Steve Abbott vividly remembers the day he first heard he might have prostate cancer. It was July 2nd, 2013, a Tuesday, and Steve had taken the rest of the week off to enjoy the July 4th holiday. First up was going to see Rush that evening, a rock band that Steve and his brother Brad had loved since childhood.
“It was going to be a great week off, starting with seeing one of my favorite bands ever, with my brother. Since I was off all day, I used it as an opportunity to get some long overdue medical appointments in. I had made an appointment with a urologist; not because I was having any problems, but because I had just turned 50 and my father had been diagnosed with prostate cancer a few years earlier. I never dreamed I would get the news I got that day,” said Steve.
At that visit, Steve’s urologist performed a procedure called a digital rectal exam (DRE), which is designed to identify irregularities in the prostate gland that can range from simple inflammation to a hard nodule signaling prostate cancer. “My doctor found a hard, palpable lump, and immediately referred me for a blood draw to assess my PSA level (PSA refers to prostate-specific antigen, a protein expressed by prostate cells). I received a call from him about a week later informing me that my PSA was 10.8 and telling me that he suspected that I had prostate cancer. He then referred me on for a biopsy, which confirmed his suspicion.”
Although cancer is the second-leading cause of death in American men (only heart disease kills more American men), prostate cancer can often be successfully treated if not completely eradicated, especially in cases of early diagnosis. There are numerous treatment options that include surgical removal of the prostate gland and various forms of radiotherapy such as traditional external beam radiation, proton beam therapy, CyberKnife and even focal therapies such as laser ablation.
Steve’s journey has, at times, been a tumultuous one. Surgical removal of his prostate gland, combined with radiotherapy, hormone therapy and chemotherapy have not been successful in curing him of prostate cancer. Steve’s prostate cancer is considered advanced, meaning that prostate cancer cells were able to escape their local environment and travel to distant parts of his body. Advanced prostate cancer is not currently curable, but continuous advancements in prostate cancer research are offering renewed hope for men with this disease.
Said Steve, “I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2013 based on an identifiable lump and a high PSA, but that told my doctors nothing about where the prostate cancer cells were located. With new imaging techniques such as the PSMA PET scan, my doctors can now identify where those cancer cells are congregating and target those specific cells with a new class of treatments. It’s a whole new world.”
Steve is currently being treated with Pluvicto, a “radioligand” treatment approved for use in prostate cancer in the U.S. in March 2022. Shortly following the FDA’s approval of Pluvicto, supply shortages developed that compromised the ability of many men to access the treatment. “I was one of the lucky ones that had already been approved by the drug manufacturer to receive the treatment at the time that the shortages developed. But even then, it took many months and a whole lot of miles before I could find a treatment location and begin treatment,” said Steve.
Pluvicto is typically administered over six treatments at six-week intervals. Steve is halfway through with his treatment and the initial results are encouraging. Steve’s PSA has dropped from a pre-treatment high of 25 to just short of 5 since starting Pluvicto in April 2023.
Steve is the Executive Director of Naples Cancer Advisors (NCA), a consultative oncology practice offering case review, genetic counseling, and financial navigation services to Southwest Florida cancer patients. The idea for the office is the brainchild of Dr. William Barrett in Cincinnati, who started Cincinnati Cancer Advisors in Cincinnati in early 2020. All consultations and services are provided free of charge, thanks to the generosity of private donors.
NCA’s office in Naples opened in early 2023 and is under the direction of local resident Lana Uhrig, herself an oncology nurse and seasoned health care system administrator, previously serving as Executive Administrative Director of the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center and the Chief Nursing Officer of Emory Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta.
Said Steve, “I remember people telling me years ago that I was lucky to have the “good” cancer. No cancer is good, but I do feel fortunate to have a cancer that often has a better outcome than many other cancers.”
Steve now uses his experience to educate and advocate. He began a podcast known as the “Medical Minute” in late 2021, serves as a mentor to other cancer patients, lobbies Congress annually for additional cancer research funding, and serves as a consumer reviewer for the Prostate Cancer Research Program, a research arm of the U.S. Department of Defense that has developed some of the most consequential treatments for advanced prostate cancer in the last 25 years.
Naples Cancer Advisors (NCA)
239-846-2273 (CARE)
3201 Tamiami Trail N, Suite 112, Naples, FL 34103
naplescanceradvisors.org