Jan Neustifter and his wife Mary Fran have been married for 58 years. But looking at them, you might not believe it! At 84 years old, Jan is the life of the party. Equipped with quick wit and sly humor, he’s the picture of positivity. But he says you have to be when you’ve been battling a deadly enemy for the better part of three decades.
Back in 1994, Jan knew he could be at risk for prostate cancer. His father passed away from the disease, and other family members were being diagnosed too. So, when a suspicious nodule just wouldn’t go away, he had it checked.
“I went to a urologist, and he recommended a biopsy. When the results came back positive for cancer, I had my prostate removed. But it was a difficult recovery,” said Jan. While his recovery was fraught with complications, the cancer was gone. And for many years, he was in the clear.
In fact, during an annual check-up in 2004, his urologist gave him surprising news. “He said my PSA looked great, and I was considered cured. He said I didn’t need any more PSA tests.”
Jan didn’t know it at the time, but that advice would prove detrimental to his health. It wasn’t until 2018 that he found out just how ill-advised it was.
“I was walking on a trail in Alabama, and my hip froze,” Jan recalls. I called 911 because I couldn’t walk. My wife and I went to a nearby hospital, and they did a blood test. They told me my PSA was 26.”
When Jan got home, he met with his urologist, who confirmed his prostate cancer had returned and metastasized to his hip. He would need radiation along with medication to reduce his testosterone. It was about this time he also found out he had the CHEK2 genetic mutation, which puts him at higher risk for developing prostate cancer. Since then, other family members of his have also tested positive for the gene mutation.
For several years, Jan’s PSA was under control. In 2023, however, it began rising again, and Jan’s doctor recommended chemotherapy. “Chemo makes people feel so awful,” Jan said. “I didn’t want to go through that. I’ve seen what it does to people.”
Knowing Jan’s feelings about chemo, his doctor referred him to BAMF Health. “I had run out of options, and what I heard at BAMF was hope. When they said it was molecular-targeted, I thought, ‘man, does this sound neat’. No really! I wasn’t apprehensive at all.”
Jan enrolled in a prostate cancer therapeutic clinical trial at BAMF. Now, on his third of four treatments, he’s telling everyone about his experience. “I’ve been super impressed by this place, and I’ve been to a lot of hospitals,” he shared. “You drive in, and you have a valet to take your car. That’s a nice touch, it really is. They offer you snacks to choose from. And having a personal nurse has been extremely helpful.”
“It’s just amazing,” said Mary Fran. “I feel like royalty. The virtual visits are so well organized. This molecular radiation therapy has just been a miracle.”
Jan now knows how important it is for men to get their annual PSA checks. And he believes his recurrence would have been caught much sooner if he hadn’t stopped screening. “Make damn sure you get a PSA test every year,” he emphasized. “Don’t be afraid.”
Mary Fran added, “You want to be around for your loved ones, and they want you around. So many people live in fear of what the PSA results will be. But don’t be afraid.”
Jan says it’s also important for men to advocate for the care they want and to research their treatment options.
“I’m spreading the word that you don’t have to have chemo. People are reluctant to do something other than what their urologist or oncologist says. Just have a phone call with BAMF,” he urged. “Your doctor wants you to succeed, but they shouldn’t be pushing you toward a treatment you don’t want.”
