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The LIVESTRONG Link Most Definitive and Helpful Resource to Date

 

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One of my favorite Norman Rockwell paintings at Christmas time. Copyrighted by the Rockwell Foundation, Stockbridge, MA. and is in the Rockwell Museum there. Used here with attribution and under the fair use doctrine.  

 

I received this note from a friend of mine in Dallas who completed treatment at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Proton Therapy Center at the same time I did in early 2007.  This is his Christmas note to me and his endorsement of the LIVESTRONG Care Plan.  The link to the Careplan has received quite a bit of interest from the ProtonPals and we’ll feature more on this in 2010.  LIVESTRONG/Metz Care Plan

 

Joe,

Thanks for the latest newsletter and particularly the link for  the Livestrong Care Plan.  This information should be provided to each patient when they begin treatment, and, certainly once proton treatment is completed.  When you and I completed treatment, the facility was new and didn’t provide any information concerning post-treatment side effects, particularly, that was the experience of those of us living outside Houston who couldn’t attend the monthly meetings at the Proton Center.

The Livestrong link is the most definitive and helpful resource I’ve seen to date.  Your continued efforts with ProtonPals is very much appreciated.

Happy holidays to you and your family.

J. Rich M.

Tags: Resources, Newsletter, Links by paljoe
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News for September

This article is copyrighted by SpaceCoastMedicine and I would have led you there simply with a link - except when I did that normal way the link says it’s broken and this article could not be found. So here’s the lead in paragraph and a couple of photos by Dr. Nicola Ally
“PCA Second Leading Cause of Cancer Death in American Men

Dr. Nicola AllyDr. Nicola AllyAs a radiation oncologist, I counsel many men with prostate cancer (PCA) about treatment options. After skin cancer, PCA is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in American men.  The American Cancer Society estimates that over 192,000 men will be diagnosed with PCA in 2009 and about 27,000 men will die.The hormone testosterone drives the growth and development of the gland and PCA. Medications that interfere with testosterone production or metabolism are used to treat prostate disease and PCA.The most common type of PCA is adenocarcinoma. In late stages, PCA can spread to the urinary passage, bladder, tissues around the prostate, lymph nodes and/or  bone.   All Men at Risk for Prostate CancerAnnual PSA check and digital rectal exam of the prostate will help to detect prostate problems at an early stage.   “Hope you find my humor ok.   Joe

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M. D. Anderson Resources

In order to stay current with the Proton Therapy Center at  M.D. Anderson Cancer Center’s approach and their answers to your questions about proton therapy, I’d like to lead you to their website . Proton Center Home.  Here you’ll can navigate around and you’ll find the FAQ link.   

Also on the Center’s site you find information about the type of cancers treated. Diseases Treated

You’ll also find a 9 1/2 minute Windows media video proton video on how this tissue sparing therapy is used to fight cancer in many tumor sites throughout the body, including the newest form of this therapy, uniform scattering, or as called by some pencil beam therapy.  The gantry was commissioned and approved by the FDA in December 2007 and the Center started treating patients in June 2008.

Also you there’s a new patient check list for you with many important phone numbers, including the Patient Advocate’s number  New Patient Checklist

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Rick’s Prostate Cancer Blog and ProtonInfo Group

Our ProtonPals web site was featured in web log that I’ve recently found called Rick’s Prostate Cancer Blog.  Rick Otey, on hearing about our web site from his friend Chuck, contacted me about some information about M. D. Anderson.  Chuck started his treatment at the MDACC PTC in early March.

This morning Rick wrote about The First Six Steps to Take When You Are Diagnosed.  What to do when your doctor utters the four words that will forever change your life: “you have prostate cancer.”  But hopefully it won’t be like what I experienced, i.e. when the nurse calls to give you the news but can’t put it in any context, except make an appointment and come in for a consult.  Thanks Rick.

 http://www.ricksprostatecancer.blogspot.com:80/

The author of the note on the six steps is Fuller Jones who presented them in a reply to the wife of a newly diagnosed husband.  Fuller was treated some years back by the Loma Linda Center and owns a Yahoo forum at the link listed below. Check out his site for more information and support.  Thanks Fuller.

http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/protoninfo.

PalJoe   3/12/2008

Tags: Resources, Newsletter by paljoe
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Support Group Meeting for Wed. Feb. 27th

ProtonPals:

Sloane Caskey requested that we forward the notice (Educational Group Meeting) for Feb’s support group meeting featuring Lorianne Classen as the speaker.  Also to remind newcomers and family that these are held on the 4th Wednesday of every month. 

In gratitude,
Joe

Tags: Resources, Newsletter by paljoe
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Activities that will elevate PSA

 SOURCE: BOB Tales - Monthly Newsletter to Members - October 2007 Bob Marckini, Editor.

IMPORTANT NEW FINDING FROM JOHNS HOPKINS?

I received a bulletin though my Google Alerts last month indicating that Johns Hopkins reported a significant new finding that, “should save men with early prostate cancer from making any irrevocable decisions too hastily.”

And, that new finding? Having sex within 72 hours of your PSA test can produce a false reading.

Hello… Isn’t this old news? We’ve been talking about this for five years, along with the fact that there are some conditions that can cause false readings for up to 6 weeks. It’s in my book, in two places.

This information was published in the August 1998 Journal of Laboratory Medicine. Here are some other things that can cause false readings, from page 190 in my book.


Condition/Manipulation Effect on PSA Increase Persists
Acute bacterial prostatitis 5-7 fold 6 weeks
Acute urinary retention 5-7 fold 6 weeks
Exercise - bicycle 0-3 fold 1 week
Prostate Biopsy Very variable 6 weeks
Prostate massage Variable 6 weeks
Ejaculation Variable 3 days
TURP Very Variable 6 weeks

Tags: Resources, Newsletter by paljoe
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Are you considering surgery? Get access to an expert.

Dr. Bach in an article in the WSJ notes that the average prostate surgeon in New York State performed fewer that 4 operations a year, 114 who did only one.   ” In other words, even though expertise is needed to deliver an important treatment that should have low complications and high success rates, there is nothing that ensures that men with prostate cancer can have access to such expertise.”

Why We’ll Never Cure Cancer

[Read more →]

Tags: Resources, Newsletter by paljoe
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Prostate Surgery

If you are considering radical prostatectomy, an operation to remove the prostate gland, here’s a direct link to a section at WebMD.  Complete, well written but with some sobering statistics about ED and incontinence.

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Patient Proton by Dr. Roy Butler

The Patient Proton   Here’s an excellent 24 page report by Dr. Roy Butler, a chemistry professor from Norwich University and a prostate cancer survivor that is featured on the ProtonBob website.  ProtonBob is Bob Marckini’s web site and Dr. Roy Butler is a well known cancer survivor treated at Loma Linda University Medical Center.  ProtonBob is an essential web site that most if not all of the ProtonPals have used in obtaining information about prostate cancer treatment with proton therapy.  Thanks to Bob and Dr. Roy for making the site and booklet available. 

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