Acknowledging the Milestones During Cancer Journey
- Baseball legend Ryne Sandberg, 64, is celebrating a milestone in his metastatic prostate cancer journey. He’s battled cancer since January, and his latest scans found no signs of cancer since finishing chemotherapy.
- Metastatic prostate cancer means the cancer has spread outside the prostate. Men diagnosed with this type of cancer are encouraged to consider next-generation sequencing – a type of genetic testing – to help guide treatment.
- Most prostate cancer is caught with routine screening, and the treatment plan is based on whether the cancer is considered low, intermediate, or high risk.
- Prostate cancer treatment may include surgery, radiation, and/or hormonal therapy. Each treatment method comes with potential side effects such as sexual dysfunction and urinary incontinence.
The baseball Hall of Famer had been battling the disease impacting millions of other men since January. He endured several grueling chemotherapy treatments, which can cause hard-to-bear side effects such as fatigue, nausea, hair loss, and more.
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Sandberg was a household name to baseball fans during the ‘80s and ‘90s. He started his career with the Philadelphia Phillies but made a name for himself with the Chicago Cubs.
Throughout his Hall of Fame career, Sports Illustrated reports, he won nine Gold Gloves, Seven Silver Sluggers, a Home Run Derby, and was crowned the Most Valuable Player in 1984.
Sandberg’s cancer journey emerged well into retirement from the ballfield. In late January, he shared a post on Instagram revealing he had been diagnosed with metastatic (advanced) prostate cancer.
“I have begun treatment, and I am surrounded by my loving wife Margaret, our incredibly supportive family, the best medical care team, and our dear friends,” Sandberg said in the January 2024 Instagram post.
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Sandberg hoped to remain positive throughout his cancer journey, and supportive fans wished him well. Four months later, the baseball legend remains positive, and for good reason.
“After yesterday’s PET scan and MRI tests, great news today with NO detection of cancer! This is after finishing chemo treatments and headed to radiation for several weeks since the original diagnosis was incurable cancer,” Sandberg said.
He adds that he will continue treatments and is determined to “win the battle!”
“Feeling very blessed and grateful for the results and support from everyone!” Sandberg added.
Understanding Ryne’s Diagnosis
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. It starts in the walnut-shaped prostate gland between the rectum and bladder, producing the fluid that nourishes sperm.
Metastatic prostate cancer is cancer that has spread outside the prostate. Men diagnosed with this type of cancer are encouraged to consider next-generation sequencing to help guide treatment decisions.
Expert Resources on Prostate Cancer Treatment
“So for metastatic prostate cancer, it’s pretty straightforward to me,” Dr. Hannah McManus, a genitourinary oncologist at Duke Cancer Center Genitourinary Clinic, told SurvivorNet.
“I think really every patient with metastatic prostate cancer should be having next-generation sequencing to help guide treatment decisions and making sure all medication therapies are being evaluated.
“Molecular profiling tests for localized prostate cancer are for very specific situations, and there is some controversy around when to use them,” Dr. McManus continued.
WATCH: How molecular testing can impact metastatic prostate cancer treatment plan.
What to Know About Prostate Cancer Screening
Most prostate cancer is found through routine screening examinations.
Prostate cancer does not always behave the same in every man it impacts. The cancer can be considered “low-risk” and can be slow-growing, and treatment might not be necessary. In other men, the cancer may grow faster or more aggressively, requiring more immediate treatment. Because of this, there is some debate about screening.
The United States Preventive Services Taskforce recommends men at average risk between the ages of 55-69 years old talk with their doctor about the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening. Most doctors agree that men over the age of 70 do not need screening.
SurvivorNet experts suggest that men consider factors like their family history, genes, and age when deciding when and how often to screen.
WATCH: What to look for in prostate cancer.
Symptoms of prostate cancer may include:
- Urinating more often
- Waking up in the middle of the night to pee
- Blood in your urine
- Trouble getting an erection
- Pain or burning when you urinate
- Pain in your back, hips, thighs, or other bones
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue
Treatment Options for Prostate Cancer
After testing and establishing your risk, your doctor will discuss possible treatment options. Some men don’t require treatment right away and may take an “active surveillance” approach to treatment. This involves regular testing every six months to monitor the prostate and check for any progression of the disease.
More aggressive treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy.
Surgery is an option for men with prostate cancer that hasn’t spread outside of the prostate gland. The type of surgery most often used is called a radical prostatectomy.
WATCH: Understanding prostate cancer surgery.
During the procedure, the surgeon removes the entire prostate, along with some tissue around it, including the seminal vesicles that release fluid into the semen. Your doctor can perform this through a traditional open procedure with one large or several small incisions called laparoscopic surgery.
“A lot of patients are still getting open surgery,” Dr. Stephen Freedland, Director of the Center for Integrative Research in Cancer and Lifestyle at Cedars-Sinai, previously told SurvivorNet.
“Depending on the surgeon, it may be two, three, four, five hours — somewhere in that range, [Patients] usually spend one night in the hospital. You wake up from the surgery with a catheter in your bladder. Once you’re home, it’s really just recovering, gaining your strength back,” Dr. Freedland added.
Surgery side effects may include erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence. Fortunately, the side effects are usually temporary, and there are ways to help you manage them.
It’s not unusual for men to experience sexual side effects after surgery or radiation for prostate cancer. Some men struggle to get an erection. However, there are solutions to regain sexual activity, according to Dr. James Brooks, the Chief of Urologic Oncology at Stanford Medicine.
“There are treatments that we can use, including oral agents. Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra have been game-changers in this situation. They don’t work for all patients,” Dr. Brooks explained.
“There are other alternatives that a urologist can work with them to help them get back to being — getting erections and getting back to being sexually active,” Dr. Brooks continued.
Couples who are journeying to recovery after treatment are encouraged to seek counseling from a sex therapist if needed.
There are several different medications on the market that work for prostate cancer survivors. The Vacuum Erectile Device (VED) and a prosthesis are also options.
WATCH: Coping with surgery side effects.
Radiation therapy is often done when prostate cancer is caught early and confined to the prostate gland. There are different radiation therapy techniques doctors can use. One of them is the CyberKnife. It works like a surgical tool, but it’s a radiation device that’s attached to a robotic arm to deliver targeted radiation to the tumor.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
Here are some questions you may consider asking your doctor about your risk of developing prostate cancer:
- How does my family history affect my risk of developing prostate cancer?
- Are there tests available to determine my genetic risk of developing prostate cancer?
- Based on my history, genetic test results, and other factors, when do you recommend I begin screening for prostate cancer?
- How can I prepare for prostate cancer screening?
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