One man beats prostate cancer - twice

After fighting prostate cancer twice, one man helps form the first American Cancer Society speaker’s bureau and promotes awareness.

When Alfred heard about prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing in the late 80’s, he was one of the first men to sign up for annual testing at the young age of 35. While there was no family history of prostate cancer to his knowledge, he knew he was at a higher risk as an African American man.

Twenty years of diligent annual testing went by. Then, at age 55, Alfred’s PSA test came back with negative results. Alfred had experienced no symptoms, but during his exam they found his PSA level had elevated from 2.1 to 5.6 in one year, and the digital rectal exam (DRE) showed that his prostate shape had changed. Further testing via an ultrasound and biopsies on several tissue samples revealed prostate cancer.

With the loving support of his wife, Alice, and their three children Gregory, Sabrina and Tyeka, Alfred battled the disease. Three months after his diagnosis, Alfred underwent a radical prostatectomy and headed home to recover three days later. He did not undergo radiation or chemo for his treatment. With the exception of some temporary urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction, Alfred made a speedy recovery to full health. He credits the support and loving care from his family with his recovery.

Determined to share his experiences with others, Alfred helped develop the first American Cancer Society speaker’s bureau. Through telling his story, Alfred has increased prostate cancer awareness among hundreds of people during the past 10 years.

But Alfred’s battle isn’t over yet.

Eleven years after his prostatectomy, Alfred learned that he had recurrent prostate cancer. He is currently undergoing radiation. Empowered with a wealth of prostate cancer knowledge, he is confident he will emerge healthy once again. For men who undergo radical prostatectomies, there is a 20-25% occurrence of recurrent prostate cancer and a 90% cure rate.

According to Alfred, “If you’re going to get cancer, prostate cancer is the one you want to get. Unlike blood pressure and diabetes, it is one of the few diseases that IS curable.”

In all of his presentations, Alfred always stresses one particular point: the important of testing. He encourages men to test early, test annually and get a PSA and a DRE – it is imperative to do both. He urges African American men and high risk individuals to be diligent in early testing. Through his experiences with prostate cancer, Alfred hopes to save lives and increase survival rates. After all, it was a simple test that saved his own life.