Sixty-year-old Dave O’Brien jokes that he’s “not a very exciting person,” but the past year has been anything but boring.
In October 2024, a routine blood test revealed that Dave had a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of 17. This was concerning because a normal level for men 60 and older is at or below 4. A biopsy confirmed Dave had prostate cancer with a Gleason score of 7, which is "not aggressive, but also not not aggressive," explains Dave. "Getting a PSA of 17 pretty much guarantees you have some kind of cancer, so I wasn't particularly surprised by the diagnosis. It just all happened so fast."
After weighing his options with his urologist at Boston Medical Center – South, Dave chose radiation therapy over surgery. Both approaches have a very high success rate for his specific cancer, but radiation therapy meant he could return to work as an electrician at Wheaton College, a job he has held for 39 years.
Radiation Therapy: A Convenient, Effective Approach
Before treatment began, Dave underwent a SpaceOAR procedure, which stands for “Spacing Organs at Risk,” to minimize the effects of radiation to the area around the prostate. Then, for the next five weeks, Dave went to BMC South each weekday for radiation therapy with Dr. Andris Zauls, a radiation oncologist.
"Dr. Zauls is a great man. He's always in a good mood and glad to see you, and he explains everything thoroughly," says Dave. "The facility was very clean, and the appointment-keeping was almost perfect. I'd leave work, I'd be in and out of my appointment in less than half an hour, and go back to work. It was a really good experience."
Enjoying Life after Prostate Cancer, One Week at a Time
Now that he's done with radiation therapy, Dave is relaxing and enjoying life with his wife, Ana, as he anxiously awaits his follow-up PSA test. "My cancer diagnosis triggered us to make a little vow to each other," shares Dave. "We are doing something different every week that we haven't done before, like trying a new restaurant or taking a day trip somewhere."
The couple will also continue to regularly travel to see Ana's family in the Azores and visit Sachuset Point National Wildlife Refuge in Middletown, Rhode Island, one of their favorite places closer to home. "It's this gorgeous hike right on the water, where we've seen deer and white owls and a lot of other cool things. We love it."
Dave and his wife Ana continue to enjoy nature walks together
‘I have no regrets’
Looking back, Dave is grateful the routine blood test caught his cancer before it spread, but wishes he had started routine PSA testing earlier, as experts recommend. "I have no regrets, but I wish now I had started testing five years earlier," he says. "Getting treated for prostate cancer was not enjoyable, but it is also not anything to be afraid of." Dave recommends following the recommended guidelines and not delaying testing.