My New York Minute

I had never heard of the Refractory Period for cancer patients until last week. Now I believe it is important to anticipate it.   Last week, I participated in a patient and survivor panel for MOVEMBER representatives from around the world. I had the pleasure of meeting Jonny Imerman, founder of Imerman Angels. He’s a terrific cancer survivor [...]

With Zytiga already approved for use by the National Health Service (NHS) in Wales, The U.K.’s rationing body (NICE) is expected to do an about face and recommend Zytiga (abiraterone) for patients this week. In a highly-connected world that often marches in unison, it’s surprising when we see the parade split into various routes. Such is the case with [...]

Faced with a diagnosis of testicular cancer, one 26 year-old man initiates Imerman Angels to match newly diagnosed patients with cancer mentors. We all know the confusion and isolation that a cancer diagnosis brings. There is so much information to absorb and so much to gather. The road ahead is covered in a shroud of fog and [...]

…the prospect of my last Lupron injection is a mixed bag. As I come off androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) later this summer, I’ll be letting go of my emotional and physcial safety net while trying to cross to the other side of cancer. I corresponded with my oncologist on Friday and the good news is that my [...]

One boy’s terrifying experience and bravery shows us that miracles do happen and that hope is not a blind exercise. The first and only time I met with Nayati was at his Naamkaran–a Hindu naming ceremony that carries the same solemnity and celebration as a western-style Christening. During the ceremony, the parents decide the first letter of their [...]

Interpretations can be personal, so I will just share. A few weeks ago I can across a Herman Hesse quote that I rather liked: “You know quite well, deep within you, that there is only a single magic, a single power, a single salvation… and that is called loving. Well, then, love your suffering. Do [...]

When deciding between open vs. robotic surgery, one needs to look at the surgeon’s experience, not the method. Last week, my surgeon, Dr. Garrett Matsunaga and I were being interviewed about my cancer experiences starting with surgery through radiation and ADT.  Dr. Matsunaga performs radical prostatectomies using robotic surgery. (In fact, he has performed more than 700 [...]

The TV commercial is right: depression hurts. But knowing the cause gives one important defenses. I have written before about how much physicians try to warn patients undergoing treatment for prostate cancer about depression. In the case of ADT, without our natural defense line of testosterone, there are oh so many reasons for it, not to mention [...]

Vitamin D levels linked to survivorship of prostate cancer with genetic variations possibly playing a role in outcomes. I’ve said it many times–prostate cancer is a very complex animal to understand and manage and the role of Vitamin D in the process is often a topic of discussion among fellow patients. There have been studies reporting that more cases [...]

Ryan O’Neal’s recent diagnosis underscores that the journey and fully understanding it can be tricky. Last Friday, the entertainment media were busy broadcasting news of Ryan O’Neal’s Stage 4 prostate cancer and his take that he was glad that his doctors “caught it early…” Come again? Immediately, I spotted the disconnect: Stage 4 is far from catching any [...]