Bicycling Helps Keep Cancer in Check by Robert Warren Hess In this post, I’m going to tell you how I began cycling and how it plays a key role in my cancer recurrence prevention plan. My goal with these posts is to give cancer survivors tools and encouragement you can use on your cancer journey. I was diagnosed with prostate cancer just over 13 years ago. At that moment, I joined the ranks of 14 million other Americans who are ‘cancer survivors.’ The picture at right is me working with my prostate cancer awareness program at the 2016 California Senior Games. You’ll read in a moment why I’m in a bicycling outfit. I read all of the statistics about prostate cancer stages and survival statistics. I was surprised when I could only find 5 year survival statistics. Those statistics were good. 98% of prostate cancer survivors lived for 5 years after their treatment. But, I thought, what happens after those 5 years? How about statistics for 10 years? 15 years? And what could I do to prolong my survival because once my treatment was completed there wasn’t much guidance or interaction. I decided to read everything I could from those […] read more 
Bicycling Helps Keep Cancer In Check
Bicycling Helps Keep Cancer in Check by Robert Warren Hess In this post, I’m going to tell you how I began cycling and how it plays a key role in my cancer recurrence prevention plan. My goal with these posts is to give cancer survivors tools and encouragement you can use on your cancer journey. I was diagnosed with prostate cancer just over 13 years ago. At that moment, I joined the ranks of 14 million other Americans who are ‘cancer survivors.’ The picture at right is me working with my prostate cancer awareness program at the 2016 California Senior Games. You’ll read in a moment why I’m in a bicycling outfit. I read all of the statistics about prostate cancer stages and survival statistics. I was surprised when I could only find 5 year survival statistics. Those statistics were good. 98% of prostate cancer survivors lived for 5 years after their treatment. But, I thought, what happens after those 5 years? How about statistics for 10 years? 15 years? And what could I do to prolong my survival because once my treatment was completed there wasn’t much guidance or interaction. I decided to read everything I could from those […] read more How to handle prostate cancer recurrence
How to handle prostate cancer recurrence Prostate cancer recurrence is the most common question we receive here at the Prostate Cancer Awareness Project. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer. The chances of your prostate cancer returning depend on your particular prostate cancer and the circumstances of your diagnosis and treatment. The article below, from the Harvard prostate knowledge center, provides a great deal of insight. I found it personally very helpful. Marc B. Garnick, M.D., discusses what biochemical recurrence means and what your options are “Am I going to die?” This is the first question a patient usually asks me when a follow-up blood test reveals that his prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level has risen after he has already undergone treatment for prostate cancer (usually a radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy). The fear is understandable: When PSA levels rise to a certain threshold after prostate cancer treatment, the patient has suffered what is known technically as a biochemical recurrence, sometimes also referred to as a biochemical relapse or stage D1.5 disease. Whatever term is used, it means that prostate cancer remains within the prostate after radiation therapy, that it survived outside the excised area after radical prostatectomy, or that it […] read more How I keep My Cancer from Recurring . . .
Research shows that 1/3 of all cancer is related to diet and exercise habits. I’m now entering my 13th year as a prostate cancer survivor and I’m determined to make coming back as hard as possible for my prostate cancer. One of my key tools has been exercise; mostly bicycling, walking, and workouts in the gym. I guess I love bicycling the most because it’s outside in the fresh air and sunshine (mostly!) and I travel to lots of places I might not normally go. Two years ago I finished my first 24,901.6 miles ride around the equator and I’m now on my second lap, which I should finish in 2025 at my current pace. A professional bike racer would probably do the ride in less than 2 years! If are interested, you can follow my journey on Strava.com at this link- 58546 – which is my Strava athlete number. Better yet, create an account and join the Around the World Cycling challenge and earn the world’s coolest jersey! Click here – Ride to Stop Cancer! Just for fun, here’s my spin bike ride from this morning . . . Allez! read more
How a New Vaccine May Stop Cancer and Prevent Recurrence
The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Wyss Institute Develop a New Minimally Invasive Cancer Vaccine The new vaccine uses an injectable sponge-like gel that combines a patient’s own tumors cells with immune-stimulation biomolecules to boost the body’s own anti-cancer immune functions. “In experimental animal models on melanoma tumors, results show that utilizing the cryogel … triggers a dramatic immune response that can shrink tumors and even prophylactically protect animals from tumor growth.” PCAP Comment This research still is in the animal model stage, but it certainly is worth watching and supporting, especially since there are more than 12 million Americans currently living with cancer. Read the entire press release at the following link – the entire study is available at the journal Nature Communications – Injectable cryogel-based whole-cell cancer vaccines. September is National Prostate Cancer Month … 240,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer by the end of 2015. BUT, Prostate cancer is treatable if found early. If you are over 35, make an appointment right now to have a simple PSA blood and personally track the results at our free prostate cancer early warning service – ProstateCancerTracker. Simply click button below to put your mind at ease … read more Medicare Approves New Tool for Prostate Cancer Recurrence Assessment
Medicare Now Covers Oncotype DX Testing Oncotype DX is a genomic test that can help predict near- and long-term outcomes in prostate cancer. About half of all men diagnosed with prostate cancer could be treated with active surveillance for a period of time. The Oncotype DX test is a genomic test that can help in determining the aggressiveness of a prostate cancer case and it’s likelihood of recurrence after treatment. “More than 220,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year in the United States alone. The Medicare coverage decision extends reimbursement for Oncotype DX testing to prostate cancer patients defined as low- and very low-risk by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), who are eligible based on clinical and pathological factors such as prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and Gleason score.” The effective date for Medicare coverage will be after the 45-day notice period according to Palmetto GBA’s process. This should be sometime near the end of September 2015. Prostate Cancer’s Enigma Science is learning more about prostate cancer all of the time, but there still are many unknowns. With more than 20 different varieties of prostate cancer, the biggest challenge is determining which are the aggressive types that claim the lives of […] read more Will Your Prostate Cancer Recur?
