Prostate cancer is by far the most common cancer for men. One out of every six men will be diagnosed with it.
Rochester resident Sam Thompson was diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago. By the time he saw his doctor, he had already developed symptoms. That meant his disease was advanced.
So Mr. Thompson elected to have robotic laparoscopic surgery to remove the prostate.
Dr. Jean Joseph said, "We introduced it to the upstate New York area in 2000 and we've been performing it on a regular basis. We perform ten to fourteen surgeries a week."
Though surgeons have made advances in prostate removal, the key to a successful surgery is still early detection. When found early, men with prostate cancer have a 100 percent survival rate.
When it's detected late, treatment must be radical. If the cancer has grown beyond the prostate, surgery and radiation cannot help it. The treatment is then chemotherapy.
African American men are six times more likely to develop prostate cancer than other racial groups. Even though it’s recommended that men over fifty get annual prostate exams, black men are encouraged to get screened earlier.
Though Mr. Thompson's surgery was successful and he's been cancer-free for two years, he regrets he didn't see his doctor sooner.
"For me, I wish I had started at 48, 49,” Thompson said.” Different people react differently. Different nationalities react differently. So if you do it at an early age, 47, 48, you can't go wrong."
The University of Rochester Medical Center is having a day-long men's health seminar Friday, September 21. Local patients will share their experiences with prostate cancer care and doctors will discuss various treatments.
To register for the free event, call 585-275-2838
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