Reflections with Scott Adams Page 12 VOL.OOL.OL XIX, XIX NUMBER 35 • SEPTEMBER 21, 21 2018 WWW.PLEASANTONWEEKLY.COM 5 NEWS Council formally rescinds JDEDZ; Costco on hold 10 PULSE PPD cites drivers in pedestrian crossing sting 14 SPORTS Strong week for Foothill girls volleyball Paid for by Stanford Health Care “If it weren’t for Stanford, I don’t think I’d have the quality of life I’ve had over the past year. I’m good as new, if not better than new.” —Ron Focal Therapy For Prostate Cancer Gives Patient but perhaps for whom removing the entire prostate is too aggressive, he said. Full Recovery, With Fewer Side Effects “What we have found with HIFU is lower rates of erectile dysfunction, lower rates of urinary Ron received a cancer diagnosis the day before his 58th birthday. incontinence, quicker recovery and minimal pain,” It all started with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, a common blood said Sonn. “To be able to offer this treatment test given to men to identify issues with their prostate. “It wasn’t super to a man in his 50s or 60s is very gratifying.” high, but it was high enough that a biopsy was recommended,” said Ron, For Ron, traveling a few hours to Stanford meant receiving the most advanced standard of care a commercial real estate business owner in Lodi. “Everything progressed available. “Quality of life was the most important pretty quickly after I got my results. Within a month or two, I had thing,” he said. “I’m lucky to have benefited from this cutting-edge technology.” to start making some choices and the options weren’t really appealing.” On the day of surgery, Ron recalls waking up An avid runner, bicyclist and skier, Ron was is already approved and available to patients in as if nothing happened. “Yolanda and I went out worried that surgery or radiation to treat his Europe and Asia, but is undergoing FDA approval to dinner that night,” he said. Having a catheter prostate cancer would put his active lifestyle in the U.S. in place for seven days after surgery was the most in jeopardy. But not treating his cancer could discomfort he experienced. “Th e day the catheter With HIFU, ultrasound energy is aimed from potentially shorten his life by decades. came out, I started running again,” said Ron. outside of the body, and concentrated within “It was that easy. If it weren’t for Stanford, I don’t Standard treatment, which includes surgery or a target deep inside the body. “Th e technology is think I’d have the quality of life I’ve had over the radiation, can cause erectile dysfunction and something akin to taking a magnifying lens and past year. I’m good as new, if not better than new.” incontinence, side effects that can last a lifetime. focusing sunlight onto a leaf—you can basically Prostate cancer is typically discovered later in life, destroy the tissue that’s at that target and the Like many people who face a cancer diagnosis, when many men are less physically and sexually surrounding structures are left intact,” said Ron has a newfound appreciation for the simple active, and the benefits of treatment can outweigh Pejman Ghanouni, MD, PhD, assistant professor things in life—the runs with his dogs, savoring the risks of side effects. But for men as young of radiology. HIFU is possible at Stanford because good food. “Next year, I turn 60,” he said. “People as Ron, side effects can factor heavily into the of the merger of two technologies—MRI and tell me I look better than before. You start to take treatment decision. focused ultrasound. “We can see the target on the a little better care of yourself, appreciate what MR scanner, and then use those real-time images you have and what you may have lost.” “We didn’t make a decision very quickly,” said with the patient on the table to plan the treatment Yolanda, his wife of 34 years. Instead, they and see where we want to aim the energy,” he said. U.S. News & World researched treatment options and doctors. Report A friend recommended Stanford, and suggested HIFU for prostate cancer is only offered at recognizes, they see Geoffrey Sonn, MD, an assistant a handful of centers in the United States, and again, Stanford Health professor of urology. it is not recommended for every patient. Th ere Care in the top 10 best are some men with small, non-aggressive cancers hospitals in the nation. “Dr. Sonn indicated that Stanford was looking into who benefit from no immediate treatment, just a new kind of focal therapy, where they treat just observation, said Sonn. Conversely, men with Discover our patient stories on part of the prostate gland, instead of removing larger, particularly aggressive cancers may have