For Trevor Fergusson and his wife Florence, their peaceful retirement became much more stressful when Trevor was told his prostate cancer had returned, 16 years after his initial diagnosis. Although many things have changed since he first went through cancer treatment, Trevor and Florence’s commitment to each other and motivation to beat the cancer remain equally as strong.
Trevor was first diagnosed with early prostate cancer in 2003 while he was living in Brisbane. As he has a mechanical heart valve, this meant he was unable to have surgery as a treatment option and went on to receive radiation therapy treatment in Brisbane’s CBD.
“My prognosis at the time wasn’t terribly optimistic. I received radiation therapy every day for seven weeks which worked well, but I always knew it would return one day, and here I am now,” Trevor said.
Over the next 14 years, following his move to the North Lakes Retirement Resort, Trevor got regular check-ups and blood tests at his local GP to monitor whether the cancer had returned. When Trevor developed hip and back pain and a test found that his PSA levels had changed, Trevor was referred to Icon Cancer Centre North Lakes for treatment. He was able to see both a Medical Oncologist and Radiation Oncologist within the centre, and receive radiation therapy treatment and chemotherapy treatment at the same time.
“When I was told it had come back, I immediately thought how on earth am I going to get to the city now – Flo doesn’t drive anymore. We would’ve needed to stay in Brisbane,” Trevor said.
“It’s like a gift having the centre at North Lakes.”
Icon North Lakes, in partnership with Cancer Council, also offers a complementary patient transport service for local patients. For Trevor and Florence, the Transport to Treatment bus made getting to and from appointments much easier.