KENNEBUNK, Maine — It's the most common cancer in men. Nearly a million men in the U.S. are diagnosed with prostate cancer yearly. If diagnosed early, the chances of survival are generally good.
A father of three from Biddeford said healing from the disease wouldn't have been possible without a cancer rehab program designed to help patients overcome the debilitating side effects of treatment. Sean Behen is building up his endurance under the guidance of physical therapist Nikki Langstaff at Saco Bay Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy.
"We will do 30 seconds of sit and stand exercises," Langstaff enthused.
Exercises Behen couldn't do a year ago.
"I had trouble lying, sitting, sleeping," Behen explained.
Behen is a stage four prostate cancer survivor. The father of three was diagnosed nearly two years ago. Behen, also a bass fishing enthusiast, immediately started chemotherapy, followed by rounds of radiation.
Besides pain, fatigue, and brain fog, the disease and the treatment to eradicate it sucked all the calcium out of bones throughout his body.
"I almost had petrified bones, like petrified wood. And that broke my hip," Behen explained.
His oncologist recommended Saco Bay's Revital Cancer Rehabilitation Program. Langstaff is the program director who is helping cancer survivors recover physically and emotionally from the side effects of treatment, which experts say can impact between 60 to 90 percent of patients.
Standing on a thick piece of foam, Behen works on removing cards attached to velcro --all while maintaining his balance. An exercise that is also working his core, brain function, and agility.
"That's why balance is vital, because the more likely you are to fall, the more likely you are to fracture a bone, which can be anywhere in your body," Langstaff said.
Behen, who comes to the clinic twice a week, is recovering his strength throughout his body and can walk his dog daily. Exercise is crucial to his survival.
"150 minutes of walking can improve life expectancy by five years. Just walking 20 minutes a day," Langstaff added.
The program tracks patient outcomes, and nearly 90 percent see improvements in returning to daily function. That data is also shared with their oncologists. Behen, who continues to take cancer medication, said the program has given him his life back, with a goal of being strong enough to hook a bass again one day.