December 2022, Jessie Crecy of Fayetteville sat alone in a doctor’s office. He felt pretty good, though he’d noticed a recent spike in his blood pressure, which had prompted him to schedule an appointment.
Now it was time to learn his test results. When the words, “You have prostate cancer,” were said, he was shocked yet calm.
The American Cancer Society reports about 288,300 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year and about 34,700 will die from the illness. It’s the second leading cause of cancer death for men in the United States.
If radiation oncologist Dr. Sunjay Barton has his way, Crecy won’t be among the men who succumb to prostate cancer this year – or any year for that matter.
Barton works for Southeastern Radiation Oncology, a private practice providing services to Cape Fear Valley Cancer Treatment & CyberKnife Center’s radiation oncology department. He works closely with Southeastern colleagues, a nurse practitioner, physician assistant, radiation therapists, nurses and other hospital personnel. The cancer center on Owen Drive in Fayetteville is just one of the three cancer centers Cape Fear Valley Health (CFVH) offers for convenience of care.
Barton has worked with Cape Fear Valley Health for a year since relocating to North Carolina’s Sandhills region from New York. A Chapel Hill native, Barton is glad to be back in his home state where his relatives live. He’s also ecstatic to be doing what he loves – helping people like Crecy navigate their cancer battle.
“I think he’s handling the treatment like a champ,” Barton said of Crecy. “He’s doing great. He has high-risk prostate cancer, for which radiation treatment is very appropriate. He’s also getting hormone therapy. The combination of radiation therapy and hormone therapy is the appropriate treatment. His tolerance of those two treatments has been excellent.”
Prostate cancer cells are stimulated to grow by the male hormone, testosterone. Hormone therapy lowers testosterone levels and slows the growth of prostate cancer. In combination with radiation therapy, hormone therapy increases the chances of curing cancer.
Cape Fear Valley Cancer Treatment & CyberKnife Center’s physicians maintain a comprehensive suite of services, including radiation therapy, surgery and chemotherapy. Medical oncologists prescribe chemotherapy, and radiation oncologists like Barton deliver radiation to patients. Dr. Richmond Owusu, who recently joined the team, uses a surgical robot to provide more advanced prostatectomies, or surgeries to remove the prostate.
To date, Crecy has undergone 28 radiation treatments. His daughter, Nikki Crecy, a behavioral healthcare worker, has been his primary caretaker, along with her nephew. Nikki Crecy was speechless after her father first told her he had prostate cancer.
“I had to process the information,” she said. “I watched him a lot and knew he was bothered, but as a family we called on our faith. To this day, we remain faithful for a positive outcome.”
Nikki Crecy said her father hasn’t had many bad side effects from the radiation. When he has, she and her sister are there for him. They’ve had to insist he gets proper rest. Sometimes the treatments make him weak, which means he could easily lose his balance or fall. Barton praised Crecy’s strong familial support, which is important for patients battling life-threatening illnesses. Crecy likewise has kind words for his oncologist and the “absolutely amazing people” on Barton’s team.
“I’m very pleased with Dr. Barton and the rest of my oncology team,” Crecy said.
Nikki Crecy initially wanted her dad to seek treatment elsewhere.
“I was so impressed with the clinic and the radiology doctor after meeting with them, it settled me and that never crossed my mind again,” she said. “I’m quite surprised, happy and grateful for the treatment he’s receiving. We’re all satisfied with his treatment.”
“Everyone is so attentive and kind,” she continued. “From the volunteers offering coffee and snacks, to the nurses answering every question. They’ve made this experience a much more positive one than we could have imagined. The doctors speak with us weekly, answering questions and being very patient with us. Dr. Barton has always made us feel that we’re important and our needs matter.”
“Our goal has always been and will always be, delivering the absolute best patient care,” Barton said. “At Cape Fear Valley Health, we keep up with the latest trends to ensure we’re on the cutting edge of innovations to improve patient outcomes.”
Barton is excited about surface guided radiation therapy – a special, precise tracking system within the radiation treatment room that monitors the motion of patients by bouncing light beams off their skin. It automatically stops the radiation beams when patients move more than three millimeters during treatment.
“My colleagues and I work diligently to ensure patients like Mr. Crecy have the best chance possible, and I’m grateful to be affiliated with a medical facility that always puts patients first,” Barton said.
In April, Barton gathered with the Crecy family, including Mr. Crecy’s great-grandson. Just as they supported him during treatment, they were there this time to celebrate him ringing the bell, signifying completion of his final radiation treatment.