Big Spring-Marfa resident breaks silence about prostate cancer ...

By AMANDA MORENO

Big Spring Herald Staff Writer

BIG SPRING ? Breast cancer has received a lot of notoriety over the years and has basically pushed all other forms of cancer to the wayside, including prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is a topic seldom, if ever, talked about. However, Robert Miller ? Big Spring attorney and prostate cancer survivor ? wants to change that.

?Men need to be informed about prostate cancer,? Miller said, who also is a part-time Marfa resident.

Informing men and gaining attention on the dangers and damage caused by prostate cancer is the driving force for Miller to speak out after experiencing his own battle with prostate cancer.

Miller understands the importance of being proactive and getting people to acknowledge prostate cancer. His understanding is what provoked him to share his story with others.

?It?s not something people want to talk about and a lot of people have asked me why I want to talk about it,? Miller said. ?My thinking is if I can get one man to go and get his PSAs checked then it served a purpose.?

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer found in men according to Wikipedia and American Cancer Society statistics. It is also the second leading cause of death for men, behind lung cancer. The most recent statistics compiled by the American Cancer Society show there are 240,890 new cases and 33,720 deaths a year resulting from prostate cancer. Statistics show one in every six men will get prostate cancer and one in 36 will die from prostate cancer, however, there are more than 2 million prostate cancer survivors.

Robert Miller

?I wish I would have done something sooner,? Miller said. ?I wish I would have had the biopsy sooner so we could have discovered it sooner.?

Men older than 50 are more prone to prostate cancer, as are men who have first-degree family members with prostate cancer. Those who have two first-degree family members ? father or brother ? are five times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer.

?My brother had to fight prostate cancer, which is the main reason we decided to do the biopsy when we noticed my numbers were slightly elevated,? Miller said.

There are two classifications ?aggressive and non-aggressive ? however, in most cases it is a slow growing cancer and often symptom free.

?I didn?t have any symptoms, but my PSA numbers elevated, even though they weren?t extremely elevated they were higher than usual,? Miller said.

According to Wikipedia, prostate cancer is most commonly detected during a work up of PSA when an elevated number shows up. However, some of the symptoms related to prostate cancer include frequent urination, nocturia, difficulty starting and maintaining steady stream of urine, hematuria and dysuria. Advanced prostate cancer can also cause bone pain in the vertebrae, pelvis and ribs.

?I encourage every man to get his PSAs tested regularly, at least once a year,? Miller said. ?It is something I always made sure to do.?

On top of having routine PSA checks, Miller as well as the American Cancer Society, suggest keeping a healthy lifestyle will aid in prevention.

?I work out and continue to work out after the treatment,? Miller said. ?I can only imagine what the treatments could have been like if I hadn?t been in shape and I wasn?t someone who worked out.?

Research has shown exercise and a good diet can help prevent prostate cancer just as certain medications would, according to Wikipedia.

Prostate cancer is the ninth most common form of cancer in the world and the number one cancer, besides skin cancer, for men in the United States.

Statistics from the American Cancer Society show Asian men are the least likely to be diagnosed and African-American men are most likely with diagnosis for white men being in the middle.

Since it?s discovery in 1853, the understanding of the disease has come a long way. However, information, media coverage and attention to prostate cancer is still far behind that of many other cancers. Even though it is less talked about, the damage it can cause it just as severe if not more so.

?It is something we need to talk about, something that shouldn?t make a man embarrassed,? Miller said.

This is the first story in a series of three. The second installment will tell about Miller?s journey through diagnosis of prostate cancer as well as treatment. The third and final installment will discuss a look back on radiation treatment and the over all journey.

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