Jan

 

Being a businessman by spirit and profession, he is used to considering several options at once and choosing the best one. And this approach paid off even in the difficult period when he was unexpectedly diagnosed with prostate cancer. Although panic and utter chaos overwhelmed him in the first moments, he was able to weigh all the alternatives rationally in the given situation and finally decided to turn to the Proton Centre with his diagnosis.

Mr. Jan was introduced to PTC by a rather unusual experience from a doctor’s office in a regional hospital. Although he had undergone preventive prostate examinations and PSA marker tests in the past, the results were normal. “My disease was triggered by the repeated finding of blood in my urine. So I consulted my GP, who put me on antibiotics, but unfortunately they didn’t work. I therefore visited a urologist who rather emphatically told me he suspected a diagnosis of prostate cancer. Unfortunately for me, this was during the summer holidays, so the doctor crowned the conversation with a dry message that he could not consult me further due to his departure for vacation. I was really surprised by this attitude, in fact I was completely shocked by the conversation.”

Jan had no idea what to do at first. Coincidentally, his father had also been diagnosed with the same disease years ago, so he vaguely remembered some information about treatment options. “However, until you need such information, you don’t realise its importance”, he says with irony in his voice. “Since I am a technical type, I have already found out some information about proton radiotherapy in the past. And in a moment of utter shock and panic, it paid off that I already knew about PTC. After leaving my urologist’s office, I remembered the centre and contacted it almost minute by minute. The staff immediately began to attend to me,” says Jan, describing one of the most difficult moments in his life.

He underwent an initial MRI scan at the PTC. Within two weeks he had the results and then all that was left was to arrange the timing of the radiation fractions. He then drove himself to Prague for treatment. While this was a practical mode of transport, Jan admits that the journeys behind the wheel were challenging, given that each radiation treatment required some preparation. However, with the help of the treatment coordinator, the preparation process was appropriately tailored to coordinate with the two-hour car journeys.

From his experience, Jan considers the mental state of mind to be extremely important in the treatment and notes that everything depends on it. “I came to the Proton Centre broken, but the human approach of the staff got me back on track. The modern interior of the building and the presence of a coordinator assigned to each patient at the PTC also enhanced the good impression I had”.

I have to say that the first visit to the centre ensured me, because I had the feeling that I was entering safety from chaos. The treatment coordinator discussed the whole treatment process with me and guided me through the centre. De facto, I experienced a second shock here – I walked into a beautiful building where I was immediately attended to and therefore did not feel like just a number on a piece of paper. I consider this to be important – because I think that if a cancer patient is treated in an environment that is not to their liking, both in terms of the behaviour of the staff and the environment, the motivation to be cured will decline because you will not believe that this is where you will be cured of your illness. At PTC, however, I really saw the staff’s interest in being able to help me in some way. It was the exact opposite of what I experienced at the regional hospital.”

After the proton radiotherapy, Jan is not experiencing any difficulties and is only waiting for a series of follow-up tests. Jan considers the minimal side effects of the treatment to be the decisive factors that led him to choose proton irradiation. “It’s not just about getting rid of the problem, but also about how to continue to deal with it after treatment. I chose the path with minimal consequences. I think it’s important to know that there can be more treatment methods than just the one recommended by one doctor. Therefore, I would advise any patient with a cancer diagnosis to try to find as much information as possible about their diagnosis and treatment. I myself am proof that knowing all the alternatives in the treatment options can help a patient to sort everything out in his head and choose the path he considers best for himself and his health,” Jan concludes his story.