My blood test results revealed that I had elevated PSA levels. That was what led to my diagnosis of stage 3 prostate cancer in January 2024. Since then, I have undergone surgery, radiation therapy and hormone therapy.
I have a family history of cancer — my brother was diagnosed with colon cancer. My name is Michael, I am an electric substation test technician residing in the USA and this is my cancer story.
I started having elevated PSA levels reported in my blood tests which worried me and I went to seek further medical advice a few weeks later. Subsequent tests revealed that I had stage 3 prostate adenocarcinoma.
I didn’t have any overwhelming emotions when I received my diagnosis as I had been suspecting that I had prostate cancer for several years.
Based on my doctor’s recommendations, I opted for
I felt fearful even after deciding on this treatment plan. I was concerned that undetectable cancer cells could have already spread throughout my body while they were only treating me for cancer in the localized region of the prostate bed. My fears turned out to be true as I had a biochemical recurrence within a couple months of radical prostatectomy. At first, my cancer was seen as intermediate grade and I had time and options available. However, after surgery, it was found to be more aggressive and had spread farther than I originally thought.
After my surgery, I received hormone therapy in conjunction with radiation therapy. I underwent 38 sessions of radiation therapy over a period of 2 months and androgen deprivation therapy/hormone therapy for 6 months. I am still currently on hormone therapy but I am almost at the end of all my treatments.
In terms of medical costs, I am covered by insurance.
Owing to the treatment, I have been struggling with fatigue, diarrhea and weight fluctuations. In particular, the fatigue I have been experiencing makes it harder to get through the day and I am usually very tired at the end of the day. However, I have not done anything to manage these side effects. I already eat a healthy diet and I already am physically active.
I plan to continue working for 3 more years, then retire afterwards.
I am not ready for retirement yet. I am building my pension and medical benefits so I just continued working even after I was diagnosed with cancer.
After being diagnosed with cancer, I’ve had to confront fears I had never expected, including:
- Fear of the cancer returning (recurrence)
- Fear of undergoing treatment
- Fear of not being able to continue with normal life or activities
- Fear of the impact of my cancer on family or relationships
To cope with these fears, I have tried to seek support from family or friends, join a support group or connect with other cancer survivors, focus on positive thinking or gratitude and engage in spiritual or religious practices.
Sometimes I feel fearful, sometimes I am more hopeful. I am just cautious about what is in store for me in the future.
Get genetic testing for a better understanding of your cancer risk, as I only found out after diagnosis that I had a BRCA2 gene mutation. Get regular PSA tests and follow up with MRI/Biopsy if your PSA looks suspicious. Do not opt to watch/wait if you are diagnosed. Be aggressive and seek to destroy the cancer before it has a chance to mutate and spread.
This patient's story is published and shared with their full consent. Any personal data that can be used to identify the patient has been omitted.
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