Alan Caviness has spent most of his life caring for others. As a veterinarian in Bolton, Massachusetts, he dedicated his career to treating animals and supporting their families. But in 2023, Alan faced a life-changing diagnosis—prostate cancer—and had to learn how to care for himself in a new and urgent way.
For years, Alan’s PSA levels had remained low, monitored regularly by his primary care physician. But over time, his numbers started to climb. “It doubled, then doubled again,” he recalled. Eventually, his doctor advised him to see a urologist. Still, Alan hesitated. “Everything I had read said prostate cancer was slow growing. You could just watch it. So, I didn’t rush.”
In fact, a local urologist confirmed what Alan had read online, telling him he could probably just “sit it out.” But a chance encounter at a fundraising bike ride changed everything.
“I sat down next to a guy at the kickoff dinner, and we got to talking,” Alan said. “He told me his doctors also said to just wait. But by the time they acted, his cancer had spread beyond the prostate. That hit me hard. I realized I might be making the same mistake.”
That conversation pushed Alan to stand up for his own health. After a biopsy confirmed that his cancer was on both sides of his prostate and aggressive enough to require treatment, he made the call to Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center.
“Once I got connected with the team at Dana-Farber Brigham, everything moved quickly,” Alan said. He first met with radiation oncologist Neil Martin, MD, MPH, and then with Xiao Wei, MD, a medical oncologist who told him plainly: “Surgery is the right path. We can cure this.”
That path led Alan to Timothy Clinton, MD, a urologic surgeon specializing in robotic-assisted prostate surgery. Dr. Clinton recommended an innovative option: single-port robotic surgery, a minimally invasive approach available at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, one of the few centers in New England offering this advanced technique. “Single port robotic surgery has revolutionized robotic surgery by making minimally invasive surgery less invasive. The approach and recovery have continued to improve our surgeries and now over 85% of patients go home on the same day,” said Dr. Clinton. Unlike the more common multi-port surgeries that require several incisions, single-port robotic surgery uses one small incision. This approach allows surgeons to reach the prostate through a single access point, with less trauma to the body and potentially faster recovery.
“Dr. Clinton was amazing, thorough, kind, and incredibly skilled,” said Alan. “He explained everything clearly, including how the robot worked and what to expect afterward.”
Alan had the surgery in late March 2024 at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital. Though recovery included a few uncomfortable days with a catheter, his healing went smoothly. “I had the surgery at the end of March, and by early August, I was riding in bike races again,” he said proudly. “Six weeks of training was all I needed.”
Now 68 and retired, Alan is back to an active life, biking regularly and enjoying time with his wife and two adult children. His follow-up visits with Dr. Clinton have shown zero PSA levels—a strong sign that the cancer is gone. “I didn’t need chemo or radiation. Surgery alone did the job.”
The experience left Alan with a deep appreciation for Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center and a message he wants all men to hear:
“Don’t wait. Don’t let a number on the internet or a casual opinion tell you it’s okay to sit on something as serious as cancer,” Alan said. “Advocate for yourself. Ask questions. Get second opinions. Because if I had waited any longer, things could have been very different.”
From a professional standpoint, Dr. Clinton agrees that timely action is key and sometimes getting a second opinion is critical. He encourages patients to take action, even with an early-stage prostate cancer diagnosis. “Prostate cancer may be one of the slower growing cancers, but when caught early and treated appropriately, it is curable, so screenings and evaluations with a urologist are extremely important,” Dr. Clinton said.
Next Up: Don’t miss Paul's powerful story of surviving stage 4 prostate cancer.
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