Cordova resident Cecil Campbell is used to navigating long, winding roads in his travels as a long-distance truck driver, but the unexpected journey he would take with prostate cancer came without preparation.
Campbell had no pain in his genital area, difficulty with urination, erratic bowel movements or any of the other warning signs of the most common cancer found in men; however, he did have a prostate-specific antigen level of 90.
The doctor informed the then-47-year-old he had only six months to live without immediate treatment against the second-leading cause of cancer death in men. He and his beloved wife, Annette, hugged and cried in each other's arms at the sudden news, but were thankful they had decided that Cecil take a $10 screening test.
While he initially didn't want to bother with hearing the results of his test three weeks later, the screening was a lifesaver in which Campbell says every man needs to invest.
"That was seven years ago. I had no symptoms. Everything was going good. I was doing anything any other man could do," he said. "Cancer? It will sneak up on you. I don't care what it costs. Get your screening."
Campbell has been out of work since 2004, when he passed out in his 18-wheeler from the effects of his chemotherapy treatments, which he had begun at the H. Filmore Mabry Center for Cancer Care at the Regional Medical Center. Still, he is thankful for life and the care he has received at the facility, which has made the treatment of prostate cancer a top priority.
The nearly 16-year-old Mabry Cancer Center, the number one cancer site in its service region, is also the charitable beneficiary of the 13th annual RMC Foundation Gala, set for Saturday, Feb. 23, at The Cinema.
'You can't ask for better care'
Campbell, who has had 29 chemotherapy treatments and 15 radiation treatments since 2004, is now on oral chemotherapy pills and a calcium supplement for his deteriorating bones. Bone cancer and diabetes are among other ills that have befallen Campbell, who had a pacemaker fibrillator put in his chest following quadruple heart bypass surgery in 2006.
"I'm still living. Then, with the treatment from the cancer clinic, my PSA level is back down to a safe level again," said Campbell, who urged every man to get a PSA during their annual physical or, if needed, a digital rectal exam.
Prostate cancer can often be found early by testing the amount of PSA in the blood. The DRE is another method. Because the prostate gland lies just in front of the rectum, during the DRE, the doctor can feel if there are any bumps or hard places on the prostate, which might indicate cancer.
The American Cancer Society recommends that doctors offer the PSA test and DRE yearly, beginning at age 50, to men who do not have any major medical problems and can be expected to live at least 10 more years. Men at high risk should begin testing at age 45.
Men at high risk included black men and men who have a close relative (father, brother or son) who had prostate cancer before age 65. The ACS reports that men at even higher risk -- those with several close relatives with prostate cancer at an early age -- should begin testing at 40.
Campbell, who said he had no family history of prostate cancer, also had no insurance upon moving back to Orangeburg from Brevard, N.C., with his wife. He credited the hospital's charity program and the cancer center staff in helping he and his wife afford his expensive care.
"You can't ask for better care," he said. "They're always nice and caring."
"No one realizes the importance of uninsured and underinsured individuals that live in and around Orangeburg," said Dr. Chris Brunson, director of medical oncology at the Mabry Cancer Center. "Without the support of the (RMC) Foundation, local businesses and the public, many individuals could not receive the care they so desperately need."
Mabry Cancer Center Director Theresa Chandler said the charity program is for patients who qualify financially.
"Then, of course, the foundation helps us with some of the financial needs and other support, like transportation," she said. "It may sometimes help with food and electricity, because the patients can't work and pay their bills sometimes."
There are also cancer support group sessions held from 2 to 3 p.m. the fourth Thursday of every month at the center. Call 803-395-4609 for more information.
'Our outcomes are doing well'
Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer found in American men. The ACS estimated there were about 218,890 new cases of prostate cancer in 2007, with an estimated 27,050 of those diagnosed having died.
The ACS suggests eating less red meat and fat and more fruits, vegetables and whole grains to help lower the risk of developing prostate cancer. Eating five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables is one guideline that helps lower the risk for other types of cancer as well.
"Our outcomes are doing well with prostate cancer. The best way to treat it is early diagnosis. We have a wonderful relationship with the urologists here in town, as far as patient treatment," Chandler said, noting that the center has skilled physicians specializing in both chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy is a specialized radiation therapy being used at the Mabry Cancer Center. Radiation oncologists use computer tomography image-based computer modeling to plan therapy and an intensity-modulated collimator to deliver multiple beams of highly-focused radiation doses. Radiation oncologists outline the treatment target and the normal structures that should be protected, and they enter the required radiation dose for the tumor and the tolerated doses for the surrounding normal tissues.
Dr. Hugh Merriman III, director of radiation oncology at the Mabry Cancer Center, has said the center is also making advances with an interstitial seed implant procedure to treat prostate cancer in men.
Chandler said patients are not coming in as frequently with advanced stages of prostate and other cancers because of advanced technology and an increased awareness among the community of the hospital's screening activities. For example, Orangeburg urologist Dr. Todd VandenBerg has said more than 100 have received free prostate screenings at his Palmetto Urology office.
"Ninety-nine percent of patients with prostate cancer do not have symptoms ... hence the importance of an effective screening tool to detect the disease," VandenBerg said.
"It's not that people don't have the information," Chandler said. "It's there through the media, your physician and your relatives, but it's just that we choose not to do anything about it until we have to."
In trying to maintain its place on the cutting edge of prostate cancer treatment, the cancer center has also been the site of clinical trials for new cancer treatment regimens that are not yet available to the general public. The RMC was one of the first centers in the state to join the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center's Research Network. Brunson is the principal investigator.
Chandler said Campbell's story is a good example of how important participating in screenings are.
"Be a partner in your health care. Talk to your physician," she said. "You think you're going in just to do your physical, but screenings are all part of your physical. If the doctor doesn't ask you, then you need to ask your physician."
T&D Staff Writer Dionne Gleaton can be reached by e-mail at dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5534.