The Kelpie
9th May 2011, 23:26
[quote]Qantas chief joins the list of survivors
QANTAS chief Alan Joyce describes himself as the luckiest man alive after life-saving surgery 10 days ago for prostate cancer.
"If I had not had it taken out there was an 80 per cent chance I would have been dead with cancer within eight to 10 years," Mr Joyce told the Herald Sun yesterday.
Now back on his feet and out of hospital, he plans to return to work next Monday after being operated on with a robot.
The events of the past two months - beginning with an annual health check, followed by a biopsy and then learning the shock news he had a malignant prostate gland - have made Mr Joyce, 44, a committed advocate for men's health.
He wants Australian men to heed the message that too many are dying because they don't bother to see a doctor.
In an exclusive interview, he said his own experience proved why early detection was so important.
"Prostate cancer kills more than 3000 Australian males a year," he said.
"One of the biggest problems is that only one man in 10 chooses to take the test."
Mr Joyce is young in medical terms to have contracted the disease.
He told how he began having annual checks two years ago after his father was diagnosed with the same condition.
Mr Joyce decided to see a doctor instead of waiting, like most men, until he was in his 50s.
"Because it was in my family and I was in my 40s, I decided that having a prostate check was the right thing to do," he said.
Ten days ago, the high flying boss was wheeled into an operating theatre at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney.
That afternoon a surgeon directing a hi-tech robot guided an electronic scalpel into his torso and removed the gland with the tumour intact.
"The tumour was completely encapsulated in the gland and there was no spread," Mr Joyce said.
"I was told what they found was pretty aggressive and would have spread had they not caught it so early."
Just 24 hours after surgery, he was discharged from hospital with orders to go home and take 10 days' rest.
"The way I see things is that I have been very, very lucky," he said.
[\quote]
Glad you are on the mend Alan!
More to Follow
The Kelpie
QANTAS chief Alan Joyce describes himself as the luckiest man alive after life-saving surgery 10 days ago for prostate cancer.
"If I had not had it taken out there was an 80 per cent chance I would have been dead with cancer within eight to 10 years," Mr Joyce told the Herald Sun yesterday.
Now back on his feet and out of hospital, he plans to return to work next Monday after being operated on with a robot.
The events of the past two months - beginning with an annual health check, followed by a biopsy and then learning the shock news he had a malignant prostate gland - have made Mr Joyce, 44, a committed advocate for men's health.
He wants Australian men to heed the message that too many are dying because they don't bother to see a doctor.
In an exclusive interview, he said his own experience proved why early detection was so important.
"Prostate cancer kills more than 3000 Australian males a year," he said.
"One of the biggest problems is that only one man in 10 chooses to take the test."
Mr Joyce is young in medical terms to have contracted the disease.
He told how he began having annual checks two years ago after his father was diagnosed with the same condition.
Mr Joyce decided to see a doctor instead of waiting, like most men, until he was in his 50s.
"Because it was in my family and I was in my 40s, I decided that having a prostate check was the right thing to do," he said.
Ten days ago, the high flying boss was wheeled into an operating theatre at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney.
That afternoon a surgeon directing a hi-tech robot guided an electronic scalpel into his torso and removed the gland with the tumour intact.
"The tumour was completely encapsulated in the gland and there was no spread," Mr Joyce said.
"I was told what they found was pretty aggressive and would have spread had they not caught it so early."
Just 24 hours after surgery, he was discharged from hospital with orders to go home and take 10 days' rest.
"The way I see things is that I have been very, very lucky," he said.
[\quote]
Glad you are on the mend Alan!
More to Follow
The Kelpie