showcase magazine | spring 2014
community
prostate cancer—diagnosis, discovery and treatment
seattle cancer care alliance
“In 2011, while at a charity golf tournament, I received a call found myself biking, swimming and lifting weights. In fact, from my doctor telling me I had prostate cancer. Those three during my course of treatment, I competed in the Fearless simple words, ‘Pat, it’s cancer’ ignited a cycle of fear, uncer- San Diego Triathlon a few hours from the medical center. tainty, doubt—What am I going to do next?” “Mentally, this cancer journey is a big deal—you come to The good news for Pat was that his cancer was in the ear- grips with your own mortality, and what’s also important is ly stages and still contained within his prostate. The unan- that the people around you come to grips with that too. One swered question was where to go from there. Pat says his of the things that has changed since I returned is my perspecdoctor encouraged him to investigate a number of different tive on things—on what’s important, and giving back, and treatment options. “He said, ‘There’s really not just one an- helping other patients who are going through this process.” swer that I can give you.’ Instead, he recommended several different physicians to talk to.” Pat’s advice to prospective patients is quite simple: know your PSA level and know your treatment options. While the treatPat notes that sadly, he is not the only man that will have ment of prostate cancer should be tailored to each individual’s to face this challenge. Prostate cancer is the most common needs, patients should consult their oncologist to evaluate all form of cancer in American men. But there’s a new hope in of their options and decide the best treatment for their specific the fight against prostate cancer—a next-generation treat- case. To find out more about Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and ment called proton therapy that’s now regionally available for proton therapy, visit sccaprotontherapy.com cancer patients. Proton therapy, like traditional radio therapy, attacks tumors with powerful doses of radiation. But unlike traditional radio therapy, proton therapy allows doctors to precisely target tumors and avoid exposing healthy tissue to excess radiation. Pat says he considered a wide range of treatment options, from radical prostatectomy to watchful waiting. Ultimately, he determined that proton therapy was the best choice for his active lifestyle. During his nine-week therapy, he worked full-time from a virtual office close to the center where he received his radiation treatment. His colleagues set up a Web conference protocol. He’d meet with them every morning by webcam and conduct his regular one-on-one meetings as well. “The radiation took a little bit out of me,” says Pat, “and I probably did not have the same energy level that I normally would have had. Nonetheless, I ran every morning and also 10