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Pat Finan was diagnosed with a rare condition as an infant. This condition, coupled with the large scar on his abdomen from a childhood surgery, gave Pat a new perspective when it comes to making health care decisions.
At age 56, Pat was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Thanks to the new technology and accuracy from CyberKnife radiation at MercyOne Richard Deming Cancer Center, Pat had a personalized and innovative treatment option.
“The CyberKnife is capable of submillimeter accuracy which means lower dose of radiation to nearby healthy tissue, and this means fewer side effects for the patient,” says Richard Deming, MD, medical director of the MercyOne Richard Deming Cancer Center.
MercyOne has offered CyberKnife technology to cancer patients since 2005. In 2022, Pat became the very first patient in Iowa to receive the treatment for prostate cancer.
“When Dr. Deming talked to me about the possibility of becoming the first person in Iowa to have this treatment for prostate cancer, I thought about my surgery scar, and was reminded that some other kid had to be the very first to have that surgery,” says Pat. “There’s always someone who has to be first.”
Pat spent a long time looking at different treatment options and ultimately felt that the team of experts and the CyberKnife technology at MercyOne were the best choice. With just five treatments needed instead of 28 conventional radiation treatments, CyberKnife was also easier to fit into Pat’s schedule.
Pat’s MercyOne care team helped him greatly throughout the whole process. “Everyone was just amazing,” he says. “Dr. Deming really made an effort to get to know me as a person. He just exudes warmth and that seems to be part of the culture of the whole MercyOne organization.”
When it came to treatment options, CyberKnife made Pat’s health decision making choices much easier knowing there was a more accurate option for him. CyberKnife helped Pat to continue living his best life.
