Initial Visit

Met with Doc Crawford "officially" for first time today. Visit included a digital exam, a new PSA (blood) test and a relatively new test called PCA-3. This test is based on a urine specimen and looks for the DNA identifiers associated with prostate cancer. Although this test is not FDA-approved, it shows great promise with regards to screening and it may prove to be a better indicator than the standard PSA test. We taked about the mapping biopsy, now scheduled for 31 Aug. They will use a template to extract as many as 90 samples of the prostate, creating a 3-D image of my prostate, with the idea of isolating the tumor to as small of an area as possible. I should be knocked out for around 90 minutes. With any luck, the tumor will be confined to a small area, where it can be dealt with. We also talked through all the possible treatment options, from chemo, to radioactive pellets, to surgery, to cryo (freezing the tumor), to doing nothing at all. I will continue current meds and start Flomax around 10 days prior to the mapping biopsy.

I also agreed to be part of a long term study on this cancer. Basically it allows researchers access to samples of blood, urine, tissue, etc already being collected as part of my treatment. Hopefully it helps us move a step further towards a cure!

The media

Interesting week. Dan Chacon from the Gazette wrote a piece on his blog about my condition. It was very good and based on some email exchanges. He was certainly welcome to write about it, and in fact I encouraged him as it is one more opportunity to help make guys aware of the need to get annual exams. However, what followed was kinda like the game you play in elementary school, where you whisper something into a friend's ear and they pass it on and 20 people later it no longer resembles the original message. Suddenly Im getting questions as to why I am backing out of the race for mayor. Nothing could be further from the truth! I'm in the race for the long haul. :-)