“Over two years after being diagnosed with prostate cancer and being treated with CyberKnife radiation therapy, no number of pictures or words can describe how grateful I am to be surrounded by tremendous friends and supporters. I’m telling my prostate cancer story because most men don’t talk about this disease, and they should. We tend to keep everything bottled-up inside, which can create issues such as mental health problems and suicide. In the United States, the males suicide rate is substantially higher than that of females. Gentlemen, get your check-ups, know your PSA score, and if diagnosed with prostate cancer, don’t be afraid to have those discussions.”
At 66 years young, being very healthy, whose Instagram name is ‘yogibrogi_finance’, Mark Ryan, nor his doctors thought prostate cancer was something he needed to be concerned about, even though his PSA levels were fluctuating from 4-to-15. They would fluctuate at these numbers over the months, and it finally got to the point where Mark insisted they do a biopsy. “I had elevated PSA levels for about 15 months before I was officially diagnosed with prostate cancer.”
Men with a PSA level between 4 and 10 (often called the “borderline range”) have about a 1-in-4 chance of having prostate cancer. If the PSA is more than 10, the chance of having prostate cancer is over 50%.
Still Mark’s doctors didn’t think he should be concerned, because he was so healthy, which as Mark says, “Being in overall good health proves cancer does not discriminate. I wasn’t super surprised when I heard it was prostate cancer, but when you get the news it’s jolting.”
In addition to doing yoga 3-to-5 days a week, (thus the name yogibrogi) hitting the gym on the other days, being vegan, and living a healthy lifestyle, his doctors suggested taking an active, watchful waiting approach to his PSA levels. However, being a CFP and financial advisor for more than 35 years, Mark was very aware of the numbers and went with his instincts. He insisted on a biopsy, which confirmed his worst fear.
Mark says, “My PSA score was just over 9 when I was diagnosed. I spent the entire weekend reviewing everything I could find about prostate cancer and the treatment options, I concluded that I wanted to proceed with Proton radiation therapy, versus chemotherapy or surgery, and my doctors agreed it was a good choice.”
Proton therapy is an advanced, non-invasive cancer treatment using a targeted beam of protons to destroy tumor cells, while sparing surrounding healthy tissue.
Mark was considering treatment at a proton center near him in the Boca Raton area but recalled a business partner was treated there for colon cancer and did not have a good result. “In my opinion it changed her life in a very negative way. They over radiated or improperly radiated her, and when I learned her doctor oversaw the center, I changed my mind.”
Mark then contacted a big cancer center in Houston, flew out, met with the center’s lead proton doctor and was going to move forward with treatment. However, he says, “I discovered it was going to take many months before I could start proton therapy, which meant it would’ve been a year between diagnosis and treatment. I sent the doctor a message about my concerns, asked him to contact me, and to this day he has never responded. I think because it’s prostate cancer most people have the attitude that it’s treatable and highly curable so there’s no hurry…everyone except the person who has it.”
The oncology team at the CyberKnife Center of Miami agrees with Mark. The medical director, board certified radiation oncologist, Dr. Mark Pomper says, “Cancer is like a ticking time bomb. You want to get it treated as soon as possible. There is also great danger with active observation because long-term studies show at least 50-percent of cases thought to be slow growing, turn out to be aggressive, and then treatment with a positive outcome is much more difficult.”
While contemplating what to do next, Mark recalled seeing posts on LinkedIn about CyberKnife treatment for prostate cancer at the CyberKnife Center of Miami, so he set up a consultation and began treatment soon after.
CyberKnife is a non-invasive, robotic radio-surgery system used to treat cancerous and benign tumors throughout the body with high-dose radiation. It’s an alternative to surgery, using real-time imaging to track tumor movement and deliver precise, sub-millimeter, accurate radiation while protecting surrounding healthy tissue. Only 5 treatment sessions are required with CyberKnife compared to 32 plus with traditional Proton beam therapy, or 42 treatments with regular radiation.
Mark says, “Working with the team at CyberKnife Miami was a pleasure. It’s nice to be known as a person, not a number. It’s comforting to send an email and get a response from a person, and it’s great that they actually pick up the phone with an actual person answering on the other end. Quite frankly CyberKnife technology and the center sounded too good to be true but they’re not. I always thought if I ever got cancer, I would go wherever I believed I would get the best treatment. CyberKnife Miami has been as pleasant an experience as possible, based on the circumstances.”
“What’s amazing to me is that I never heard about CyberKnife, and I certainly didn’t know it was an option for prostate cancer; I’m sure that’s the case with most men out there.” Mark adds, “Go to a center with a lot of experience. I was fortunate to be able to go to CyberKnife Miami, which is in my area, but I recommend traveling if you must since this is a potential life-altering decision and you want the best care possible.”
Mark’s advice to all men, “Don’t allow ‘the system’ to determine your fate and your health. Make educated, informed decisions and be your own advocate.” The finance expert adds, “Your health is truly your wealth. Get your checkups, listen to your body and be your own advocate. If you, or someone you know, has questions about this disease, I’m glad to share my two years’ worth of education with you. Please feel free to reach out. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the healing benefits of staying active and having a regular yoga practice. Best wishes.” Namaste ~ Mark Ryan – My email – sampavira@outlook.com – My website: Mark S. Ryan, CFP | Morgan Stanley
The team at CyberKnife Miami is among the most experienced worldwide. We were among the first to start using the technology when it was FDA approved in 2001. And it’s all we do every day, all day. Having an experienced, compassionate team is just as important as selecting the best treatment option for your particular needs. Our vast experience allows us to take on even the most complicated cases because we know what can and can’t be done. Some patients who are turned away from other cancer centers, and told nothing more can be done, fortunately end up at our center, because we believe often something can be done, and at the very least it’s worth a try, and can give patients the best gift of all, more time, more life. Call 305-279-2900 for a consulation and go to our website now