Greg’s story is one about the value of keeping up with your health. For most of his life, Greg had only a little experience with healthcare: regular checkups and no major illnesses. After a routine physical exam in 2011, his PSA score came back at 24.8, an indicator of prostate cancer. He hadn’t had high readings before, so he was surprised to say the least. Upon learning he did in fact have a tumor, Greg said, “mine was a little aggressive, in fact I had an 8 Gleason score so it was pretty big.” It was time to take action.
Greg knew he couldn’t wait very long, but he wanted to seek other opinions. He reached out to his primary care physician and friends for input. Several times, he was directed to Dr. Frank Lai at El Camino Hospital. “He went through the science of everything and he described the different procedures,” said Greg, “and he took the trouble to not only talk to me about his recommendation, but also helped me understand what other options were available.” In short, he gave Greg everything he was looking for.
Greg elected to remove the prostate using the Da Vinci robotic technique, a non-invasive option with a high success rate. The procedure was a success. The tumor was completely removed, and Greg had no post-procedure irritation or pain. The next day, he went home.
His follow-up treatment included half a year’s worth of radiation and check-ups every three months. To this day, Greg remains free of cancer. He’s grateful to be back to his favorite hobbies: grandkids and golf. His advice to anyone dealing with prostate cancer is, gather as much information as possible and get several medical opinions. And of course, “The main thing is you need to get your check-ups,” says Greg.