Former Marine Finds Cancer Treatment With Help of Military Friends

BY PATTY TOBIN

Delaware Township’s Rich Kiselewsky is a man of action and generosity, who has embraced multiple careers, from police work to farming and teaching. At 68 years old, he has served his country, his local community, and now can’t quite stay retired.

An avid pilot, Rich and his wife can be found flying their ELSA aircraft – a power parachute plane – around the area. “And just for fun, we give talks to local adults and children on how to fly it,” he said.

Rich served his country for six years in the Marines – including two years in Vietnam, and then became a policeman for close to 25 years in New York City.

“Then I embraced farming - running not just one but two farms, one in New Jersey and one in Pennsylvania,” he said. He even has an airfield at his Pennsylvania farm, which neighbors are invited to use.

On the civic side, “I got hooked on local planning issues and have served on the Delaware Township planning board for eight years,” Rich states.

Not one to be sidelined, Rich said he was surprised when he learned last spring that he had prostate cancer. “After noticing I had elevated PSA numbers I was given a biopsy and the cancer was found” Rich explains. “I was initially referred to undergo standard radiation, but it didn’t appeal to me at all.”

He turned to his military buddies for some answers. Unfortunately, many of his friends from Vietnam, including his brother, have also had prostate cancer. Rich’s exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam has been suggested to have caused his and others’ prostate cancers. The one silver lining was that his friends could help guide him to a treatment path. With prostate cancer, there are many different options - and the choices can be confusing. Many of Rich’s friends had undergone a newer type of radiation called proton therapy, and recommended he look into it.

After conducting some research he confirmed that proton therapy was the right path. “It minimizes side effects and protects vital organs,” he said, “definitely key for me, especially with my active lifestyle.” Rich could not have been more pleased to find a proton therapy treatment center close to his home: ProCure Proton Therapy Center in Somerset, NJ.

“I’ve dealt with a ton of people in all my jobs,” Rich said, “and I have never met such a nice team of people.”

“Whoever does the hiring does an excellent job!” he remarked.

The best news of all? Four weeks after finishing proton therapy treatment his PSA level went down to less than 1, a very significant drop in such a short period of time, and all with minimal side effects.

If you’re interested in learning more about Rich’s flying, check out his wife’s YouTube site: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8Au2bP8Q8HQ1y8pq5T_YNA