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In May 2007, Bob Birch learned during an annual check-up that his prostate specific antigen (PSA) had risen from a low 1.4 to a still-low 1.8. “Dr. Cobb recommended a further exam,” said Birch, who is the president and CEO of Twin City Bank. “Since it is not a particularly fun procedure, delaying it seemed appropriate. But by August, I made the appointment.”

And it's a good thing he did. The digital exam revealed a lump, and a biopsy of the lump indicated early stage prostate cancer that was a 6 on the Gleason scale, which grades prostate cancer.

Birch's urologist, Dr. Ronald Kuhn at Arkansas Urology, presented him with options: waiting; brachytherapy, the implantation of small radioactive “seeds” into the prostate; radiation; and surgery. Birch opted for the da Vinci prostatectomy, a robot-assisted, minimally invasive surgery that allows a quicker recovery than previous methods.

“I had surgery at 7:30 a.m., recovery at 11:30 a.m., had visitors at 12:30 p.m., was walking at 2:30 p.m., and was home the next day,” Birch said. He was back to work part time in less than a week and gradually became more physically active. By March 2008, he ran a five-plus-mile relay in the Little Rock Marathon.

Duck hunting, however, was a bit of a challenge. “Riding a four-wheeler side-saddle was a little embarrassing,” Birch said. But luckily, he had help from some good friends.

Little more than a year after his diagnosis of prostate cancer, Birch is an advocate of getting regular exams. “Have an annual physical and watch your PSA. The digital exam should be done annually to detect prostate cancer in the early stages,” Birch said. “A man dies every 18 minutes from this. Get the exam, annually.”