Relay for Life... for Real!

I'm participating in the "Relay for Life" at Council Rock North High School on June 8th with the hope of raising awareness and money to help other cancer patients. Through Relays for Life, the American Cancer Society raises millions of dollars to fund efforts to cure cancer. During every Relay for Life there is a special “Survivors Lap” where cancer survivors walk a lap and celebrate their journey.

I found out I had cancer through a routine medical exam. In November 2011, I applied to extend my life insurance and was required to undergo a medical exam due to my age. One of the assays was a Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test, a routine blood test for men. The results came back with a high reading. PSA level is often elevated in men with prostate cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, a PSA level between 4 and 10 indicates a 25% chance of prostate cancer. Most men have fewer than 4 nanograms; in January 2012 my PSA was 5.2, too high to be insured.

A few weeks later I went to see Dr. Richard Moses, a dear friend from law school and a GI Doctor.  Richard ordered a new battery of blood tests. My PSA level was indeed 5.2. Richard sent me to Urologist Dr. Howard Altman. In March 2012 Dr. Altman found that I had an enlarged prostate. He ordered a prostate biopsy which was performed by his colleague Dr. Jay Handler in April 2012. He biopsied 12 different specimens. On April 16, 2012, Dr. Moses removed a small, benign polyp during a colonoscopy.

After reviewing the results, on April 23rd Dr. Altman and Dr. Moses told me that I did in fact have prostate cancer. They recommended treatment over any “active surveillance approach.” Surgery was recommended to me over radiation because radiation can damage the surrounding area, eliminating surgery as a future option if the cancer recurs. After careful consideration, my wife and I decided that surgery was the best approach. Prostate surgery itself can cause nerve damage, but it is more efficient and less damaging to the body as a whole than radiation.

I met with Urologist and Surgeon Dr. Candace Kim from Dr. Altman's practice in late May. On June 11, I underwent a robotic assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy with surgeons Dr. Kim and Dr. Michael Stifelman at Aria Torresdale Hospital. Dr. Stifelman is the Chief of Urology Service at NYU Langone Medical Center. He travels to Aria every Monday to perform two of these surgeries. He is one of the Nation’s leading surgeons in this field. I left the hospital on June 13th returned to work in mid-July 2012.

Now I have my PSA levels tested every 3 months as I will for the rest of my life. My levels are low and my new life insurance policy was approved yesterday! I am wonderfully grateful to Charlie Spencer and Dr. Richard Moses who may have very well saved my life. Who would have ever thought that an insurance agent could save lives? One year later, I would have never thought I'd be in a “Relay for Life” as a survivor!

As Father’s Day draws near, get your dad, your husband, your brother, and any and all men in your life over 45 a PSA test so that a “marker” exists to compare from on an annual basis. 

The test takes less than 30 seconds; avoiding the test could take your away your quality of life if not life itself.

 See you Saturday during the “Survivor’s Lap.”