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Spring 2009

Who should be screened annually?

All males age 50+

Age 40+ for African Americans and those with a family history of prostate cancer

It’s the quintessential pastime for many St. Louis Italian families. But for Alan Cogo, playing bocce ball in the backyard with his family is especially important because he was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year.

“I felt shock and disbelief because I was always healthy and getting annual exams and PSA tests,” he says. “I had an enlarged prostate but the initial biopsy was fine.”

A few years later, his PSA level jumped from 2 to 6 ng/mL in just six months. Another biopsy found cancer in three locations. “It was confined within the prostate, though, so I thought surgery would be the best bet to remove any threat of cancer spreading and it
would be gone.”

Talking with two other physicians solidified his choice of surgery. On St. Patrick’s Day last year, Cogo, 59, underwent a radical prostatectomy at St. Anthony’s. “I was determined to beat this,” he says. He went home with a catheter and, after a couple of weeks,bladder control returned. Other side effects also were minimal and he was out working in the yard two weeks later. Now, one year later, he’s doing terrific. “My doctors and St. Anthony’s were wonderful,” he says. “They were fabulous. I was up the next morning, walking the halls, and I'm still doing great. I feel very blessed.”

For information, please call our Health Access Line at 314-ANTHONY (268-4669) or 800-554-9550 or visit our find a physician online.

At St. Anthony's, our vision is to be the area's premier health care organization — and your first choice for health care services.

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