Text and photos/illustrations of the Brachytherapy and external beam radiation are a work in progress.
For now, the below is provided. Below, in italics, is what was posted on the wall at the Nov. 17, 2023, Celebrate Crushing Cancer contra dance held at the Greenwood recreation center.
Prostate Cancer Treatment
Summer 2016 PSA showed increases. Checked for inflammation but non found. Looked for a urologist
January 2017 biopsy revealed half the prostate had Gleason 4+3 and 3+4 cancer. During the discussion with the
urologist who had “old” thinking, the intern/stenographer taking notes asked a couple of pointed questions
which made me aware there were other options vs the old thinking surgery. Hence had second opinion from
both UVA and Johns Hopkins. Johns Hopkins recommended getting radiation from UVA as the best.
April-June 2017 Read “RADICAL REMISSION” by Kelly A. Turner, PhD
Nine principal factors why world wide terminal cancer patients continued to live:
1 radically changing the diet
2 taking control of their health
3 following their intuition
4 using herbs and supplements
5 releasing suppressed emotions
6 increasing positive emotions
7 embracing social support
8 deepening their spiritual connection
9 having a strong reason for living
Over the three months the PSA did not go up but only insignificantly decreased so chose radiation therapy.
July 2017 Brachytherapy – one radioactive seed inserted 18 times to cover 22 areas for 0.6 to 1.2 sec each area
Aug-Sept 2017 25 days of external beam radiation laying on a table while the beam head rotates around the body
2017 – 2018 PSA readings decline and are now “undetectable”.
ADDITIONAL NOTES: WHAT I WENT THROUGH mid 2016 Sept. 2017:
Slowly increasing PSA mid 2016 on routine annual physical and tested for infection. Since no infection found, started looking for a urologist. January 2017 twelve biopsies taken, duplicate of six locations. Test results showed Gleason 4+3, 3+4 and 3+3 on half the prostate. Very worried about what makes it stay there and for how long. Learn 2nd hand of a patient whose cancer had spread to the bone with very significant pain and bones rotting. Also a lawyer recommended the book RADICAL REMISSION so tried following it for three months and went ahead with the radiation treatment.
The three months that I learned and practiced, to the best of my ability, the nine factors in RADICAL REMISSION, friends strongly suggested I go ahead with the radiation treatment, and I was exceptionally concerned I was delaying too long. But I wanted to learn and know my body. The oncologist was exceptionally patient with me. At that time I did not realize I was making an important data point of the mind-body relationship relative to cancer. In those three months we made a trip out west and it was quite a learning to eat healthy while traveling. We tried to do a two mile walk every day. I continued studying about cancer, trying to understand the difference between a non-malignant tumor and cancer. Cynthia knew a couple, both of whom worked in cancer research and he had personal experience with prostate cancer. Surgery, chemo, radiation. What type of radiation, x-ray, proton, etc. The vision of the various types and distribution of cells reminded me of my reading air quality samples in clean rooms or trying to measure particle size distribution in ceramic raw materials.
ref: images of gleason scores – Search Images
A pathologist looks for cell abnormalities and “grades” the tissue sample from 1 to 5. The sum of two Gleason grades is the Gleason score. These scores help determine the chances of the cancer spreading. Gleason grades of 1 and 2 are not usually given in biopsies, so 6 is typically the lowest score for a prostate cancer. Cancer with Gleason scores of 8 to 10 is called high-grade, and can grow and spread more quickly. Gleason scores help guide the type of treatment your doctor will recommend.