Sixty-one-year-old Cottonwood resident Paul Joens admits he doesn’t rush to the doctor every time he feels sick. However, there’s one physician appointment he always keeps—his annual physical checkup. When his doctor told him the results of a yearly test meant Joens could possibly have prostate cancer, he said that appointment saved his life.

A routine trip to the doctor turned into something more when Joens’ physician found his prostate specific antigen (PSA) level had raised dramatically. This blood test measures the amount of PSA per nanograms per milliliter in the blood. Those with a PSA level greater than 4.0 ng/mL are found to be at risk for prostate cancer.

When Joens heard this, he visited a urologist for a biopsy. That’s when he heard the news: he had Stage III prostate cancer. Joens learned that although his cancer had spread beyond the capsule that encloses the prostate gland, he still had a good chance of being cured through hormone therapy and radiation treatments.

“When my doctor recommended radiation, one of the nurses told me about treatments he had received at the Verde Valley Medical Center Cancer Center in Sedona,” Joens said. “When he said how caring the medical professionals were at the Center, I asked my doctor if I could be treated there.”

Just Like Family
Joens was referred to Andrew David, M.D., radiation oncologist on the Medical Staff at VVMC. Dr. David recommended eight weeks of radiation treatments, which Joens began in May 2008. Every day, Monday through Friday, Joens was at the Cancer Center undergoing radiation—and wearing a smile on his face.

“Cancer is a scary thing, and it can put a cloud over your head,” Joens said. “The staff at the Cancer Center took all that away. Everyone was great—they treated me just like family, and I enjoyed joking around with all of them.”

Although Joens, who works as a property manager at a local retirement home park, experienced the side effect of fatigue, he said he felt well throughout the treatments. “My wife (Cottonwood Mayor Diane Joens) would look at me and say ‘I can’t believe you’re sick,’” he said.

Road to Recovery
Throughout his cancer journey, Joens attributes early detection, a positive attitude and the quality care at the Cancer Center as what kept him going.

“The Cancer Center staff answered everything I wanted to know, and I felt like I had real conversations with everyone—from Dr. David to each staff member,” he said. “I’ve even gone back to the Center after my treatments were completed to say hello and check in on everyone.”

Just a few months after Joens’ radiation treatments began, Dr. David delivered the good news to him: his PSA level was at 0 ng/mL, and he would not have to have another PSA test for a full year.

“I’m a believer in early detection and the VVMC Cancer Center,” Joens said. “If I hadn’t had my annual PSA test, the doctor may not have found the cancer until it was too late. And when he did, I had the right medical team to help me along the way.”

Paul Joens and his wife Diane look forward to a bright future together thanks to Paul’s prostate cancer being in remission.

For more information about the Sedona Cancer Center: Cancer Centers of Northern Arizona Healthcare