Almost 5 Years a Survivor & Hiking the Camino de Santiago for Prostate Cancer Awareness
I had a PSA done in 2010 and it was a 4.7 - looking back, it was probably PCa back then. Fast forward to 10/13/2014, the day after the Long Beach, CA marathon, another PSA showed a 555.2. I retested 10 days later and it was 633.
Diagnosed with Stave IV cancer
Found a nice female Asian urologist, who I had small fingers, and started Cipro and Flomax. We pushed the full gamut of scans, tests until 2015 due to large insurance deductibles and the PSA was 840.2! Stage IV with Mets to the left side ureter lymph nodes. That closed off the urine flow and threatened kidney damage. Had stents placed to keep them patent and then was off to a Med Onc.
My treatment journey
Nilesh Vora met me and said that the CHAARTED research just dropped, so I was diagnosed at the right time. Started Lupron shots and daily Casodex. Two weeks later started the first of six planned Taxotere sessions. About five sessions in, the PSA was still in teens, so Vora met a Tumor Board and asked what they thought. No one could agree on allowing me more.
Dr. Vora said to me "I will give you more chemo until the numbers plateau or you tell me to stop" He saved my life by going outside the box. I had nine more sessions and hit a PSA at 0.7 at the end on 2015. Started Metformin and Lipitor at the beginning of 2016.
High PSA after my hormone "holiday"
PSA nadir occurred for three months in the Summer of 2017. After thirty months of ADT, Vora allowed me a hormone "holiday". This lasted about eighteen months and the PSA hit 10.8 in Dec 2018. I restarted ADT, but the PSA has not gone below 3.8 so far this time.
Hiking trip and raising awareness
On September 1, 2019 in Sarria Spain, my son/his wife and their friend started the last 112km - 69.65 miles of the Camino Frances (French Way) route to finish at the Cathedral in Santiago (St. James). We spent five days walking with backpacks with all of our belongings, drinking beers, having local foods, and saying "Buen Camino" to other Pilgrims. I placed Blue Ribbons on signs along The Way and had a sign in Spanish on my backpack exhorting men to get screened. It was a tough but beautiful journey, a great time for reflection, contemplation, and life affirmation.
See my posts at #chinononcamino
P.S. - I have the Long Beach marathon next month and I will celebrate my five year survival with Stage IV PCa (old data said only a 28% chance)
Mahalo for your time
Fight on Brothers,
Randy Kam
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