Dr. Sanford Siegel will continue his annual Prostate Cancer Run/Walk this year with a little better news than when he kicked off the event last year.
Eighteen months ago, the Baltimore doctor learned he had prostate cancer.
“Today, I’m happy to let you know that I’m feeling great and my PSA is down to 0.00,” Siegel said, referring to prostate-specific antigen, a substance produced by the prostate gland.
Elevated PSA levels could indicate prostate cancer, a non-cancerous condition such as prostatitis or an enlarged prostate, according to medical experts.
Despite his latest successful medical evaluation, Dr. Siegel says he is even more determined to push to find a cure.
“I still think about the 190,000 men who will hear the words ‘you have prostate cancer’ this year and the 28,000 who will succumb to this disease,” Siegel said.
This year’s Sanford J. Siegel Prostate Cancer Run/Walk is scheduled for Sunday, September 22, 2019 at Towson University’s Johnny Unitas Stadium.
Siegel says the efforts of he and his team of organizers have helped educate, advocate and raise funds to fight prostate cancer over the past 13 years. Even though the effort has made an impact thousands of men still needlessly die each year.
Since the event’s inception 13 years ago, Siegel has spearheaded the raising of more than $5 million for research and those in attendance have been able to receive free screenings and important camaraderie.
When he received his own diagnosis, Siegel says he didn’t bother to question why the deadly disease had now counted him among its victims.
“I spent very little time feeling sorry for myself. My thoughts turned to my family, my community and all of the men and their families that have been touched by prostate cancer,” Siegel said.
Dr. Siegel completed treatment at Chesapeake Urology where he serves as president and CEO, and where he has done much of his work in helping those diagnosed.
Chesapeake Urology’s cancer care program has provided free cancer screenings to over 8,800 men in Maryland and they’ve diagnosed many cancers that saved lives, according to Siegel.
Additionally, Siegel says a Chesapeake Urology prostate cancer research scholarship through the Urology Care Foundation of the American Urological Association has been fully funded to $1.1 million in 2018 and officials have now began another scholarship drive to help inspire urologists to publish scientific and clinical papers to advance understanding of prostate cancer, genetics and treatment.
“We want to keep the momentum going in 2019,” Siegel said.
This year’s Run/Walk begins at 8 a.m. on Sunday, September 22, 2019. To register, volunteer, form a team or to make a donation, visit: www.ZeroBaltimore.org.