### Shane McIntosh
Shane McIntosh is an advocate who loves to tell his story to help other men in situations like his. Walked by the UF Health Cancer Connector at a football game and got tested. Ended up taking a flyer and decided to get his PSA checked on site.
Once his results came back, Shane got a call from a nurse and said it was 4.9 – elevated from 2.0. This prompted him to get checked by a community urologist and then received an MRI which uncovered a tumor the size of his thumb. He ultimately decided UF Health gave him a better opportunity to get treatment and scheduled an appointment with Dr. Joseph – who wanted to see him immediately.
Dr. Joseph gave Shane a few options for treatment, and it was determined that surgical intervention was the best treatment course. Dr. Joseph was able to schedule him right away for robotic-assisted prostatectomy. If he had waited, surgical intervention would not have helped, and Shane would likely not have lived.
Dr. Joseph was able to remove all the cancer. Now, Shane's PSA screenings are all coming back below zero, meaning cancer is undetectable. Da Vinci was used for the surgery.
Shane had to do physical therapy and was on special diet during recovery. Side effects lasted about six weeks when they normally last a year. This was because he stuck to the UF Health recovery plan.
Shane was impressed by UF Health's treatment – personalized and caring while being leading-edge. He said the first thing Dr. Joseph did was give him his cell phone number and said to call him anytime he needed anything. Dr. Joseph when over and above for his care.
Shane feels that men need to advocate for themselves and seek diagnostics and treatment if necessary. "Awareness is key. Don't hesitate," Shane says.
Shane and his wife were in the health insurance business for most of their careers, along with investing in real estate. Shane loves to play golf, snow ski, and walk. He and his wife also love to travel on cruises.
Shane has been involved in rotary and has been doing charity work for decades. He even opened an endowment for the Urology department to help residents.