Treated University Michigan, Ann Arbor

14 yr Survivor

PSA 4.5 Gleason 2+3 = 5Diagnosed age 59, radical prostatectomy

Treated Mayo Clinic, MN

PSA was 3.8, age 61, radical prostatectomy

Treated Karmanos Cancer Instit., MI

Survivored 18 yrs

Died August 2009, Age 78, advanced metastatic cancer.

Diagnosed age 60. PSA 12 Gleason 6. Radical prostatectomy
Treated University of Michigan

Brigadier General Michael J. Rice, Retired (Former Deputy Director for the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs), was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1996 at age 54 and pursued an intensive ongoing self-education process to learn about his disease.  Upon discovering his prostate cancer was metastatic (to bone), he partnered with a prominent oncologist at the University of Michigan and began an aggressive treatment strategy spanning the past eight years (chemotherapy / radiation therapy / surgery) that continues to contain his disease.  Most recently he underwent several months of intensive chemotherapy and radiation to treat hormone-insensitive disease. 

Gen. Rice became the University of Michigan Prostate SPORE (Special Programs Of Research Excellence) patient advocate in 1998.  He serves on their Operating and Steering Committees and attends monthly scientific meetings, competing application planning meetings and annual External Advisory Committee meetings.  SPORE is a separately funded National Cancer Institute program to expedite promising research from the laboratory to the clinic. 

Active in prostate cancer advocacy/awareness, Mike serves on the steering committee of the Mid-Michigan Prostate Cancer Support Group assisting men coping with the disease, promoting screening and serving on the Sparrow Health System’s annual Cancer Survivorship Symposium. 

He has served as a volunteer for a patient-centered program at Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine, working with first year medical students helping them understand the nature of chronic disease, its effect on patients and families - fostering a patient-centered approach to the practice of medicine. 

He served several years as a consumer advocate for the Department of Defense/United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command/Prostate Cancer Research Program, last participating in the 2002 peer review Prostate Consortium. 

Gen. Rice was selected by the National Cancer Institute to be a member of the Consumer Advocates in Research and Related Activities (CARRA) Program - serving for the past three years.  He is a charter member and President of the Prostate Cancer Coalition of Michigan, a non-profit corporation created to combat prostate cancer through education and outreach and to make prostate cancer a key public health priority in Michigan. 

In the summer of 2004, he and his wife Bobbi participated in Project FOCUS a Univ. of Michigan research project for couples who have faced prostate cancer.  

In October 2004, he was elected to the board of the National Alliance of State Prostate Cancer Coalitions.

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Alan Labovitz

In 1995 I was 59 years-old and was going to a urologist in the Lansing area.  I was being watched for BPH and was getting injections of a testosterone supplement to compensate for a low-normal? Range of  the hormone.  My urologist recommended I have a base-line ultra-sound of the prostate.  A week later the doctor got a blood test for a PSA and the result was 4.5.  I was concerned about that so the doctor suggested we wait two weeks and do the test again since it could have been high due to the ultra-sound.  The next reading was 5.0.

 I asked the doctor what we should do next and the answer was that we could wait and watch.  I said I wasn’t happy with that so a biopsy was scheduled.  A week later, the doctor called me and told me I had cancer.  I wasn’t happy hearing this news suddenly on the phone.  I then had a chest x-ray, and several other tests including a bone scan and the urologist suggested a radical prostatectomy.  I was told to come in with my wife and bring some questions.

 My wife and I read Dr. Sheldon Marks book, Prostate and Cancer from cover to cover and I downloaded about 80 pages of data on the disease.  We went to the doctor’s office with 4 typewritten pages of questions.  This doctor wanted to know why we wanted to know so much.  The attitude of the doctor didn’t please us and after checking with other friends, we decided to have a surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN do the surgery.

 He did the “nerve-sparing” retropubic radical prostatectomy and the biopsy showed my Gleason score to be 2+3 or 5.  However, there was also a positive margin although the cancer was not outside the organ.  I was told to have 8 months of Zoladex. 

 After 10 years, my PSA has remained >0.01.  I never had any urinary incontinence.  However, I have been bothered with scar tissue where the urethra was reattached to the bladder, which in the beginning cause blockage.  I need to do self-catherization periodically (every six months to be safe).  The other side effect is ED.

I get my PSA checked annually and the reading stays the same.  This means that I appear to be cancer free.  I guess if I were diagnosed today I might look at other treatments.  These might include brachytherapy, broad-beam radiation or cryotherapy.  These treatments were either not available in 1995 or were not as advanced as they are today.  However, I feel lucky that I don’t have to worry about any additional cancer therapies.

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Because of a family history of prostate cancer (Father died from it in 1973) I started getting screened in my mid-thirties. Early detection is so important. After enjoying several more years of life, my prostate gland grew larger. I volunteered to participate in a clinical trial at Providence and Beaumont Hospitals to test medication to reduce the size of the prostate gland. Both trials were discontinued because the results weren't fast enough. After completing the last clinical trial around March of 2000, my PSA was 2.8 and considered normal. When I had my next complete physical, almost a year later, my PSA had advanced to 3.8 and now considered high normal. I'm very thankful that my primary care physician at the time, suggested I see a Urologistf for further testing.

I had just started volunteering at Karmanos Cancer Institute and I asked one of the nurses to recommend a good African American Urologist. She recommended Dr. Isaac J. Powell. After meeting with Dr. Powell, I knew he was the one for me. An excellent doctor and he's a prostate cancer survivor also.

