Prostate cancer detected early in man with family history of the disease

When Lance Wrzesinski, 63, went in for his annual physical last year, he wasn’t expecting any concerns.

Otherwise in good health, the Tumwater man was surprised to learn his PSA (prostate-specific antigen) was elevated and he needed to follow up with a urologist.

Wrzesinski requested a referral to MultiCare urologist Patrick Murray, MD, because his father — who had prostate cancer — saw Dr. Murray a few years ago and had a great experience.

Dr. Murray did an initial in-office exam and then scheduled Wrzesinski for biopsies. Eleven of the 12 came back positive for cancer.

“It caught me off guard because I was feeling fine,” Wrzesinski says. “After receiving these results, we scheduled a meeting to talk about what my treatment options were.”

“Lance fell into the intermediate risk category,” says Dr. Murray. “We discussed the pros and cons of surgery versus radiation.”

The good news is prostate cancer is typically slow-growing and, when caught early, very treatable.

“After considering my options, Dr. Murray and I decided together to move forward with prostate removal,” says Wrzesinski. “I felt it was the best option for me and what I thought I could deal with for recovery. Because there was quite a bit of cancer, it made me feel better to have it taken out.”

Prostate cancer screening guidelines

When to start screening for prostate cancer:

• High risk: If you are African American or have a close relative who has had prostate cancer, start the conversation with your provider about screening as early as 40.
• Average risk: If you are between the ages of 55-70, talk to your provider about PSA screening.
• If you are older than 70: Talk to your provider about whether screening is necessary. Prostate cancer is generally so slow growing that PSA screening for older men may not be useful.

His surgery took place in March 2023.

“Minimally invasive, robotic-assisted surgery, which is how Lance’s surgery was performed, has improved quite a bit in the past decade or so,” explains Dr. Murray. “It’s associated with lower rates of incontinence, lower rates of erectile dysfunction and higher cancer cure rates.”

Wrzesinski, who has worked in education his entire career, is currently a director at Financial Education Public-Private Partnership (FEPPP) at the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. He wanted to recover as best he could after surgery so he could feel comfortable going back to work.

“Dr. Murray and his PA [physician assistant] were both phenomenal after surgery,” he recalls. “They were actively involved in my recovery, which I appreciated.”

One of the ways Dr. Murray helped Wrzesinski in recovery was to recommend him to a physical therapist who specializes in men’s health.

“Urinary incontinence is very common after prostate removal,” Dr. Murray says. “Pelvic floor physical therapy can help with strengthening and learning how to better control those muscles.”

Wrzesinski says the physical therapy (PT) helped immensely.

“Lance’s story is a good reminder that with appropriate screening, we can catch cancers early and provide treatment to get men cured.”

“As far as incontinence and returning to work more comfortably are concerned, I attribute my quick recovery to the information I gained and the exercises they had me do at PT,” he adds.

After prostate removal, checking the PSA level will detect if there is residual or recurrent prostate cancer. The level is checked every three months in the first year following treatment, every six months in the second year and annually every year thereafter.

At his three-month post-surgery checkup, Wrzesinski’s PSA test came back showing no detectable signs of cancer.

“My dad had prostate cancer 20 years ago — he’s 85 now,” he explains. “He was thankful I was doing my annual checkups, that the cancer was caught early and didn’t spread. I have three brothers, and this got their attention real quick. My youngest brother, who hadn’t been to his primary care doctor in years, started doing annual checkups.”

A family history of prostate cancer increases the risk of developing the disease. It’s important for those with prostate cancer to encourage brothers, sons or grandsons to have a conversation with their doctor or other health care provider about when to start screening.

“Having gone through this experience, I have a greater awareness of taking care of myself — I take my morning walks and eat well,” says Wrzesinski. “I enjoy gardening and working outside, so I’m happy not to have anything preventing me from doing that.”

He says he was pleased with his overall experience at MultiCare.

“The facilities and staff, both at the hospital and Dr. Murray’s practice, were just amazing,” he says. “The whole process seemed to go seamlessly.”

“Lance’s story is a good reminder that with appropriate screening, we can catch cancers early and provide treatment to get men cured,” Dr. Murray adds.