CHARLESTON For 20 years, Lee Moultrie, military veteran (U.S. Air Force) and healthcare advocate, took proactive measures in monitoring the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in his blood. With his first screening at 39 years old, Lee was determined to stay ahead with his health. It wasn’t until age 59 when he was officially diagnosed with prostate cancer.
“No one is prepared for the word cancer,” said Lee. “What we want people to move away from is once you hear the word cancer, responding so fast.”
Lee encourages individuals to “take a step back” and explore treatment options with their doctor, first, after receiving a cancer diagnosis. He waited six years before getting treatment after his doctor revealed his cancer was low-grade and slow-growing.
It wasn’t until a Zoom call where Lee discovered “one of the best-kept secrets from working class people of all ethnic backgrounds” – proton therapy. He was informed by individuals from New York about proton therapy through a book titled, You Can Beat Prostate Cancer: And You Don’t Need Surgery to Do It. This method of treatment, Lee said, was unheard of even after his 20 years of healthcare experience.
“Nobody in South Carolina would own up to knowing anything about proton therapy, because we don’t do it here,” he said, noting how he inquired about the treatment through different healthcare providers. He had to live in Jacksonville, Florida for two months to undergo proton therapy at the University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute.
According to the National Association for Proton Therapy, “proton beam therapy delivers targeted doses of radiation directly to the tumor, greatly reducing the risk of serious and debilitating side effects.” The types of cancers that can be treated with proton therapy include nervous system, breast, liver, gynecologic, esophageal, head and neck cancers.
Lee’s description of the
proton therapy treatment included arriving 30 minutes early, drinking two glasses of eight ounces of water in order to inflate the bladder to separate from the prostate, lying on the bed with a premade cast depending on one’s body size, and receiving non-invasive radiation within ten minutes. He also noted not losing energy after treatment, which allowed him to continue his day as normal.
“Now, there’s a cost associated with this,” said Lee. “If you just pay straight out of pocket, it can be upwards of $260,000.”
Fortunately, Lee was covered through Medicare and the military for his proton therapy treatment. As for those who may not have the same resources, Lee recommends speaking with a financial advisor at a center to explore options.
Not only is Lee an advocate for this “non-invasive” treatment, his overall health advocacy spans across platforms.
As a new Board member of the SWOG Cancer Research Network, he discussed their mission of making sure clinical trials are patient-centered and functional to encourage more patient engagement.
On a local level, Lee seeks more participation, especially from the African American community, in the “In Our DNA SC” community health project that was launched by the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).
“You’ve got Lee Moultrie sitting there now, and you’ve got other nurses and doctors who are African American that are at the table now,” said Lee, noting the disparity due to historical clinical practice challenges in the African American community.
“My hope is that we become more health literate,” said Lee. “We as a society have not been taught how to advocate for our own healthcare.”
To learn more about Lee’s healthcare journey, visit www. choosetoliveformen.org. To learn more about prostate health, visit www.prostatehealthed.org and for proton therapy, therapy.org” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>www.proton–therapy.org
