Cancer Survivor's Film will Debut Today

by Liz Neely | Union-Tribune | 03.18.2007

EL CAJON - When Rocky Galgano was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2004, he felt overwhelmed. He was in shock. He thought he would die.

Even now with no trace of the cancer left in his body Galgano says it's hard to explain the range of emotions he felt that day.

“My doctor said to me later on, 'You were like a deer in the headlights,' ” he said.

The retired San Diego police officer, 58, wanted to know more about the disease and how it's treated. The books he found were dense, written by doctors and peppered with medical terms. He looked for documentaries online and in stores, to no avail.

“There are no films out there,” he thought. “So why don't I try it?”

This afternoon, Galgano will preview what may be the first feature-length film on the topic. “The Men's Club” will be shown at 1:20 p.m. at the Carlsbad Village Theatre.

“I want as many people to see this film as possible,” Galgano said.

The documentary focuses on the five types of treatment surgery, watchful waiting, radiation, cryoablation and hormones but doesn't promote one over another. It includes interviews with nine doctors from local hospitals. Cancer survivors from around the county and their relatives share their experiences.

Men are reluctant to talk about prostate cancer or be tested, Galgano said. That leads to alarming statistics: About 218,890 new cases will be diagnosed in the United States in 2007, according to the American Cancer Society. About 27,050 men will die.

“It's a disease that can be cured or arrested if caught early enough,” Galgano said. “Nobody really needs to die from this disease.”

Israel Barken, chairman and director of the La Mesa-based Prostate Cancer Research and Education Foundation, is one of the doctors featured in the film.

“It is a very worthwhile movie for everybody newly diagnosed to see,” Barken said.

The doctor met Galgano through a support group he runs. He also produces a call-in radio show on prostate cancer that's available online. The film, he said, “encapsulates the spirit of support groups.”

It took Galgano 18 months to make the movie because he invested his own money. He estimates he has spent $20,000 to $30,000. He hired a crew of 16 who donated most of their time, and he edited the film on his desktop computer.

The challenge now, he said, is distribution. He's close to a deal with Amazon.com. He also plans to market “The Men's Club” to urologists around the country. It will be available on his Web site for $19.95 once the edits from Sunday's preview are incorporated.

Copyright 2007 Union-Tribune