Cancer Survivor, Squared

When his doctor diagnosed him with prostate cancer, Gordon Cole’s reaction was not what one would have expected. He didn’t think, I’m going to beat this. And he didn’t think, I wish I’d climbed Everest. Sitting in his doctor’s office, he thought, Oh, no! Now there’s another area I’ll have to research!

In August 2003, three years before being diagnosed with prostate cancer, Gordon Cole was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer. Cole became his own advocate as he pored over books, pamphlets and Web sites, learning as much as he could about all the treatment options available to him. He even explored clinical trials to take advantage of new medicines not yet on the market.

But all the knowledge in the world couldn’t keep the cancer from spreading to his liver and lungs. The outlook was grim, but Cole wouldn’t give up hope that he would beat it. Then the news came that the prostate cancer diagnosis was in fact a new cancer — not a new site of the metastisized colorectal cancer.

“While it was a shock, it wasn’t as numbing or debilitating as the first (diagnosis) was,” Cole recalls. He went into analytical mode immediately, asking himself, What stage is it? How advanced?

“My father and his brother both had prostate cancer,” Cole notes. He knew to get a baseline PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test early in his life. “I had been following it for years. I always had it checked.” Then one day, after a routine PSA test, his doctor called and said there was a problem.

“The doctor said it may well be caused by pre-operative radiation when they were treating the colon cancer,” Cole says plainly. “The radiation might have held down the prostate cancer or it could have caused it. That’s the big question mark. You just don’t know.”

Now Gordon Cole takes cancer prevention seriously. He immediately reduced his intake of red meat, fried food and alcohol. And he’s making an effort to eat more fish, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. “I’ve been careful to eat a balanced diet and exercise,” Cole says.

After years of learning as much about cancer as possible — his life depended on it — no one knows better than Cole that one important way to fight cancer is through funding research. So that’s what he is doing with the help of a nonprofit organization called Golfers Against Cancer. Cole encourages more nonprofits to follow the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s lead and support scientists early in their prevention research careers. Some of the most innovative approaches to fighting cancer develop in these inital stages, often when large research grants are hard to come by. “Researchers need seed money for new projects,” Cole explains. “The money enables projects to get going. It enables researchers to apply for federal funding for larger trials.”

“Somebody’s gotta do it!” says Cole, one cancer survivor who surely oughta know.

How I Beat Prostate Cancer

Jim Massie began volunteering with the Prevent Cancer Foundation because it was the right thing to do. He never would have predicted that the experience would give him the awareness he needed to save his own life.

Eight years ago, Jim and his wife, Camille, were key volunteers for the Hope Street Kids “Swinging for Caroline” annual golf and tennis benefit, the primary fundraiser for one of the Foundation’s children’s initiatives. He sat on the executive committee to advise on financial issues, and she co-chaired the event.

The connection to the Foundation was important to Jim. His mother had died of brain cancer — so he knew how quickly one’s health could take a turn for the worse. Those losses, combined with the responsibility he felt toward his wife and three young daughters, made him keenly aware of his need to take care of himself.

Two years ago, just like clockwork, Jim went to his doctor for a routine annual physical. And she didn’t like what she saw. “There was an uptick in my PSA,” he said, referring to the prostate-specific antigen test that can detect the presence of prostate cancer cells. “She said, ‘It’s time to take a closer look.’ ” The diagnosis? Prostate cancer.

After retreating to the comfort of his family while dealing with the shock, he began to learn as much as he could, asking friends and colleagues for information. For almost two months he collected a list of medical opinions — a process which convinced him that he had options. He decided to go after the cancer aggressively.

“It’s important to develop a strategy and figure out what you’re most comfortable with,” he said. “I was really blessed to have a loving wife who was right there with me through all of it. You learn to appreciate even more each day that God gives you.”

Now, two years later, at age 52, Jim is disease free — but he still keeps every regular appointment as he continues his recovery. He’s not taking anything for granted. “The best advice I could give anyone would be to get engaged in your own health and be your own advocate,” he says. “And if, God forbid, something does happen, do your research. Take a deep breath. Don’t hit the panic button. Make sure you’re making good decisions.”