After re-checking my PSA, Dr. Powel ordered an ultrasound. During the ultrasound needle biopsies were taken. Two (2) of the six (6) biopsy samples were postive for prostate cancer. I was very calm after hearing these test results. I remembered in part, Psalms 23:4, "I will fear no evil: for thou art with me." My faith in God's healing pwer, was all I needed to get me through my biggest health challenge ever.

Dr. Powell gave me two booklets to read about my treatment options. After praying, reading, and talking to other survivors about their treatment options, including Dr. Powell. I decided to have surgery. A radical prostatectomy was perfomed on me July 2001 at age 60. I'm 65 years young now, and cancer free. I'm thankful and blessed to still be able to live a very active and even more fulfilling life. God is so good!

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December 2001 time for the annual physical.  After all of the usual poking and probing + a DRE my primary Doc said that I was in good shape, then he handed me a form for the lab down stairs in the Richart Building.

 About a week later I get a call form my primary Doc telling me that my PSA had gone from 4.5 to 8.5 in nine months.  An appointment has been made for me with Dr. McHugh.  January 2002 appointment with Dr. McHugh ultrasound exam and two large black spots show on the screen.  One for each side. A DRE with an educated finger finds some lumps also as long as we have that rather large thing up me we might as well get some biopsies (5).

 About one week later Dr. McHugh calls me and tells me that I have prostate cancer.  We make an appointment and spend about two hours talking about different procedures.  We have about six weeks to wait so the biopsies can heal.  Dr McHugh gives me a book to read.  I do.  I buy five more.  After more talks with Dr. McHugh and more research I decide on CRYO-SURGERY.

 March 4, 2002 two days after turning 65 I met Dr. Fred Lee who will do the procedure with Dr. McHugh.  Did I mention that this is a 23-hour hospital stay?  The prostate along with the cancer is frozen and thawed twice.  This is accomplished with 8 probes inserted via two small incisions between the scrotum and the anus.  When I wake up there is no pain, a little uncomfortable, testis and scrotum are the size of great fruit and the color of breadfruit.  I have the privilege of wearing a catheter for six weeks while the prostate and cancer turn into scar tissue.  The catheter is no big problem as it is inserted through the uthretha and will keep things open.

 THREE YEARS AND SIX MONTHS—PSA LESS THAN 0.05
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Robert Boyd

NEVER GIVE UP!! (Written just after Mike Rice died)

It is an honor to have a few of my words added in memorial to Brig. General Mike Rice. He was a dynamic indiviual, dedicated person, a fighter and a friend. Mike served on local, state and national organizations to help others in the challenge of dealing with prostate cancer.

In my ownsituation, Mike's strong words of "anyone who has become hormonal resistent needs an oncologist" proved so true. Doctors, wether they be general practionioners, urologist, radiologist, etc., do not have the expertise in dealing with advanced prostate cancer. With over a hundred different cancers, if one can find an oncologist that specializes in uroogy or prostate cancer, all the better.

Having survived 17 years, my personal experience might be of help to you. It began with a radical prostectomy (1990), followed by 3 surguries for strictures (scar tissue where the urethea is attached to the bladder). Due to a rising PSA, it was necessary three years later to have 36 shots of conformal radiation. A year later I started on intermittent hormone therapy, which lasted about 4 years before having to go full time with hormomal treatment. This program lasted about 4 years when the PSA began to move up. Mike Rice was most emphatic about seeing an oncologist and so I did. This met facing head on with the dreaded "C" word, in this case it stood for chemotheraphy.

There have been many advances in all cases dealing with prostate cancer and so it is true with chemo. One hears terrible stories of vomiting, nausea, loss of hair, etc.. Fortunately, things have changed! I have experienced 4 different kinds of chemo, some pills, some IV, and found no great problems. Good luck, and thanks, Mike.

Bob Boyd (Flint, MI.)

My saga begins in June 1991, where at the ripeold age of 60 and with a PSA 12 and a Gleason of 6, I chose to have a radical prostatectomy. Treatment choices were rather limited, either a radical or radiation. I felt that radiation could be a back-up program whereas if radiation was the primary (first treatment) it would be difficult to have radical surgery (as a salvage operation).
There was little information available to the public prostate cancer and very few support groups.
Unfortunately I was in the small percentage that developed strictures (scar tissue which closes off the urethra at the bladder neck). Not only was this a painful experience but required trips to the emergency room and necessitated surgery on three occasions.
Four years after the radical, my PSA rose to 5.1. It was evident that the cancer had escaped the prostate and the surgeon's knife! So I used the backup plan and had 36 shots of conformal radiation to the pelvic area.
One yearlater September 1996 my PSA was 3.8 and I started a program of intermittent hormonal ablation which included Lupron and Casodex. The big problem, along with the side effects, was the dilemma of when to stop the treatment (shots, etc.) and when to restart. No one in the medical world seems able to provide any valid information so we used our own. When the PSA dropped to 1.0, we stopped the hormone treatment and when the PSA rose to 3.5, we restarted. This process continued for four years. In 2000 there was no drop in the PSA and so I went on full time hormonal theraphy with all its usual issues including impotence and complete incontinence.
Four years later my PSA started upward and by May 2004 was at 9.0. Something had to change and in Aug. with a PSA of 13, I started DES. This treatment included a blood thinner (Warfarin) to avoid blood clots. Three months later my PSA was 30.5! Not the right direction to go. So Cytoxin was added to the menu on a program of 20 days on and 10 days off, along with Predisone everyday. One year later my PSA was down to 4.3!
Cytoxin and Predisone have been dropped and my PSA is 3.5. When it goes up to 10, I shall return to the above mentioned program.
So you can see, after 15 years of treatment I continue to travel, play tennis, and enjoy life. It's not how long you live but how well.

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