6 A
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015
Us TOO Flor ence
My Prostate Cancer Journey — Epilogue
B Y B OB H ORNEY
D R . B RYAN M ELHOFF
AND
Tim Daugherty was diag-
nosed with cancer May 18,
2010 at age 52. He died Aug.
21, 2014, at age 56.
T
im and Debbie started
sharing Tim’s prostate
cancer journey with
our community in the Sept. 12,
2012, edition of the Siuslaw
News, as well as in the three-
ring
binders
throughout
Florence, and on the www.
ustooflorence.org website.
Tim had been diagnosed
with prostate cancer in May
2010 at the age of 52. Nine of
12 core biopsy samples were
positive for the disease and his
Gleason Score was an aggres-
sive 8.
Tim’s urologist, Dr. Bryan
Mehlhaff, performed open sur-
gery in June 2010 which
revealed cancer already outside
the prostate in a lymph node.
He was started on hormone
therapy (Lupron) in October
followed by external beam
radiation (IGRT) in January
and February 2011.
With Tim’s PSA continuing
to rise even while on Lupron
and following surgery and radi-
ation, he qualified for
Provenge, a new FDA-
approved immunotherapy.
This therapy involved three
trips to Vancouver, Wash., for
withdrawal of white blood cells
(Leukapheresis), having them
treated in Seal Beach, Calif.,
and then flown to Springfield to
be reinfused into Tim.
Although dealing with snow,
car problems and flooding, Tim
(with Debbie’s wonderful assis-
tance and support) completed
the therapy.
Tim’s last update on his
Journey was in the April 10,
2013 issue of Siuslaw News.
At that time he was enrolled
in a clinical study, STRIVE,
which was a phase-2 random-
ized, double blind study at
Oregon Urology Institute.
The purpose of the study was
to determine the safety and effi-
cacy of Enzalutamide (Xtandi)
versus Bicalutamide (Casodex)
in asymptomatic or mildly
symptomatic patients with
prostate cancer whose disease
had progressed despite being
on androgen deprivation thera-
py (ADT) also called hormone
therapy — like Lupron men-
tioned above.
Eventually, with some
enlargement of an abdominal
lymph node, another medica-
tion called Zytiga was added.
Through all of the above,
Tim continued to teach his
fifth-grade class at Siuslaw
Elementary. He taught the
entire 2013-2014 school year
and even the 2014 summer
school session and looked for-
ward to being in the classroom
again in September.
Following his completion of
2014 summer school, Tim was
seen for his quarterly study
visit with routine CT and bone
scan. This showed significant
spread of cancer to his liver that
2015. The chorus rehearses
Monday evenings from 7 to
8:30 p.m. at the Cross Road
Church, 10th and Maple
streets. New members are wel-
comed. There is a registration
fee of $60 with financial aid
available to interested persons
meeting requirements.
For more information, call
Laura Merz at 541-902-8567.
ment as some patients respond
well and experience minimal
side effects, but Tim was res-
olute. With his family and sup-
port of his church, he decided
to enter hospice care.
This allowed him to choose
the final path of his life with his
family at his side.
In less than five years, Tim
had gone from diagnosis of
prostate cancer to death.
Screening for prostate cancer
failed to catch his disease early
enough to prevent its spread. If
screening had been done earlier
possibly his prostate cancer
could have been cured, but this
remains unknown without the
earlier testing.
Throughout his disease, Tim
continued to live a full and
vibrant life with his family, and
as a teacher.
For four full years, Tim and
Debbie attended Us TOO
Florence meetings, full of con-
fidence and optimism about the
future. Together, they touched
many lives, but Tim’s case and
story particularly affected Dr.
Mehlhaff, who learned much
from Tim’s spirit and gentle
nature even with a particularly
aggressive form of prostate
cancer that progressed despite
all efforts to stop it.
We invite you to
join us.
•Wednesday, 7 p.m. - Family Connections
•Sunday, 9:00 a.m. - Bible Study
•Sunday, 10:30 a.m. - Worship Service
Corner of 10th & Maple St. • 541-997-3533
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email: office@florencecrossroad.org
THRIFTY THURSDAYS!
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Chorus seeks interim director
The Community Chorus
(CCFO) is seeking an interim
director for the spring session
while current director, Laura
Merz, is on leave. The spring
session will begin Jan. 26, with
plans to present “Hooray for
Hollywood” on May 3.
The interim director posi-
tion begins Jan. 26, with the
season ending on May 10,
was not seen just three months
before. Biopsy proved this to
be prostate cancer.
This was a surprising
increase in his disease because
at this point his PSA level was
undetectable. Presumably this
was because his prostate cancer
had now become so genetically
mutated that it no longer pro-
duced any PSA.
Tim was referred to a med-
ical oncologist. He was well
aware of the potential side
effects of chemotherapy,
declined to pursue it, and sim-
ply expressed a value for quali-
ty of life rather than quantity.
Dr. Mehlhaff encouraged
him to possibly try this treat-
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