Phil Lesh's Cancer Battles
- Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh, who is still playing the bass and rocking out with fellow musicians after beating prostate and bladder cancer, recently revealed that he became interested in picking up the bass guitar after listening to The Rolling Stones.
- Early detection of prostate is important as it can help reduce the risk of cancer spreading to other organs. Screening for prostate cancer generally involves a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test and a digital rectal exam to feel the prostate gland. The prostate-specific antigen is a protein secreted by the prostate gland, large amounts of which can indicate prostate cancer.
- Though the PSA test is not always accurate and an elevated PSA test does not always mean you have prostate cancer, our experts maintain that these tests are helpful. Make sure to discuss your options with your doctors and decide what screening should look like for you.
- Bladder cancer is caused when cells that make up the urinary bladder start growing out of control, which can develop into tumors and over time, if not caught, spread to other parts of the body.
- Fortunately, many bladder diagnoses are caught at an early stage, when the cancer is highly treatable. However, it is common for new occurrences or recurrences to occur even after successful treatments. Patients typically need follow-up tests done years after treatment.
The famed guitarist and founding member of the iconic American rock band, known for its hit songs “The Golden Road” and “Easy Wind,” spoke about what inspired him to pick up the bass guitar in a recent episode of the “Terrapin Clubhouse Sessions.”
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“I later found out it was just a detuned electric guitar, but I was at a party, [and] I was having a conversation with Jerry, [and] I just happened to mention, ‘You know, I’ve been listening to The Rolling Stones. You know, I think the bass guitar is kind of an interesting instrument.'”
“That’s as far as we went with that in that conversation,” he added.
He explained further, “I really feel like that might have triggered him thinking about adding me to the band, so when I came down to [Magoo’s Pizza Parlor] to see them in ’65 that night and Jerry just took me over to the table and sat me down and he said, ‘Hey man, I want you to come play bass in this band. I know you’re a musician and you can do it. You can pick it up easily.’
“And I said, ‘Jerry, you have to give me a lesson,’ because he was a famous guitar teacher at the time.”
According to LiveforLiveMusic, Lesh was also seen jamming with his fellow musicians, Denson playing the sax, Stu Allen and Grahame Lesh on guitar, Jason Crosby on keys, Elliot Peck singing, and Alex Koford on drums.
They played some memorable Grateful Dead and Rolling Stones songs including “Shakedown Street” and “Not Fade Away.”
Phil Lesh’s Battle With Prostate & Bladder Cancer
Phil Lesh was diagnosed with prostate cancer back in 2006 and soon after underwent a robot-assisted surgery to remove his prostate. At the time he expected “to have a rapid and complete recovery” due to doctors finding cancer at a “very early” stage.
After avoiding prostate cancer recurrence, he was later dealt with a bladder cancer diagnosis less than 10 years later. Luckily, this cancer was also caught early on and his treatment was successful.
“I am very fortunate to have the pathology reports show that the tumors are all non-aggressive, and that there is no indication that they have spread,” he said in 2015 interview, as per Reuters.
“So thanks to my local doctor Cliff Sewell, and the incredible team at the Mayo Clinic, all is well and I can return to normal activities in two weeks from my surgery.”
Expert Resources On Bladder Cancer
- Digital Guide: Treating Metastatic Bladder Cancer
- What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Bladder Cancer?
- Bladder Cancer: Key Terms to Know
- Antibody Drug Conjugates: How is This Type of Cancer Drug Used to Treat Advanced-Stage Bladder Cancer?
- Can Urinary Tract Infections Cause Bladder Cancer?
- Bladder and Prostate Cancer Misinformation is ‘Common’ on YouTube; How to Find Quality Intel
- FDA Approves the First Major New Alternative to Surgery for Bladder Cancer in 20 years
Understanding Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer is caused when cells that make up the urinary bladder start growing out of control, which can develop into tumors and over time, if not caught, spread to other parts of the body.
It’s one of those cancers that you don’t hear about too often, which has always been surprising to me because it is the fifth most common cancer that we see in the American population,” Dr. Jay Shah, the cancer care program leader for urologic oncology at the Stanford Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet.
[It’s worth noting that the National Cancer Institute puts it as the sixth most common type of cancer in the U.S.]
There are many factors to consider regarding your risk of developing this disease including the following:
- Smoking. Smokers are three times more likely to be diagnosed with bladder cancer than non-smokers.
- Chemical exposure. Some chemicals used in dyes, rubber, leather, printing material, textiles and paint products have been linked to risk of this disease.
- Hydration. Drinking a lot of fluids each day is associated with lower bladder cancer risks. This is partly due to the fact that people who stay well hydrated empty their bladders more often.
- Race. Caucasians are twice as likely to develop this cancer.
- Age. The risk of this disease increases as you age.
- Sex. Men are diagnosed more often than women.
- Personal history. Your risk increases if you or anyone in your family has had bladder cancer.
What Are the Risk Factors for Bladder Cancer?
When to Screen for Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. It starts in the walnut-shaped prostate gland between the rectum and bladder, producing the fluid that nourishes sperm. Fortunately, most prostate cancer is caught with screening examinations.
Prostate cancer does not always behave the same in every man it impacts. The cancer can be considered “low-risk” and can be slow-growing, and treatment might not be necessary. In other men, the cancer may grow faster or more aggressively, requiring more immediate treatment. Because of this, there is some debate about how much screening is necessary.
The United States Preventive Services Taskforce recommends that men at average risk between the ages of 55-69 years old talk with their doctor about the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening. Most doctors agree that men over the age of 70 do not need screening.
SurvivorNet experts suggest that men consider factors like their family history, genes, and age when deciding whether and when to screen.
Symptoms of prostate cancer to watch out for may include:
- Urinating more often
- Waking up in the middle of the night to urinate
- Blood in your urine
- Trouble getting an erection
- Pain or burning when you urinate
- Pain in your back, hips, thighs, or other bones
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue
Treatment Options for Prostate Cancer
After testing and establishing your risk, your doctor will discuss possible treatment options. Treatment may include “active surveillance,” usually for men with low-risk prostate cancer, which again involves regular testing every six months to monitor the prostate and check for any progression of the disease.
More aggressive treatment options include surgery and radiation therapy.
Second (& Third) Opinions Matter When Deciding Between Surgery or Radiation
Surgery is an option for men with any risk group of prostate cancer that hasn’t spread outside of the prostate gland. The type of surgery most often used is called a radical prostatectomy.
During the procedure, the surgeon removes the entire prostate, along with some tissue around it, including the seminal vesicles that release fluid into the semen. Your doctor can perform this through a traditional open procedure with one large or several small incisions called laparoscopic surgery.
Surgery side effects may include erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence. Fortunately, the side effects are usually temporary, and there are ways to help you manage them.
Radiation therapy is often done when prostate cancer is caught early and confined to the prostate gland.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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