180: Alan Morton, Prostate Cancer Endurant - Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Alan Morton experienced symptoms associated with prostate cancer, but it was some time before he sought medical attention.  Dating back to his teens, he had had a subpar urine flow, but in his sixties, he began to see blood in his urine.  He thought it might be a urinary tract infection, but when nothing had changed six months later, he contacted his doctor.  After various scans, a digital rectal exam and a biopsy, Alan was told he had Stage 3B prostate cancer.  It was later determined the cancer had metastasized to his pelvic and was re-diagnosed as Stage 4 Incurable.  He was placed on a hormone regimen including the injection of a drug called decapeptyl.  Alan said the side effects were awful, including fatigue, loss of muscle mass, weight gain and a severe loss of testosterone.  He suspects he will be on the hormone regimen for the rest of his life, but Alan Morton calls himself a prostate cancer endurant.  He still engages in hiking, and despite the handicaps, seeks to live life to the fullest.   It was in 2023 when Alan began to pass blood in his urine.  He didn't think this development was worth sharing with his wife or his doctor.  However, his wife saw what she thought was dark urine when Alan went to the bathroom and forgot to flush.  He told her he was passing blood and she immediately made a doctor's appointment for him.   Alan submitted to a digital rectal exam and provided a urine sample.  Although he thought the sample was "crystal clear," the doctor said the sample included "microscopic blood."  He was called in for another appointment, provided another blood sample.  From that and a biopsy, he received a diagnosis of Stage 3B prostate cancer.    Because of neck trauma stemming from a long ago auto accident, Alan could have his prostate removed.  His care team concluded the only available treatment option would be a hormone regimen, starting with androgen deprivation therapy, or ADT.  He said the effect it had on his body was awful.  They included fatigue, severe loss of testosterone, hair loss, plus weight gain in various places, among them, his breasts.  He was subsequently prescribed the injection of a drug, decapeptyl, and a pill called bucalutamide, designed to stop the growth of the tumor.  The ADT regimen stopped in October 2024, but the following month he began to pass blood again.  To make matters worse, his PSA, once at 0.037, rose sharply to 6.39 in April 2026.  Alan underwent a bone scan that indicated his cancer had spread to his pelvis.  He is back on ADT and expects he will be for the rest of his life.   Alan says his urinary function is outstanding but would rate his sexual function at something like 20 to 30 percent of what it was pre-diagnosis.   Alan Morton does not call himself a survivor of cancer, but rather an endurant.  He knows given his diagnosis and his hormone regimen, he is at reduced capacity, but aspires to live a full, rich life.   Additional Resources:   Support Group:   Fans for the Cure: https://www.fansforthecure.org