When Dale Snelson was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2004, he was told he had two to five years to live.

It all made sense to him: The endless trips to the bathroom during the night. The awkward uncomfortability.

“I didn’t even know what a prostate was back then,” Snelson recalled.

Photo courtesy of Dale Snelson Dr. Greg Lund (second from left) and his staff at Valley Urology dedicate more than 60 hours a month to Us Too, a local organization of prostate cancer survivors who'��s primary purpose is to educate and support those with prostate cancer in the area.

Snelson was assigned to see Dr. Greg Lund, a local urologist who explained to him that the cancer had been doing a number on him for more than five years.

Snelson fought back the anger. He hadn’t seen a doctor in 20 years.

“Dr. Lund said I was really in trouble,” Snelson recalled. “But, I wasn’t going down without a fight.”

At 71-years old, Snelson had a lot of life in him yet.

Wrestling chemotherapy, radiation treatments and sleepless nights, Snelson almost cashed in his chips and surrendered to his disease. That is, until a familiar voice told him to pick himself up, there was work to be done.

“I was sitting at the old Valley Hospital, feeling pretty down, and the Lord told me to call the American Cancer Society,” he said.

Snelson picked up the phone and was immediately put through to Us TOO, a prostate cancer support network.

“They got me on board to start a group up here, and I started getting a lot of good ideas. I was on fire to get something done.”

Snelson started a Mat-Su chapter of Us TOO, and against his will became the Alaska director as well.

With the support from Dr. Lund and Mat-Su Regional’s public relations director, Elizabeth Ripley, Snelson organized monthly prostate cancer support meetings.

“Dr. Lund spoke at that first meeting,” Snelson said. “Then I booked nutritionists, radiologists and survivors.”

According to Snelson, Dr. Greg Lund and his staff at Valley Urology in the Mat-Su Regional Center have volunteered more than 60 hours a month to the Us TOO Prostate Cancer Awareness Mat-Su chapter.

“I treat a lot of individuals with varying urological cancer, including prostate,” Lund said. “Dale and Us TOO work very diligently recruiting members and getting people together to help tackle this.”

Dr. Lund said his involvement with Us TOO has primarily been in early detection efforts, holding annual prostate screenings every November in association with Prostate Cancer Awareness week. Last year, 140 men showed up for a free prostate specific antigen (PSA) screenings. Snelson said that remarkably ten percent of those came back with positive results.

“This is a cancer that will effect one out of every six men,” Snelson said. “It’s right up there with breast cancer. Now, finally, it is getting the recognition and support it deserves.”

Dr. Lund said he and his Valley Urology staff do what they can to get the word out about Us TOO at his office.

“We mail out flyers when we can,” he said “I cant give him names of our patients, but we do hand out literature to our patients about his meetings.”

Snelson said Lund’s efforts are just enough to get people interested in their own health status.

Now at the four year mark since his diagnosis, Snelson said he looks better than he feels, but has a lot of hope left.

“If you look at me you, you wouldn’t even know I have cancer,” Snelson noted. “It’s like an old potato. When the potato goes bad, the shell stays the same. That’s a cancer patient for you.”

“Like any other support group, there’s a lot of strength in numbers,” Lund said. “There are many who know little about prostate cancer, so it helps to have interested friends and neighbors they can rely on hear their experiences and help them through their disease. Some leave and never come back. Others become very active and involved. Dale’s very passionate about spreading the word. He’s always wearing his pins and bracelets about prostate detection.”

For 14 years, Dr. Lund has worked as one of the few urologists in the Mat-Su Valley. He moved his small practice in Wasilla to Mat-Su Regional when it opened a few years ago.

Each month, Lund and his staff treat more than 100 prostate patients in various stages, seeing several newly diagnosed patients more and more.

Lund is trained to diagnose, treat, and manage patients with urological disorders. The organs covered by urology include the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, urethra, and the male reproductive organs (testes, epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicles, prostate and penis).

Lund said males over 50 years old are at the highest risk for prostate cancer and should be screened with a PSA and digital rectal exam.

African-Americans are also high at risk, as well as those with a family history of prostate cancer.

“Men should really think about getting checked out as early as 35,” he said. “Especially if there is a history of prostate cancer in their family.”

Snelson said Dr. Lund and his staff remain selfless in their efforts to assist a growing concern.

“Without their time and dedication, it would be very difficult to put these programs together,” Snelson said.

More doctors and associates, Snelson said, are needed to join hands and help educate the general public on prostate cancer.

“I always thank the Good Lord, number one, and then I thank Dr. Lund, who keeps up on the technology,” Snelson said. “He isn’t the doctor with the big house and too much on his plate to see his people. He is a normal every day person, and he gives and gives.”