WINTER PARK--On many mornings before the sun comes up, while most folks are still slumbering, urologist Jeff Thill rolls out of bed and laces up his running shoes before hitting the streets to log a few miles before work. If he's feeling adventurous, he may drive to the rolling hills of Clermont, once covered with citrus groves, for a change from the relatively flat terrain encompassing Orlando. By week's end, he will have 30 to 40 miles under his feet.

 

This year, in honor of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in September, Thill, along with fellow physicians, nurse practitioners and other healthcare professionals on staff at Winter Park Urology Associates, went the extra mile.

 

Instead of simply participating in the Track Shack's Autumn Rock 'N Run 5K Run & Walk on Sept. 12 at the City of Casselberry Municipal Complex, the practice sponsored it. With an initial pledge of $2,500, they'd hoped to raise $10,000 for the disease. (At press time, totals were unavailable.) Joining them were Winter Park Urology patients and prostate cancer survivors Jules Baclar, who has completed 50 marathons in 50 states, and Chuck Teminsky, 57, a deputy sheriff with the Winter Park Police Department who underwent prostate surgery in May and was running again five weeks later.

 

"As a practice, we'd wanted to do more to build community awareness about prostate cancer screenings," said Thill, one of 14 board-certified physicians in the group, which was established in 1968. "Prostate cancer affects one in six men and is the nation's most common non-skin cancer. However, the cure rate is very high—nearly 100 percent—if the disease is detected early."

 

Chris Webster, MD, who shares a passion for running with Thill and others in the practice, said the doctors initially considered establishing their own walk/run community event, but ultimately decided to co-sponsor the Track Shack's autumn race, which attracted some 1,600 participants.

 

"Jeff and I both run with Track Shack groups, and we all decided that co-sponsoring an event already in place would provide a better platform to showcase to patients that diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer doesn't mean you must be homebound," said Webster. "They can get back to normal activities pretty quickly."

 

Not long ago, men were reluctant to openly discuss gender-specific health issues such as prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction. "Thanks to increased awareness and media coverage, it's less taboo to talk about these concerns," said Thill.

 

Teminsky, who ran a Track Shack race on July 4, admitted that "guys aren't nearly as good about sharing information about prostate cancer as women are with breast cancer."

 

"It's important that we encourage each other to take charge of our health," he said. "This race was a great opportunity to do just that."

 

According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, a man is 35 percent more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than a woman is to be diagnosed with breast cancer.  The most common symptom, Webster pointed out, is no symptom at all.  Prostate cancer screening involves a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test and a digital rectal exam, beginning annually at age 50. African-American men and those with a family history of prostate cancer begin screening a decade earlier. 

 

"The good news is that proper diet and an active lifestyle can reduce a man's risk and can also help men with prostate cancer lead longer and better lives," said Webster.

 

Jeffrey Brady, MD, said many doctors in the group "feel strongly about serving as positive role models for our patients."

 

"Actions speak so much louder than words," said Rakesh Patel, MD. "Many of my patients know I run and ask me about my latest races and performance times.  Some even track me online during runs. While I hope to inspire them to adopt healthy lifestyles, they in turn, help keep me motivated."

 

Baclar describes running as "adding life to my days."

 

"Prostate cancer was a bump in the road," he said, "and like a race, you just have to keep going."

 

Webster said the autumn race is one of many community outreach projects that Winter Park Urology sponsors throughout the year.

 

"For example, we give seminars to support groups of 10 to 30 every two weeks, either at our office or in conjunction with the American Cancer Society," he said.

 

Winter Park Urology, which staffs four certified nurse practitioners (ARNP-C) and other healthcare professionals to provide a full range of urologic care, has two offices – a home base with 11 board-certified urologists in Winter Park near Florida Hospital, and an office in downtown Orlando. The practice also houses its own fully-equipped Urological Ambulatory Surgery Center for outpatient, same-day surgery.  Staff physicians were among the first in Central Florida to perform robotic prostatectomies. Since 1997, the urologists have conducted more than 60 clinical trials to test promising new treatments for urologic conditions.

 

"These are truly docs who practice what they preach," said Debbie Muse of Medical Marketing in Orlando, "and are on a mission to make men more aware of prostate cancer."