Joe Torre: Another Great Survivor

If you’re a baseball fan, you already know who Joe Torre is and if you’re not a baseball fan I’ll take a little time to introduce him. Joe Torre is a well-known professional baseball player (won league MVP honors in 1971) who later became a coach. As a coach, he struggled early with the Mets, Braves, and Cardinals and occasionally was able to make the playoffs where his teams always lost in the first round. Then came his big break when George Steinbrenner hired him as manager of the New York Yankees. This was quite the surprise given his less than .500 winning percentage with the Cardinals, but it worked out better than anyone could have imagined. The Yankees made the playoffs all twelve of his years as manager, won six American League titles and four World Series. He then went to the Dodgers as a manager and today works in the commissioner’s office.

Sounds like a fairy tale life. That was until Joe received life-changing news during the start of the 1999 season. Every year before spring training, Joe would have a yearly physical, stress test (because heart disease runs in his family) and blood work (including a PSA test) done. His doctor followed up on his test results and told Joe his PSA (prostate specific antigen) was elevated. His doctor recommended that he should have it retaken during spring training. Joe did as his doctor had wished and the results showed it had risen again. Even though Joe felt fine, he had a biopsy done. Joe went in for the results and heard the words he had feared, you“ have prostate cancer.” Joe reacted like most other people would; he was scared and couldn’t stop thinking about his death.

Joe was comforted by his wife, Ali, who had immediately set about doing all kinds of research so they would be ready for his first appointment with his oncologist. After that appointment and one with an urologist, Joe and his wife decided he should have surgery immediately (a nerve-sparing prostatectomy), which caused Joe to miss two months during the middle of the season. While Joe was recovering, he made sure to meet with the team and show them that even though he had cancer and surgery, he was doing okay. In fact, if Joe had a normal job he might have been able to return sooner. It was baseball’s travel and late nights that caused him to wait the full two months to return. With his return to the Yankees, they went on to win the World Series that fall, Joe’s third with the team.

Today, Joe is as busy as ever working in the baseball commissioner’s office as the Executive Vice President of Major League Baseball Operations. Joe’s wife now works with the Prostate Cancer Foundation group as a volunteer and hosts a large fundraiser in New York each year.

Joe’s advice to others about prostate cancer is simple: get your PSA tested regularly because catching it early is critical. If you have the misfortune of being diagnosed, get as much information as you can. The more information you have, the less there is to fear. Make the best treatment decision for you and your family, together as a unit. The support of your family is critical.

Joe Torre is a survivor and another shining example of how much can be accomplished after a prostate cancer diagnosis.

David Sochacki PAACT Inc. Representative