Posted 5/17/2016 9:45 PM (GMT 0)
Hello,
To follow-up on the topic of this thread, whose main purpose was to shine a light on the possibility of seeking a second opinion for advanced cases ... and also the consideration of seeking out the expertise of a urology oncologist for advanced cases ... that certification is rare ... they are EXPERTS in prostate cancer ... above the strata of a regular urologist or regular oncologist ...
Over time, Mayo Clinic has continued to form a shared PARTNERSHIP with my local medical team --- sharing consultation advice, treatment advice, and the sharing of test results and advanced imaging scans.
I returned back to Mayo Clinic for a follow-up consultation with Dr. Kwon.
Over time, I have now had a detailed MRI of the prostate, an MRI of the abdomen, an MRI of the pelvis, a bone scan, a bone density scan, and two PET-CHOLINE scans, for comparative purposes.
The latest scans showed that adding ZYTIGA to my treatments helped clear up some "trouble spots" that were still evident a few months prior. Mayo Clinic assesses PSA down to the value of 0.10, and my latest scans in March showed my PSA holding at less than 0.10, which I attribute to the combination of adding Taxotere chemotherapy to the ADT hormone shots, followed by the addition of ZYTIGA to my treatment plan.
Dr. Kwon wanted me to return four months later, for continued follow-up and a consultation. So, I've got an appointment booked for late in the summer already.
Since my initial trip to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, some of my local "Battle Brothers" who are close friends of mine and who share in my same diagnosis have since traveled to Mayo Clinic. The best news came from a close friend of mine who was hitting a "brick wall" with his local doctors. My friend made an appointment with Mayo Clinic, sought out a second opinion, and came back with a whole new treatment strategy that had never been considered. Point of that testimonial and he is living proof --- if you've got an advanced case or a case with complexities, seek out the best expertise you can find.
It's gratifying to hear that we have outstanding experts and medical facilities in EVERY corner of this great country of ours --- everyone deserves the best medical care they can find --- leave no stone unturned. My friend and fellow "Battle Brother" just returned a few weeks ago and is already pursuing the newly detailed treatment plan after his local doctors hit the proverbial "brick wall" and ran out of ideas ... true story !
Something I felt was valuable after I first got connected ... with my permission granted, Mayo Clinic added my treatment data to their archives ... in the interest of pooled data collected from patients over time, with their focus on using this data to help treat other prostate cancer patients in the future ... what worked, what didn't, what was the outcome ... I felt very good about contributing my health treatment data to their archives, hoping it could help another comrade, sometime in the future ... who might have similar characteristics ... they now have thousands of case studies entered into their data pool ... trends, outcomes, treatment successes, all aspects ... I definitely wanted to contribute to that project, in the interest of others who seek treatment in the future ...
Over time, it's been great to hear about all the expert doctors and tremendous medical facilities we have all over this great country of ours from the experiences shared by our contributing members here on this forum ... Texas, California, New York, Arizona, Florida, Minnesota ... every "neck of the woods" has its claim to fame, so to speak, in terms of expert care and some "rock star" doctors !
Stay strong in the battle --- keep reaching out to others, as best you can ---
Iowa State University ~ CYCLONE FAN