Treated 1994 • Posted 2003 • Updated 2004 and 2009

"It's been 9 years since Proton treatment; my PSA is 0.23; I have no problems urinating and no side effects; the treatment did not render me either impotent or incontinent. "

In 1991, I had an exam in Wenatchee, Washington; the digital exam showed enlargement and some hard spots. The PSA was 4, but the doctor said they didn't pay much attention to that, it didn't usually mean too much.

We had been going south for the winter months to Happy Trails Resort in the Phoenix area since 1988. The area hospitals were offering blood screening to resort residents at a reduced rate. In 1994 I took advantage of a PSA test for $5. The report came back from the lab with a reading of 4.8 with a recommendation that I consult a urologist. The urologist did a digital exam, found hard spots and ordered a biopsy. All three hard spots were came back cancer. This happened in March and we were planning to head north that month, so he suggested Lupron, planning to do surgery when we got back in the fall.

Early in May, I was in our local doctor's office for a Lupron shot. There I met a long-time friend, who had just completed Proton treatment at Loma Linda. When he heard my story, he said, "Don't do it, Aaron. Get down to Loma Linda as fast as you can. " He gave me the 800 number and things started moving. By mid-June we were packing our 5th wheel and were on our way to Loma Linda. We arrived in Redlands, June 23, 113 degrees in the shade (and no shade). We pulled into an RV park where they made special accommodations for Loma Linda patients.

My urologist in Glendale, Arizona, refused to send my records to Loma Linda, but fortunately the lab had sent me a copy of the biopsy report, so Loma Linda worked from that.

After the initial arrangements, pod, etc., they started treatments. My cancer was apparently slow growing and was contained in the prostate. I had the full 37 treatments. We were done and on our way home by August 26.

I'm 82 now and am doing fine. It's been 9 years since Proton treatment; my PSA is 0.23; I have no problems urinating and no side effects; the treatment did not render me either impotent or incontinent. I did have a little streak of blood in my semen for a time or two, had no rectal bleeding.

I have recommended Loma Linda to several, three of whom have successfully gone through the treatments. One of them was a man who had nine tumors on his spine and had been told by his oncologist to go home and get his affairs in order. He was accepted at Loma Linda on a research grant and came home with no sign of any cancer. When he was checked by his doctors at Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona, and they found no cancer, they asked him what he had done. He told them of the proton treatments and Mayo Clinic promptly sent some doctors to Loma Linda to learn more about it.

Aaron W. Leno
Email: bigane@charter.net
 

Update December, 2004

My PSA is 0.15 and I feel fine. I have had the opportunity to recommend Proton to several men, and believe it to be a treatment second to no other. I frequently attend support group meetings and listen to patients who have had other treatments and the problems they have had as a result. I feel badly for them. Not only is the treatment at LLUMC superior in my mind, but the morale boost we receive there is fantastic. I have had no side effects from my 37 Proton treatments. I do watch my diet—soymilk instead of dairy, stay largely away from red meats, etc. I highly recommend Proton treatment.
 

Update January 2009

It will be 15 years this summer since I had the proton treatment. I will be 89 this year. I have no side effects; my most recent PSA, a few months ago was 0.1.

Aaron Leno