Prostate cancer specialist in Bangor

Four years ago, the Bangor Daily News was kind enough to use my commentary covering prostate cancer seeding as an option for patients suffering from that dreaded disease.

When I wrote you I had been involved for four years with major prostate cancer.

Then, as now, I strongly promoted seeding (brachytherapy) of the prostate as a major option available for men with low PSA (prostate specific antigen) numbers. Because of my high PSA and cancer outside the prostate, I was not then considered a candidate for seeding.

In the intervening four years, one of the country’s leading prostate cancer centers has taken special interest in my care, supported by Dr. Philip Brooks of Eastern Maine Medical Center’s Cancer Care of Maine, and after extensive IMRT (intensity modulated radiation therapy), a new, more precise radiation, plus brachytherapy (seeding of the prostate), I was declared free of cancer last month – eight years after being told I likely had two years to live.

All of the above is now history, but it backs up 1997 BDN commentary that seeding offers prostate cancer sufferers hew hope.

Just recently, EMMC has added brachytherapy was a new treatment option. In addition and for men and their families with interest, one of America’s leading brachytherapy physicians, Dr. John Blasko, from the Seattle Prostate Institute, is visiting Bangor and EMMC, joined by some of us who have suffered from prostate cancer is sponsoring his presentation free of charge to the public at the Bangor Civic Center at 7 p.m. Sept. 5. It will be a great opportunity for the public to ask questions and learn more about this new procedure at EMMC.

It is a procedure with now 13 years of history and success, one that has eliminated prostate cancer for thousands of men, that I predict will soon become the national standard of treatment for early detected prostate cancer victims and for an ever-growing number of us with late stages of this disease.

My PSA exceeded 50 eight years ago, and my Gleason score was 9. To be free of cancer today is a miracle accomplished by a leading cancer clinic in the United States.

Congratulations to EMMC for offering this new brachytherapy procedure. Let us now give them huge support for this and the state-of-the-art IMRT Radiation that is planned for the future.

Eastern Maine Charities at 973-5055 would welcome your participation on Wednesday, and your financial support for IMRT today.

Galen L. Cole lives in Bangor.