John Powell
Houston, Texas
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I am a legal recruiter, and a former practicing attorney. My wife, Susanne, and I have been married for seven years. We live in the historic neighborhood of the Houston Heights with our two dogs and three cats. I am an avid cyclist and currently race for Gulf Coast Cycling Association.
Cancer Overview:
General Cancer Type: Testicular
Specific Cancer Type: Stage 1 Seminoma
Treatment Summary:
On November 7, 2004, I was diagnosed with testicular cancer after visiting a urologist for a second opinion about the atrophying of my right testicle. I'd visited my first urologist about this problem twice over a period of 2 years and each time was told that it was nothing to worry about and probably just the result of an injury. I've now learned that many doctors, including reputable urologists such as my first doctor, are unaware that an atrophying testicle can by a symptom of testicular cancer.
During my second opinion visit, my new urologist thought that he felt a lump and decided to ultrasound my right testicle. The ultrasound confirmed that there was a small tumor present in my right testicle. On November 11, 2004, one day after my 35th birthday, I underwent an orchiectomy (removal) of the right testicle. Pathology reports confirmed that I had a Stage 1 Seminoma. My urolologist recommended the traditional course of treatment, which involves a course of radiation.
Following my urologist's recommendation, I was referred to a radiation oncologist at M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas. The radiation oncologist reviewed all of my medical records and suggested that I was a good candidate for observation due to certain factors such as my age, the small size of my tumor, and the fact that there was no evidence that the cancer had spread beyond the tumor itself. The final factor that made me appear to be a good candidate for observation was the fact that I was willing to stick to a long term schedule of observation.
I am currently undergoing observation at M.D. Anderson with a medical oncologist at M.D. Anderson and will continue to do so for the next several years. Once every 3 months, I go in for blood work, chest x-rays, and a CT Scan of my abdomen. Also once a year an ultrasound is performed on the remaining testicle.
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