“I buy green bananas again.”
At nearly 80 years old, Doug measures progress in ordinary moments that carry extraordinary meaning. He credits his confidence in being around long enough for bananas to ripen to his care team at Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre (JHCC).
Doug’s journey with prostate cancer began in 2017 after a routine blood test showed his PSA (prostate-specific antigen, a protein that can signal cancer) level had risen. His older brother’s diagnosis years earlier motivated him to stay on top of testing, and that vigilance led him to JHCC. From the start, Doug felt reassured. “I went to Juravinski Cancer Centre knowing that that’s the best as far as I’m concerned.”
His treatment plan evolved over time as specialists tracked his condition and responded with new approaches. Radiation therapy first reduced his cancer and kept it controlled for more than a year. When his PSA began rising again, hormone therapy lowered his testosterone levels and held the disease in check for several years. After that treatment lost effectiveness, an advanced medication stabilized things for another stretch. Each step extended his time and allowed his team to reassess and plan the next strategy using the latest evidence and tools.
JHCC’s strength in research opened the next door. It serves as a leading recruiter for clinical trials that bring promising therapies directly to patients. Doug’s oncologist, Dr. Hotte, enrolled him in a trial using radiotherapeutic agents designed to attach to prostate cancer cells and destroy them. The results changed his outlook dramatically. His PSA dropped from over 150 to under 10. “I feel like a million bucks,” Doug says, and he’s not wasting a moment of that feeling.
Doug’s days are full. He drives grandkids to sports, spends time with family, exercises regularly, and, in addition to buying green bananas, he’s started learning the piano (“I’m a Swiftie,” he says when asked what pieces he’s learning). Doug speaks with deep appreciation for the clinicians who supported him throughout years of treatments: “everyone that’s there has been just fantastic, but my oncologist Dr. Hotte and his nurse, Claire, have iced the cake. They’ve treated me very well and given me a really positive experience.”
That experience reflects more than individual care. Community support helps fund the research, technology, and clinical trials that give patients like Doug access to emerging therapies. His journey shows what becomes possible when donor generosity fuels innovation and expertise.
“I’m a prime example of the things that are happening with those donations,” says Doug. He sees the impact reaching far beyond the hospital walls and into the lives waiting for him at home. “It does go beyond the patient themselves. It goes to their family as well.” For Doug, that impact shows up in birthday parties, basketball games, and ordinary afternoons spent together.
JHCC serves thousands of patients across the region each year, combining compassionate care with scientific discovery. For Doug, that combination has meant more time with the people he loves and real confidence in what lies ahead: “We never know what the future holds but Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre has given me one.”