Gov. Wolf has treatable form of prostate cancer

• Wolf has 2nd-most common cancer among men
• He said he will not need chemotherapy
• The governor urged others to get routine checkups

Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday said he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and will soon begin treatment in the York area.

Speaking at a news conference at the state Capitol in Harrisburg, Wolf appeared upbeat and said the mild form of the cancer was detected during a routine checkup, and used the opportunity to encourage men over 50 to get checked regularly. He added that he was not scared.

In a later email, he wrote that the treatments "do not present any impairment to my ability to perform my duties as governor."

First Lady Frances Wolf also spoke at the news conference, saying she was naturally concerned about the diagnosis, but she has been reassured by the physicians. “We have great courage and …. feel more than hopeful,” she said, adding, “We don’t need to be sad about this.”

Reaction to Gov. Tom Wolf's cancer announcement

Soon after his announcement, Pennsylvania residents and politicians of all political stripes took to news releases and social media to express support for the governor.

The waves of support were in stark contrast to the contentious political rhetoric seen throughout his term as he and legislative Republicans have battled over the fundamentals of Pennsylvania's 2015-16 state budget, which turns 240 days overdue on Thursday.

Wolf declined at the news conference to go into details of what his treatment would involve. But he said it would not involve chemotherapy or emergency surgery, and Lt. Gov. Mike Stack would not have to temporarily take over his responsibilities.

A 'very treatable' disease

That assessment is backed up by multiple prostate cancer experts.

"Fortunately, prostate cancer is usually a very treatable and at many times a very curable disease," said Dr. Robert Brookland, the chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Maryland.

He said that whether the governor chooses a radiation or a surgical approach to treating the disease, Wolf "should maintain a very rigorous schedule during his treatment."

Gov. Tom Wolf grades first year, responds to Wagner debate idea

A daily radiation treatment schedule could be as short as a 30-minute visit over a multi-week period, whereas a one-time radiation seed implant treatment clocks in at only an hour and 15 minutes, Brookland said.

The latter option, also known as brachy therapy, is the implant of radioactive "seeds" into the prostate using an ultrasound, he said. According to WebMD, the implants remain in the prostate permanently but are used to deliver a high-dose of radiation with minimal damage to surrounding tissues.

The governor shouldn't have to miss much work at all using these treatment, Brookland said. A surgical approach, another of Wolf's option, would carry only a short recovery period.

Brookland said that he performed his first radiation-seed based treatment of prostate cancer in 1981 when he was undergoing his residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The treatment has only gotten better and less invasive since that time.

Wolf peeks inside Goode classrooms

Wolf said that, at 67 years old, he is "just above the average age for prostate cancer," adding that he's been getting screenings as part of his regular checkup for years.

He said the first indications of the cancer appeared in testing in late November or early December, and the cancer was confirmed in ongoing testing.

He said he intends to take a short break preceding his treatment to spend some time with family.

“I haven’t had a vacation yet, since I’ve been governor," he said, adding that he would take a couple days off.

Regardless of the modality of treatment Wolf chooses, "patients are usually back on their feet in two to three weeks," said Dr. R. Scott Owens, the owner of Urology of Central Pennsylvania in Camp Hill.

Owens added that "it's impossible to speculate" as to what form of the cancer Wolf has since the governor did not disclose that information, but that the "sort of paradox and enigma" of the cancer is that there are some forms of slow-growth cancer that don't need treatment at all.

For an example, Brookland said that his own father-in-law, who lives in Philadelphia, was diagnosed at 68 years old with a slow-growth form of the cancer, and Brookland didn't even need to treat him for it for the first decade. Now, he will turn a cancer-free 84 in March.

Other governors

At least two governors have gone through treatment while serving in their posts.

Just last year, Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but by November, he said he was "100 percent cancer-free," reported the Washington Post. Like Democratic Gov. Wolf, Hogan serves in a state where the legislature is controlled by the opposing party.

In December 2012, Democratic California Gov. Jerry Brown said that he was pursuing radiology therapy to treat prostate cancer. It followed his diagnosis a year earlier of a slow-growing skin cancer that was removed the same year, according the San Francisco Chronicle.

Neither governor could be reached Wednesday for comment on how the treatment may have affected their official duties.

— Reporter Ed Mahon contributed to this report

Wolf's written statement

“Frances and I recently learned I have prostate cancer that was thankfully detected early. My doctors made the diagnosis after a regular checkup revealed abnormalities. In consultation with my doctors, I have a planned treatment schedule that will begin in the coming weeks. Those treatments will last the next several months, but they will present no impairment to my ability to perform my duties as governor.

"Prior to beginning treatment, I will take a brief time to spend with my family. I am very thankful that my doctors caught this cancer quickly and have worked with me to plan a treatment schedule that will address my medical issues and allow me to serve the people of Pennsylvania.

"I encourage everyone in Pennsylvania to make sure they schedule regular checkups with their doctors and be aware of screening guidelines so early detection and treatment can be possible.”

What you need to know about prostate cancer 

• It's the second-most common form of cancer among men, after skin cancer.
• More than 2 million men in the U.S. count themselves as prostate cancer survivors.
• About one in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime.
• It's more common in older men. About six in 10 cases are diagnoses in men who are 65 or older. (Wolf is 67.) It's very rare for men younger than 40.
• Prostate cancer occurs most often in black men and men of Caribbean and African ancestry. Black men are more than twice as likely as white men to die of prostate cancer. 

Source: American Cancer Society