Richard Cross in California, USA. 60 when diagnosed on January 1, 1998. Initial PSA was 5.1 ng/ml, Gleason Score 3+3=6 and staged T1c. Choice of treatment Active Surveillance.
Cancer and Active Surveillance (AS) the journey that consists of research, decisions and life.
Richard Cross
DOB 4/6/1936
Height 65"
Weight 1967=200lbs. 1990=175lbs.2000=160lbs.2008=145lbs.
Exercise, as of 2000: 8 hours per week: Tennis three days per week and gym workout three days per week.
Occupation: 25 years, Air Traffic Controller; retired 1992.
1989 Throat cancer stage 4 was discovered and thought incurable.
As an Air Traffic Controller working in a small control room with 5 controllers that smoked while working resulted in throat cancer for this nonsmoker. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy saved my life.
1992 Retired from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Date PSA
1994 3.2
1996 4.0
1998 5.1
Biopsy consisted or 6 cores; one core had cancer in 5%. Gleason Score 3+3=6; Stanford University confirmed.
Date PSA
2000 4.4
2001 4.7
Local water supply was tested and found to have arsenic in an amount t/en parts /billion. I installed an arsenic filter; now 1 part/billion.
Date / PSA
2002 5.2
2003 6.6
2004 5.0
2005 5.9
2006 5.5
Started vegetarian diet.
Date PSA
2007 5.1
2008 5.0
2009 3.8
Beginning in October. Medical marijuana consumed at the rate of one quarter ounce per month; I eat it by sprinkling a small amount on evening meal. No smoking for me.
The end of 2009 shows the effect of all the effort placed to date on controlling my PSA and maybe my cancer.
Date PSA
2010, January 3.6
PSA information: Same blood sample can vary 25% (example=4.0 could be 3.0 or 5.0)
Three PSA test required to establish a trend.[Even three might not be enough).
Supplements for 2010:
Diovan at 80mg/day for blood pressure control.
Marijuana at one quarter ounce/month
Red wine at eighteen ounces/day.
Citrus pectin modified at one quarter tsp/day (
Nutritiongeeks.com 454 grms= $55)
Melatonin 3 mg/day
Vitamin B12 at 1,000 mcg/day
Omega 3 at 1,000 mg/day
Vitamin C at 1,500 mg twice/day
Zinc at 50 mg/day 25 in am & 25 in pm (helps/C)
Selenium at 200 micrograms (mcg)/day
Vitamin E at 400 iu/day
Resveratrol at 125 mg/day
Aspirin at 80 mg/day
Curcumin 1,000 mg/week
Ejaculate = 1/month
Date PSA
2010 3,6
2011 7.1
I like my oncologist as he tells it as it is. He knows that I am a student of prostate cancer and read yananow as well as other articles as they become available. We discussed options as well as outcomes and we agree that the cancer cure rate is small and that the side effects can be more devastating than the cancer.
Our joint understanding is that we will revisit PSA and DRE next year; he is supportive of my position (AS).
My e-mail address is: xxxcross@
comcast.net