HealthWatch: Frank Sinatra Jr. (cancer)
Ed Varner
from http://et.tv.yahoo.com/celebrities/13882/
Frank Sinatra Jr.'s Health Battle
February 10, 2006
Prostate cancer is the second leading cancer killer of men, but it's
also the most curable if diagnosed early. Singer FRANK SINATRA JR., the
son of Ol' Blue Eyes himself, was recently diagnosed with the disease,
and he came to ET to talk about his positive medical experience -- and
clean bill of health!
"No one wants to hear, 'You have cancer,'" Frank tells our own MARY
HART. "We all know people who have had that and you think, 'Oh my god,
it's the most dreaded thing in the world.'
The normal treatment surgery has doctors removing the prostate in a
very involved procedure, then a 7-10 day hospital stay that requires
wearing a catheter for two-three weeks after the surgery, says Frank's
physician, DR. GERSHMAN. But now, using the Laparoscopic surgery, the
procedure only requires a maximum 48-hour stay in the hospital and the
catheter only stays in for 3-5 days. Gershman has been performing the
procedure since 1989.
"For decades, all of us have seen on television if you catch any kind
of malignancy early, the cure rate is proportionately greater," says
Frank. "But the purpose why we're here today is because I'm the biggest
coward that I know, and if I can go through this, then any man can."
Frank was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December 2005, and had the
procedure done just about three weeks ago. "At most, it was an
inconvenience, temporarily," he explains. "I was, like, running laps
around the hospital the morning after ... I am so happy to become a
member of that club of those people who call themselves cancer
survivors."
So, with a new lease on life, where does Frank find the courage and
motivation to step forward and talk about his experience? "After I came
back, I had the pleasure of meeting a very lovely lady who I've always
admired whose name is OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN, who is a cancer survivor,"
says Frank, "and I said, 'I just joined your club,' and she shook hands
with me and said, 'Oh yeah? Then get out and ring some bells like I
did,' which is why [Dr. Gershman and I] are here."
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Ed