[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/05\/prostate-cancer-dan-manetta-story\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/05\/prostate-cancer-dan-manetta-story\/","headline":"How Dan Beat Prostate Cancer with a Little Help from Physical Therapy","name":"How Dan Beat Prostate Cancer with a Little Help from Physical Therapy","description":"<p>Dan Manetta had his prostate removed in 2024 when a biopsy showed cancer that might be aggressive. With physical therapy, he's regained any function he lost.<\/p>","datePublished":"2025-05-27","dateModified":"2025-08-07","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/rehab","name":"UPMC Rehabilitation Institute","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/rehab","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc-rehabilitation-institute\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-1347568376-e1748356840677.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-1347568376-e1748356840677.jpg","height":866,"width":2000},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/05\/prostate-cancer-dan-manetta-story\/","about":["Living and Wellness","Rehabilitation"],"wordCount":1088,"articleBody":"When Dan Manetta, 61, of Williamsport, had a routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test in the spring of 2024, he didn\u2019t expect anything of it.He was a former military officer who had always been active. He wasn\u2019t overweight and had no history of cancer in his family.His primary care doctor didn\u2019t like the elevated numbers he was seeing, though. He rechecked Dan in the summer. By then, his PSA had gone way up.\u201cHe sent me to the urology department at UPMC Williamsport,\u201d Dan says.There, Dan saw urologist David Kurz, MD. He checked Dan&#8217;s prostate and found some abnormalities.\u201cThe next move was a biopsy,\u201d Dan says.Dan has always paid attention to his health, especially since his father died of a heart attack at 66. \u201cMy doctor has always kept close tabs on my heart. I even had an angiogram a few years ago.\u201dBut cancer? He didn&#8217;t see that one coming.A Prostate Cancer Diagnosis and Three Options\u201cThey used about a dozen hollow needles to get the biopsy,\u201d Dan explains. They needed samples from all areas of the prostate to determine if there was cancer and if it had spread.It wasn\u2019t painful because he had general anesthesia, but the wait was stressful.The results weren\u2019t what he and Dr. Kurz were hoping for. The biopsy showed that a significant portion of his prostate had cancer.A Gleason score helps calculate how aggressive the cancer is. The score can range from 1 to 10.\u201cMine was 7. That\u2019s the number at which you have to do something,\u201d Dan says.Dr. Kurz presented Dan with his options. He had three: surgery to remove his prostate, radiation, or chemotherapy. All three had pros and cons.If he had been older, maybe surgery wouldn\u2019t have been necessary. Prostate cancer tends to grow slowly. The other treatments may have been enough to slow it down.But because he was on the younger side, chances are the cancer would&#8217;ve gotten aggressive if it had spread. Plus, he was healthy and fit for surgery.Of course, surgery had its cons as well. The two biggest ones were leaking urine and erectile dysfunction (ED). Dan worried about both.His doctor explained that the urology team works closely with UPMC Rehabilitation Institute. After surgery, he could work directly with a pelvic health physical therapist to improve any lost function.Prostate Cancer Surgery and RecoveryDr. Kurz performed Dan&#8217;s surgery on Nov. 7, 2024. He operated laparoscopically, using a robotic technique where he made six small incisions about the width of a nickel.\u201cWhen I asked him how many of these he had done, he said hundreds!\u201d Dan said. That inspired confidence in Dan.He was under general anesthesia the whole time and wasn\u2019t in too much pain when he woke up.Dan\u2019s care team got him up to walk shortly after he was out of recovery. \u201cThey wanted me walking right away,\u201d he says.He only spent one night in the hospital. Going home, doctors restricted him from lifting anything heavier than a gallon of milk. He also had to have a catheter for a week. He was never happier than when he finally had it removed.Physical Therapy After Prostate SurgeryWhen a patient decides to undergo a radical prostatectomy, Dr. Kurz sends them for a one-time preoperative visit with one of UPMC Rehabilitation Institute\u2019s pelvic floor physical therapists. Dan worked with Amy Vandermark, DPT, WCS, CAPP-OB, CCCE, a board-certified specialist in women&#8217;s health physical therapy, at the Eastern Lycoming YMCA location in Muncy, Pa.\u201cDuring Dan\u2019s preoperative visit, we discussed the upcoming surgery and early postoperative exercises like breathing, managing intra-abdominal pressure (which is imperative to decreasing urinary leakage), belly draw-ins, constipation management strategies, and strategies to get the bladder back on track after the catheter has been removed,\u201d says Amy.\u201cThis visit allows the patient to ask more questions and creates an open line of communication for additional support throughout their cancer journey. We also introduce pelvic floor exercises such as Kegel exercises at this visit.\u201dAfter surgery, the immediate goal was to control his bladder and urine flow. Dan started spending hourlong sessions with Amy, where she tailored physical therapy to his needs.This included using tools such as ultrasound showing how the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles work in real time and functional tasks helping to improve continence.Dan began practicing Kegel exercises on his own. Amy also showed him how to massage the incision areas on his abdomen to avoid scar restrictions.He wasn\u2019t allowed to do exercises like crunches yet, but she showed him other things he could do.Working with Amy helped a lot. In two weeks, Dan was 80% back in controlling his urine, and within four weeks, he was 100% back.\u201cI was very concerned about that,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m a business consultant and I teach. I didn\u2019t want to be standing in front of clients or crowds unable to control my bladder.\u201dHe had also worried about ED, which physical therapy was able to address.\u201cMy goal is to provide a safe environment for my patients to open up about their sexual health concerns,\u201d Amy says.\u201cErectile dysfunction is multifactorial, and pelvic floor rehabilitation is one piece of the puzzle. The collaborative care that urology and pelvic rehab provides early after prostate surgery helps patients get on the right track.\u201dBack to Doing What He LovesDan finished his physical therapy in January 2025. He\u2019s back to doing everything he loves.That includes hiking, skiing, hunting, fishing, and working out. \u201cI\u2019m essentially back to normal,\u201d he says.If he\u2019s changed at all, it\u2019s a renewed appreciation for life, for taking good care of one&#8217;s health, and for staying proactive.\u201cI\u2019ve told my two grown sons and my two younger brothers to keep an eye on things,\u201d he says. The PSA likely saved his life, given he had no symptoms.His follow-up PSAs have all been clear. For now, he\u2019ll get them quarterly and then annually.Sometimes men can neglect these things, he admits. \u201cBut we can\u2019t help the people who depend on us if we don\u2019t help ourselves.\u201dHe also can\u2019t say enough positive things about his care team.\u201cI\u2019ve traveled all over the world, but I love living in central rural Pennsylvania,\u201d he says. \u201cWe are so fortunate to have UPMC here, with some of the best providers around.\u201dSources"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2025","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"05","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/\/05\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"How Dan Beat Prostate Cancer with a Little Help from Physical Therapy","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/05\/prostate-cancer-dan-manetta-story\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]