GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Seventy-three-year-old Glen Viste from Sturgeon Bay knew his diagnosis of prostate cancer was serious, but he also knew he had a good chance of surviving. 

“It’s the major cancer that kills me above 65, so it’s nothing to play with,” Viste said, “but most these things are curable, if you catch it early enough.” 

 Which is why his attitude toward treatment seems somewhat matter-of-fact. 

“We knew there was something wrong and we went through the treatment process,” Viste explained. “Just like if you cut your finger, you put a band-aid on it. This isn’t exactly a band-aid, but it’s a cure.” 

As radiation oncologist Dr. David Rohde with Aurora BayCare Medical Center explains it, Viste’s treatment was a bit more technically advanced than a band- aid.  

“We decided the best option would be External Beam Radiation covering the prostate, seminal vesicles and then lymph nodes and follow that up with a High Dose Rate implant of the prostate to really maximize the dose to the prostate,” Rohde explained.  

In simple terms, Dr. Rohde explained there are various treatment options depending on how aggressive each patient’s prostate cancer is, which in Viste’s case required a bit of a boost. 

“Now there’s this HDR (high dose rate) implantation that we’re offering here,” said Rohde.  

Rohde takes pride in offering his patients the most cutting edge treatment around. 

“I feel it’s really important for my patients to always have the latest and greatest,” he said.  

Rohde says most patients won’t need advanced technology though, just a simple blood test  

“The key is to get routine PSA (prostate-specific antigen) screening,” Rohde emphasized.  

That’s what Viste did, which is how he knew about his cancer early enough to make sure he didn’t become a statistic. 

“It is the most common cancer in men nowadays and it’s the second highest killer,” said Rohde.  

Instead, Viste’s looking forward to enjoying his children and grandchildren in the new home he’s building, with the woman who’s been by his side through it all.  

“I hope to spend the next 20 years, hopefully, married to the person I’ve been married to for the last 43!,” Viste chuckled.  

To learn more about prostate cancer treatment options or schedule your appointment for a screening, go to aurorabaycare.com/appointments.