According to the surgeon for Dr. Tony Atwater, IUP president, Atwater showed no evidence of prostate cancer in recent medical tests.
“Dr. Atwater has made an uneventful and rapid recovery from his recent prostate cancer surgery,” Dr. Joel Nelson, Atwater's surgeon and chairman of the Department of Urology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, said.
“As expected, there is no evidence of prostate cancer on his first postoperative prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test. Accordingly, no other treatment is needed.”
Prostate-specific antigen is a protein produced by the cells of the prostate gland. A blood test to measure PSA is considered the most effective test currently available for the early detection of prostate cancer.
“I am grateful to my wife, Dr. Beverly Roberts-Atwater, for encouraging me to be proactive in pursuing early detection and treatment of this condition,” Atwater said. “Thanks also go to Dr. Joel Nelson and his team at UPMC Shadyside for their excellent and successful medical treatment.”
Atwater announced his diagnosis of prostate cancer to the university community in December. He underwent surgery January 8 and was on medical leave through January 29.