the entire gland, with better outcomes in terms better long-term outcomes from a robotic radical StanfordHealthNow.org of fewer negative side effects,” said Ron. “So that prostatectomy or internal or external radiation. was appealing to me, obviously.” As Sonn explained, “HIFU gives us an intermediate Stanford has been offering MRI-guided high- step between no treatment and really aggressive intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for the treatment that can have lifelong side effects.” treatment of prostate cancer as part of a clinical It is ideally suited for a man with an intermediate trial for the past three years. Th e treatment grade prostate cancer that warrants treatment, Page 2 • September 21, 2018 • Pleasanton Weekly TIM TALK BY TIM HUNT Downtown Livermore $1,264,800 $1,368,000 debate heats up he Friends of Livermore just city’s only weekly newspaper, this 1392 Oak Vista Way 2308 Sandpiper Way made this fall’s election season group is capable of spinning infor- 3 Bed/2.5 Bath, 2,396 Sq Ft 4 Bed/2.5 Bath, 2,112 Sq Ft Teven more interesting. mation that will be unflattering to the When the Livermore City Council Council. Already we’ve been called approved the downtown plan this Nazis and ‘corrupt’ by their serial month, the group announced a ref- letter writers — a group composed erendum to overturn the decision. of ... wait for it ... FoL members or In a press release, retired newspaper sympathizers! Who’d have believed? executive David Rounds, chair of “As for me, I feel completely be- the Friends of Livermore Commit- trayed. I will always be independent, tee, wrote, “During the Outreach a fact which my record will attest ... Process, participants overwhelmingly I’m opposed to the referendum. Our supported a Westside Hotel because public outreach and steering com- $575,000 $1,068,000 of the benefits to the entire plan. mittee outreach is almost unparal- However, the City Council kept its leled. Livermore deserves better than Eastside Hotel. to be held hostage by big money and 947 El Rancho Dr, Livermore 5849 Hansen Drive “We believe for something as im- special interests.” 3 Bed/2 Bath, 1,107 Sq Ft 3 Bed/2 Bath, 1,400 Sq Ft portant as our Downtown Center, we Spedowfski later wrote, “I am in need something better than the City’s the same ship as Bob. Not want- plan. The voters need to have their ing to participate or speak out on say.” social media, but current actions by Gina Piper Ironically, every member of the some individuals compelled me to. City Council has been backed by This issue is bringing a lot of people the Friends of Livermore with their together. We keep posts to what 925.200.0202 efficient campaign money launder- we have said at prior meetings and ing process. Mayor John Marchand straight up politics, we are good. “ www.PleasantonRealEstate.com earlier fell out of favor when he The referendum is not surpris- exercised an independent voice, and ing given the history of the Friends Better Homes & Gardens Tri-Valley Realty / BRE#: 01201349 now Councilmen Bob Coomber and of Livermore leadership. It’s sim- Steve Spedowfski are writing about ply been their way or the highway the referendum drive on Facebook. for years. Since the council decided Coomber put up a lengthy post on the east side hotel, the “Vibrant Wedding Tuesday. It read in part, “I’m annoyed Livermore” petition group has been FD #429 Announcement and dismayed at the current ‘refer- publishing weekly full-page ads in LOCALLY OWNED endum’ concerning our downtown the Independent criticizing the plan AND OPERATED SINCE 1891 Bennett – Faris plan, a plan in which the proponents and keeping it in the public eye. Burial & Cremation June 30, 2018 of the plan enjoyed a seat at the table The group leadership includes with 18 other community members. Independent publisher Joan Sep- Celebration of Life Brian Robert Bennett and Services “As those meetings wrapped up, pala along with former school board Laura Ellen Faris were mar- the consensus of the committee was member Bill Dunlop, Jean King and Reception Facilities ried June 30, at Sanborn Park to move forward, and specified the Lee Younker. in the Saratoga hills in front most interest was for a hotel on the One new dynamic this time Advance Planning of family and friends. Brian’s east side of Livermore Ave., not the around is the group that came to- Made Easy best man was his twin brother west, as I had championed. The gether and developed key elements for a free consultation Bradley Bennett and Laura’s Council voted, and the east side plan of the downtown plan approved by or in-home visit call maid of honor was her sister was approved 4-1.