Decipher prostate cancer classifier predicts the aggressiveness of prostate cancer and it's likelihood of recurrence. read more PCAP CEO Selected as National Cancer Champion
PCAP Founder and CEO Robert Warren Hess was selected as one of ten National Cancer Champions for 2015 by Amgen’s Breakaway From Cancer board. Hess was chosen because of his personal cancer journey and his work in creating ProstateTracker, a free prostate cancer early warning tool. Prostate cancer strikes one in every six men and 90% of cases can be cured IF found early. Hess, himself, is a 12-year prostate cancer survivor. Activate your ProstateTracker account today. It’s the best prostate cancer insurance policy you can get. And it’s FREE! ACTIVATE MY PROSTATE TRACKER ACCOUNT! read more What are single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)?
What are single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)? By Robert Warren Hess As a 12-year prostate cancer survivor, prostate cancer recurrence is always a possibility so I pay close attention to current medical research. But in reading that research I constantly find terms I don’t understand. One recent mystery term was SNP. Here’s the definition of an SNP … “Single nucleotide polymorphisms, frequently called SNPs (pronounced “snips”), are the most common type of genetic variation among people. Each SNP represents a difference in a single DNA building block, called a nucleotide. For example, a SNP may replace the nucleotide cytosine (C) with the nucleotide thymine (T) in a certain stretch of DNA. SNPs occur normally throughout a person’s DNA. They occur once in every 300 nucleotides on average, which means there are roughly 10 million SNPs in the human genome. Most commonly, these variations are found in the DNA between genes. They can act as biological markers, helping scientists locate genes that are associated with disease. When SNPs occur within a gene or in a regulatory region near a gene, they may play a more direct role in disease by affecting the gene’s function. Most SNPs have no effect on […] read more 1 Key Prostate Cancer Recurrence Tool You Can Implement Today
How to Gain Control Over Stress by Robert Warren Hess If you are a cancer survivor, you know about stress and the monkey that you just can’t quite get off your back. If you are the caregiver for a cancer survivor, you almost surely are dealing with the same level of stress. Research shows that chronic stress reduces the effectiveness of the body’s immune system, which reduces the body’s ability to deal with illness, including cancer. One of the best ways to manage stress is through meditation. I’ve been practicing meditation off and on for the past 12 years since my treatment for prostate cancer. What kept me from being consistent was the lack of a way to measure my actual progress. I could set goals but I had no way to know if or when I reached them. Until Muse! Visualizing My Stress This is an actual report from my Muse headband this past February. I did this session late at night and I thought I was quite calm but, as you can see, my brain was still pretty active. I’m a data guy and I love to track trends. That’s why I create ProstateTracker, so guys […] read more 5 Simple Steps to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
Cancer in America. Are We Winning or Losing? 5 Simple Things You Can Do To Reduce Your Cancer Risk. by Robert Warren Hess Globally, cancer is on the increase, fueled by our lifestyle choices. The most read article on our blog deals with prostate cancer recurrence. Take a minute and review this important video by clicking on the image at the right. I implemented everyone of these five suggestions after my diagnosis and treatment for prostate cancer 12 years ago. My prostate cancer remains in remission, with my annual PSA results consistently in the .02 – .04 band. I don’t know if these lifestyle changes made the difference, but my prostate cancer has not returned and I feel great. I’m currently training to compete at the World Master’s Track Cycling Champions in Manchester, England in October of this year. Four Simple Steps to Reduce Your Cancer Risk If you are concerned about cancer or your cancer returning, I suggest these simple steps … Watch the video Decide which lifestyle changes you can implement Follow this blog for tips on how to make those changes – and make them stick Join me in my second around the world on my bicycle […] read more Donate to PCAP
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