Diagnosed with prostate cancer in his early forties, Kevin Costello shares his story.
Transcript of Kevin’s Prostate Cancer Story
My name is Kevin Costello. Currently, I’m forty-three years old. I was diagnosed with prostate cancer at age forty-two. Thanks to a good general doctor who started testing my PSA levels at approximately age forty. It was in the normal range, a high normal in the 4’s. After a year or so, at that level, he recommended that I go see a urologist and just do a biopsy. Just check to make sure everything was normal. Maybe it was just a normal range for me or what not. I went to a urologist not thinking anything of it. He recommended a biopsy.
Around Thanksgiving time of 2013, I got the confirmation that I did have prostate cancer. They waited approximately eight weeks or so after that. They recommended surgery, which I did on January 27th, 2014. A little bit of a surreal experience, still to this day, it’s eight months later, nine months later and it’s still hard for me to believe that at forty-three, I’m dealing with cancer.
I’m hear today to help Ed Randall and his cause to try to get that word out. You almost have to tell your doctor that you want this test, especially you’re a male, forty years old. Especially if you have family history, it’s important. I didn’t have any family history. I had no other symptoms. I wouldn’t have known it if I didn’t get a PSA test or a biopsy. The conventional wisdom today is age fifty. If I would have waited to age fifty, I probably would not have survived. I definitely want to thank my regular doctor for sure. He probably saved my life.
Like I said, my PSA levels was not at all above the range. It was high range at 4.5 or 4.6 at the end. When they took the prostate out in January, they did the post op pathology. I had stage two cancer, and my prostate was approximately 70 percent affected with cancer. It didn’t spread, that we think of right of now. Everything is good. I’ve had a PSA test every three months since then and everything has been good so far.
I definitely thank my wife for sure. She did a lot of the research and found Dr Sumani, he’s actually right across the street over here in his office on Madison Avenue. He was one leading guys in robotic surgery. He did the surgery for me at Lenox Hill, and all is good so far.
I’m a perfect example of why you definitely need to help yourself, get checked. It’s no big deal, just a blood test for PSA level. Even the biopsy is no real big deal. It’s a day procedure. You go home. There’s a little bit of side effect at the end, but really if it’s going to save your life then it’s well worth your time and effort.
I’m here, I just wanted to make sure, help Ed, help his cause, get the word out. Especially if you have family history of any kind, you need to get a PSA level check for sure. Tell your general doctor. If you’re getting a cholesterol check or just a regular blood check, it’s no big deal, you just add it in. It’s nothing. Make sure you get a baseline, get it measured and monitored. Make sure as you get older you definitely keep an eye on that. If you have any symptoms, like I said I didn’t have any other symptoms. I wouldn’t have ever known, if I didn’t get the blood test and biopsy. I’m here to help Ed and his cause and whatever else I can do for sure to help get that word out. I’m here to help.
