US Senator Bill Nelson underwent prostate surgery earlier this month after a routine medical exam revealed he has prostate cancer.
On Monday, the Florida Democrat's office announced that the senator's cancer is gone a week after he underwent surgery.
In a statement, Nelson's wife, Grace said that the pathology report confirmed that the 72-year-old senator is now free of cancer adding that her husband is already raring to go albeit he still needs to stay home as advised by the doctors.
"We're humbled and grateful for all your prayers and well wishes," Grace Nelson said. "Bill is raring to go but the doctors won't let him out of the house for a few more days."
Nelson had his surgery in Washington, D.C. on Monday last week, five days after he publicly announced that he was diagnosed of prostate cancer, the most prevalence form of cancer among men in the U.S.
Older men and those with family history of the cancer are more at risk of developing the disease. A man whose father or brother was diagnosed of prostate cancer, for instance, has up to three times increased odds of developing the disease. The condition is also more prevalent in African-American men than in White Americans.
About 220,000 men are diagnosed of prostate cancer each year with more than 20,000 of these likely to die from the disease. Those whose cancer was detected early though have nearly 100 percent odds for survival with surgery being the most effective for those who are healthy and those whose cancer has not yet spread outside of the prostate.
Other options for treating prostate cancer include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, biologic therapy, hormone therapy and bisphosphonate therapy.
Prostate cancer only manifests itself during its late stages with symptoms that include blood in the semen or urine, pain or difficulty in urinating and pain in the pelvis or back.
Nelson has not yet experienced or exhibited these symptoms because his cancer is still in its early stage when this was detected. Medical exams and scans also revealed that the senator's tumor has not yet spread.
Two tests are often used to screen men for prostate cancer and these include the digital rectal exam, wherein medical professionals estimate the size of a person's prostate and feel for abnormalities such as lumps; and prostate-specific antigen test which measures the level of PSA, a substance produced by prostate in the blood. Men with prostate cancer have higher level of PSA in their blood.
