Bob Varsha

Another step, another setback, and an unimaginable one. Last month I wrote that all the rough chemotherapy I went through apparently had no effect on the small-cell cancer the pathologists at Duke said I had. Immediate surgery was recommended, including removal of my prostate, bladder, and other organs. At the same time a cancer doc here in Atlanta suggested the failure of the chemo could mean only one of two things: either the nasty small-cell cancer was drug-resistant, which it was not known to be, or it was simply not there at all. So we sent my biopsy tissue to two additional labs, including highly-regarded Johns Hopkins. The verdict was unanimous: no small-cell cancer present after all. The chemo, with all the nasty side effects, including a coronavirus infection, was for nothing.

We are now back at square one. I still have the more common form of the prostate disease, adenocarcinoma, but I have declined surgery, and I am undergoing hormone suppression in preparation for radiation treatment. I cannot stress it enough: get second and even third opinions when it comes to potentially life-altering medical decisions.

And, as always, my deepest thanks for all the support I’ve received from everyone.