’s risen by 43% in men 75 and older and 41% in men 45-74. PSA screening is important. I think there’s reasons men aren’t getting screened—their doctors aren’t recommending the screening as often and they are afraid of the consequences of a high PSA and surgery or radiation or both if they do have cancer. And so they put their heads in the sand. But with HIFU, they don’t realize they can avoid much of that. I’m glad your side effects weren’t too bad—we are all different. But one thing is true, we all need to keep spreading the word.
Dan Franke Moderator & Contributor
Thank you for sharing. I have had prostate cancer for 13 years now and am always happy to learn new things and options. Dan Franke, team member, <a href='https://prostatecancer.net' target='_blank'>prostatecancer.net</a>.