Grandfather Warren Green talks about receiving image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) for prostate cancer.
Warren Green, 74, is a retired Florida resident who was treated for prostate cancer at the MIMA Medical Center in Melbourne, Florida.
How and when did you discover you had cancer?
I found out in August 2006 when I went in for my annual physical. My PSA had elevated from a normal 2-3 to 6. Then my physician sent me to an urologist to run more tests and my PSA went to 7 and my Gleason score was at an 8. These tests showed that I had moderately aggressive cancer.
What was your initial reaction?
I’m different than a lot of people in that my philosophy is that my body is like a machine and if it’s broken, I’m going to get it fixed. Of course my wife was scared, but I was ready to get this taken care of.
What did you do?
I went out there to see what my best options for treatment were. My son is an emergency physician and together, we looked for best place for radiation treatment.
What were your treatment options?
Hormone shots, implants, and radiation therapy
How did you learn about IGRT? What did you think about the technology?
In doing research about my treatment options, I learned about image-guided radiation therapy. Dr. (Nanialei) Golden explained the methodology of this treatment. As a retired engineer, the technology made sense to me. I understood how it was able to accurately control the beam.
What kind of research did you do?
I did a lot of research into the kinds of treatment options that were available. I spoke to many doctors and went to different clinics to gather information. When I decided upon image-guided radiation therapy, I went to the Internet to learn more about it.
Explain the treatment process Was the treatment painful?
No, it did not bother me at all. I didn’t feel any sensations.
Were there any side effects?
I didn’t feel any side effects.
How often were/are you going to treatment?
I received treatment five days a week for nine weeks - a total of 45 days.
How are you feeling?
I feel fantastic and recently took a 9-week trip to Spain. I’m a very lucky man.
How do you feel about your decision? Would you recommend this kind of treatment to others in your same situation?
Deciding to get image-guided radiation therapy was the best decision I could ever have made. I have already recommended this treatment to other people. There are patients at MIMA who call me to get my impression of the treatment.
How was your overall experience?
I can’t tell you how glad I am that I found Dr. Golden at MIMA. She was so positive and so pleasant and she made me comfortable about everything.
When my son and I first took a tour of MIMA, my son said that it was not a clinic-it was a spa. I can’t tell you how good it feels to go into a place where there is no negativity and where everyone is smiling. Being in that kind of environment gave me a sense of calm. I've been to other clinics and they were not as warm and as comforting as MIMA.
I wasn't the only one with this impression. I was talking to a brain tumor patient who was getting chemo and radiation therapy and he felt the same way at MIMA.
How were you able to cope through this time?
There was nothing to it. I developed a routine and going for treatment became part of my life. I wore comfortable clothes that were easy to slip on and off. During treatment, I would even time the beams that would go to each location.
How do you see life now having been through this experience?
I don’t see life differently than before. The bottom line is that my cancer is gone. I had it, I got it corrected, and it’s over.
What advice can you offer to other cancer patients?
Do your research and don’t pass up this type of treatment. Image–guided radiation therapy is non-invasive and does not affect your comfort level or interrupt your lifestyle. I say, you get it done and get it over with. Just get-r-done!
