Patient Proves It's Never Too Late to Fight Cancer

For nearly 50 years, Kim Jenkins has helped cancer patients receive timely testing while working at a radiology center in Bakersfield. Now, he's on the other side, experiencing a cancer journey of his own.

Last year, the 71-year-old was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He was told he had three small cancers in his prostate.

Three years prior, Jenkins visited Adventist Health for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, which is a blood test that measures the level of PSA, a protein made by the prostate gland. The test initially revealed low levels, which is a good sign, but then those numbers began to climb over the years. Once the levels went past seven, Jenkins’ primary care provider referred him to the Adventist Health AIS Cancer Center, where he was introduced to Luis Mariscal, MD, radiation oncologist, and Ather Mehboob, MD, hematologist oncologist.

“My first thought was to question whether I should receive treatment because of my age,” says Jenkins, who had been told by providers that he would likely die of old age than of prostate cancer.

Making the decision to move forward

However, after speaking with the AIS Cancer Center team, Jenkins decided to undergo treatment because he trusted the team and was confident the center has the best and most advanced technology.

“Dr. Mariscal and Dr. Mehboob explained to me that since I don't have any other health problems, it’s best to zap the cancer now,” says Jenkins, whose wife agreed. Jenkin’s wife of more than 30 years is a nurse in the Emergency Department at Adventist Health Bakersfield. The couple has six children, 13 grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.

“I wasn’t scared to get treatment because a lot of men have prostate cancer and recover,” says Jenkins. “I chose to listen to my doctors.”

Personalized care and a promising prognosis

Dr. Mariscal partnered with Jenkins on prostate planning sessions and ordered genetic testing to check for 40 markers; 39 of which were negative, which means Jenkins’ two sons are not likely to develop prostate cancer. Still, cancer is common in Jenkins’ family. His sister had breast cancer, and his mother passed away from breast and lung cancer at the age of 53. However, he’s the first in his family to be diagnosed with prostate cancer.

“Dr. Mariscal says my prognosis is wonderful and that there is a 96 percent cure rate. He’s an amazing doctor,” says Jenkins. “I have such a positive outcome because of the way I’ve been treated.”

Dr. Mehboob is managing Jenkins’ blood tests and medications, which are helping lower his PSA levels.

“When I first met Dr. Mehboob, he introduced himself and started drawing on the whiteboard,” says Jenkins. “He explained where we are in my journey, the types of medications that are recommended, and told me that he and the team are going to zap and kill the cancer cells.”  

In addition to the physicians, Jenkins said the radiation technologists were also very informative and knowledgeable.

"They are my favorite," he says. "They were always smiling and took the time to listen and answer my questions."

A milestone moment

On August 17, Jenkins proudly rang the bell at the AIS Cancer Center, which signaled his last radiation treatment and a milestone in his cancer journey. Ringing the bell was the moment Jenkins said he looked forward to the most, because during his visits, he would witness survivors shout the number of radiation treatments they had left and would then proceed to give each other high fives.

“I don’t know them personally, but I now understand their journey,” says Jenkins.

Now that he's completed radiation treatment, he's looking forward to continuing his hobbies of fishing, taking photos of bald eagles, and spending time with his growing family.