From FEAR TO FAITH

When Dr Eddie Wright Senior found out he had prostate cancer in 2012 he was hit with a whirlwind of emotions. “My emotions were everywhere. First thing I started to think about, am I going to die? What are my grandkids going to say? How are my children going to react? It can be a real emotional roller coaster.” he says.

These emotions soon made way for a stern resolve to beat the disease and understand what his treatment options were. After a series of biopsies identified the disease was still at an early stage, he met his physician who explained his options.

“First thing that came out of his mouth was let's remove your prostate and I thought well that's not going to happen.” he says.

“I was 52 years old, I was healthy, so I decided to get a second opinion and that’s when I found out about active surveillance which means to basically watch and wait. I think that was one of the most empowering moments on my journey.”

American men like Eddie are increasingly choosing active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer. A 2022 study by University of California, San Francisco showed that rates of active surveillance for low-risk disease more than doubled from 26.5% in 2014 to 59.6% in 2021.

Although active surveillance protocols are becoming more widely adopted in the United States, the rates vary considerably from urology practice to urology practice, ranging from as low as 7% to as high as 80%.

For Eddie, active surveillance was the right decision. With regular PSA tests he was able to live a life largely free from anxiety for five years before his doctors were again concerned by his rising PSA levels.

Throughout his prostate cancer journey, Eddie often found it challenging to find clear answers to questions he had about his diagnosis and treatment.

“In the first year, I had a million misconceptions because I just didn't know anything. I was hearing so many different doctors talk to me and so many different opinions,” Eddie says.

As an African American man, he had also experienced how a lack of disease awareness was having a fatal impact in his own community and recognised there was a critical unmet need to educate men of colour about prostate cancer and the importance of early detection.

“About seven years ago I got a phone call from my niece and she said, ‘my daddy died this morning’. I asked what happened and she said he died in his sleep from undiagnosed prostate cancer,” he says.

“That’s a story that will resonate with me for the rest of my life.”

In all the events that Eddie’s organisation attends or runs his message to men is simple.

“Go to the doctor and get checked out,” he says.

“Prostate cancer is 99% curable. Those are very good statistics, but the key is early detection and screening. It's lifesaving to have your PSA test done and it’s only a three second blood test.”

In the United States, it is recommended that if you are a man over the age of 40, are Black or African American, and/or have a family history of cancer that you should discuss a PSA test with your doctor. Outside of these categories, PSA testing is recommended for all men over the age of 45.

Despite the challenges of his prostate cancer journey, Eddie is thankful that the experience has allowed him to make such a positive impact in the lives of men with prostate cancer.

“Without this disease, I would not have been able to bring this message to men across the country,” he says.

“God has really blessed me and opened doors for me to talk to men, especially in the African American and men of colour community about this disease and the importance of early detection and screening.”