Help available for prostate cancer survivors

McALLEN — Bob Wright described his experience with prostate cancer as “very bewildering.”

Wright, the director of managed care at South Texas Health System, was diagnosed with the disease in November. If it weren’t for a routine checkup, he might not have survived it. But having to choose which treatment to undergo was difficult, because each has possible side effects.

“It’s like walking into a dark place and not knowing how long you can hold your breath before going outside,” he said.

That’s why Wright helped start a local chapter of an international nonprofit organization that helps men and their families dealing with prostate cancer and provides information about the disease.

The McAllen chapter of Us Too began in April and now has about 50 people on its mailing list. It meets once a month and has averaged about 20 people at its meetings.

“What we do is listen to them,” Wright said.

The group tends to match men who have undergone or are receiving similar treatments to talk about their experiences.

“I think guys find value in it,” he said, because they have the opportunity to talk with other men who have gone through the similar experiences.

Common But Survivable

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in men. One in six men is expected to be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime, and nearly 219,000 new cases are expected to be diagnosed this year, according to the American Cancer Society.

If caught early it is survivable. The cancer society projects 27,000 or so will die from the disease this year.

But not enough men know the importance of being checked for the disease, said Wright and doctors.

“Early detection is key,” said Dr. Guillermo Lazo, a medical oncologist and hematologist at Texas Oncology.

Prostate cancer can be detected by a prostate-specific antigen test and a digital rectal exam. Prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, is a protein produced by the cells of the prostate gland. The PSA test measures the level of PSA in the blood.

The American Cancer Society recommends men undergo the blood test and rectal exam every year beginning at age 50 if they do not have any major medical problems and are expected to live at least 10 more years. Men at high risk should begin testing at age 45.

Black men and men who have a family history of the disease have a greater risk of developing prostate cancer.

Although the thought of the exam might put off some men from being tested, they need to have the exam and blood test to make sure doctors can catch the disease, said Lupe Barron, director of marketing and community relations for Urology Associates of South Texas and Radiation Oncology Center.

Urology Associates is offering free screenings throughout the month of September to help ensure men get checked for the disease. Barron said the exams take three to five minutes.

DETECTION AND TREATMENT

There are different ways to treat prostate cancer depending on when the disease is caught and whether it has spread to other parts of the body. The most common treatments are radiation, hormone therapy, chemotherapy and surgery.

Wright opted for surgery and has been cancer-free since December. But he said early detection is what saved him.

If the disease is caught early, men have about a 90 percent chance of survival. But if it’s caught later, the chances of survival drop to about 50 percent, Wright said.

He said the cancer becomes even harder to manage if it metastasizes, which is when cancer cells spread from the place where the cancer started to other parts of the body.

“Prostate cancer is like weeds in your front yard,” Wright said. “It goes everywhere.”

McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez, another survivor of prostate cancer, also attributes his survival to early detection.

“Modern medicine detected it early and modern medicine got rid of it,” he said.

Cortez, also a member of Us Too McAllen, said he appreciates what Wright and others have done to help fellow survivors and inform the public about the importance of getting tested.

“At the end of the day you have to tell yourself it’s an important exam to have. You owe it to yourself, your family and friends to take care of yourself,” he said.

Us Too McAllen plans to have a dinner for cancer survivors at its next meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Edinburg Regional Medical Center. Dr. Billie Marek of Texas Oncology is slated to be the guest speaker.

Jennifer L. Berghom covers health, environment and science issues and general assignments at The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4462.