Cancer survivor shares his story to educate others

March 13, 2023, is a day Claude Crawford won't forget. What started as a typical day in the office took a drastic turn with one phone call. The voice on the other end was his doctor and the words he shared brought shock and dismay: "I have some bad news for you, Claude. Your results came back showing that you have cancer."

Crawford, who is a supervisory contract specialist at Defense Logistics Agency Maritime Pearl Harbor, described that moment as 'a huge blow.'

"I had a lot of thoughts going through my head, but my initial thought was, 'I'm going to die,'" he said.

Crawford had gone to the doctor for a routine physical three months before, in December of 2022. Lab results showed an elevated prostate-specific antigen level of 11, well above the normal range of 0-3. Crawford said his doctor had concerns and explained to him that when there's a problem with the prostate gland, more PSA is released, which may be an indicator for cancer. He was referred for a biopsy two weeks later after his PSA increased to 12.7.

The biopsy confirmed Crawford's worst fear. With a stage 3 prostate cancer diagnosis, he was given two options - radiation therapy or prostate removal. He said the doctor explained that if he opted for radiation therapy and the treatment was not successful, his prostate could not be removed due to radiation scarring. However, if he opted for prostate removal and there were still signs of cancer, he could receive radiation therapy.

"My reply, without hesitation, was 'take it out,'" he said. "I really thought that taking out the prostate would be the cure for my cancer."

Emphasizing the benefits of early detection, Crawford described a nerve-sparing technique for prostate removal that decreases the risk of negative side effects such as infertility, impotence and urinary incontinence. He was told he was not a candidate because his cancer had progressed and spread outside the prostate.

Crawford had surgery to remove his prostate and 14 affected lymph nodes on April 20, 2023. The surgery was successful; however, another scan three months later revealed that cancer persisted in two of his lymph nodes. To combat the remnants of cancer, he completed 38 rounds of radiation treatment from September through December of 2023.

Crawford, a retired U.S. Navy Sailor, continued working at DLA Maritime Pearl Harbor throughout his treatment.

"Work was kind of like therapy for me," he said. "I could sit and dwell on the negatives or I could work and keep my mind active."

He chose the latter. When he wasn't working, he was educating himself on the disease, its treatment and options to improve his quality of life.

Now, while undergoing a two-year regimen of hormone therapy to prevent recurrence, Crawford has made it his mission to spread the word and bring awareness of the disease. He openly shares his cancer journey and the knowledge he has gained with family, friends, co-workers and all who will listen.

"Knowledge is key," he urged. "I didn't even know what a PSA level was until it was a problem."

At a recent conference, Crawford discovered he wasn't alone.

"I spoke in front of several hundred people and asked if anyone knew what a PSA was. Only seven people raised their hands," he said. "How is that? Every man needs to know about this."

Crawford said he wants to use his platform as a DLA employee to get crucial information about the disease to all Defense Department and DLA civilians, servicemen and women.

"Some people are embarrassed to talk about it," he said. "But I'm a strong believer that someone needs to tell the story so that men know to have a PSA screening."

"It's also important for men to know that even if they can't undergo the nerve-sparing technique, there's hope and there's options to help you through the side effects," he added. "Life does go on."

Last year, Crawford worked with Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam to plan and organize a "Heroes for Zero" Prostate Cancer Awareness Walk on the Ford Island Trail in Oahu, Hawaii. This year, he will participate in the Second Annual "Heroes for Zero" Prostate Cancer Awareness Walk on Sept. 28.

"I don't feel ashamed or embarrassed - I want to educate others, bring hope and advocate for a cure."

Editor's note: September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. The American Cancer Society website indicates that this year alone, an estimated 299,000 new prostate cancer cases will be diagnosed, and 35,250 men will die from the disease. More information including risk factors, diagnosis and treatment can be found on the American Cancer Society website.