[Press Release] : Mayor Hindman has undergone radiation therapy; starting educational cancer campaign

[pr-l at news.gocolumbiamo.com]

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 12, 2007

Mayor Hindman has undergone radiation therapy (brachytherapy) for
prostate cancer; Mayor and Mrs. Hindman are starting campaign to educate
people about the value of early cancer detection
								
	(COLUMBIA, MO) - Mayor Darwin Hindman announced this morning
that he has  undergone interstitial radiation therapy (brachytherapy), a
curative procedure for prostate cancer. Due to detection of the cancer
in an early stage of the disease when it is most treatable, Hindman is
likely to be cured by the procedure. Hindman chose the same treatment
used by Mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York in 2000.
	The treatment consists of permanently implanting radioactive
"seeds" directly into the prostate gland with the intention of
eliminating all cancer cells by radiation. The seed implant was
performed as an outpatient procedure Feb. 1 by local physicians at the
Boone Hospital Center.  
	Although the implanted seeds will be permanent, the radiation
will steadily decrease to the point of being inconsequential. The
treatment will have a temporary impact on Hindman's energy and he has
been advised that to protect his health he is to 
avoid excessive stress, reduce his schedule and get plenty of rest for
a limited period of time. Hindman expects to continue his duties as
mayor without interruption but will temporarily operate on a reduced
schedule and may leave some council meetings early. 
	Hindman stressed that after the radiation is completed he will
return to normal.  Fatigue is a side effect that may impact Hindman's
duties as mayor and is most likely to occur during the next two to three
months as the effects of the radiation accumulate and then improve as
the amount of radiation diminishes.
	Hindman will not pose a radiation hazard to others due to the
short range of the radiation from the seeds.  
	Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men after
skin cancer. About 219,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in
2007 and about 27,000 will die from it. Approximately one in six men
will get it in their lifetimes. Among well-known men who have had
prostate cancer are Bob Dole, John Kerry and Generals Colin Powell and
Norman Schwarzkopf.
	In 2003 Hindman had an esophagectomy as a curative procedure for
esophageal cancer. His current prostate cancer is totally unrelated to
the esophageal cancer and is not a recurrence.
	Hindman's wife, Axie Hindman, a breast cancer survivor, joined
Mayor Hindman, and together they announced a program through the
city-county health department to educate people about the importance of
early cancer detection in breast, prostate, colon and cervical cancers.
The program also emphasizes the importance of lifestyle, including diet,
physical activity and not smoking, to cancer prevention and survival.
The program includes a Web page linked to the city's home page
www.GoColumbiaMo.com.
 	Also participating in the press conference, among others, was
Dr. Michael Perry, a world-renowned cancer specialist with the
University of Missouri, who spoke about the importance of early cancer
detection and the services available at Ellis Fischel. 
	The Hindmans emphasized that they both are cancer survivors due
to early detection.  

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