11/05/2025
Lew Silverman, 75, of Harrisburg, started a journey in June of 2023 he never expected.
He was seeing a urologist at the time and had a PSA test, and the results came back high. A biopsy followed in July, and just two days later -- his birthday -- Lew learned that he had prostate cancer.
“At first, my provider wanted to keep an eye on it. It didn’t appear to be aggressive, so we planned to monitor it with a follow-up PSA,” says Lew.
When that next test came in June 2024, the results showed an increase that caused concern. Christopher P. Moyer, DO, urologist at UPMC Urology in Central Pa., scheduled surgery that December to remove his prostate.
Unfortunately, because Lew also lives with Crohn’s disease and has had several abdominal surgeries, significant scar tissue made the procedure unsuccessful.
In January 2025, Lew had an appointment at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center with David C. Weksberg, MD, radiation oncologist, a meeting that would change everything.
“When you’re my age and you hear the word cancer and you’ve had three people in your immediate family, both parents and a sibling, all pass away from cancer, it’s a little daunting,” Lew says. “But when I met Dr. Weksberg, he told me he could make me healthy. That meant everything.”
In mid-March, Lew began 39 radiation therapy treatments, five days a week through May 21.
“It was intense treatment,” he says. “But before it started, both Dr. Weksberg explained everything that could happen, every possible side effect. I felt completely prepared.”
And remarkably, Lew experienced none of them.
“Thankfully, nothing happened. I sailed through it without any issues at all and came through it with a smile.”
Lew credits much of his ease to the compassionate, personal care he received throughout treatment.
“Dr. Weksberg didn’t just bring professionalism; he brought humor, patience, and kindness. He met with me every week, and we spent time not only talking about my treatment but sharing jokes and stories about our families. It humanized the experience. It wasn’t just a doctor coming in and out, it was someone who genuinely cared.”
Lew says it wasn’t just his doctor who made an impact. He keeps a list of names close to his heart: Seth Arthur, Cory Hoffman, radiation therapists Janelle Engel and Alyssa Thomas, and patient service representative Michelle Stewart.
“They all made me feel like, for those 15 minutes I was there each day, I was the most important person in the world,” he says. “They left whatever problems they had at home and greeted me with smiles and compassion. I never once saw anyone having a bad day.”
Lew recalls feeling emotional on his final day of treatment. “They had become like family to me. They’ll always have a place in my heart for what they did, they saved my life, both physically and psychologically.”
Outside of his cancer journey, Lew has lived a rich life in the arts. A graduate of the California Institute of the Arts, he studied theater.
"I’ve always believed in the power of theater to uplift people. I’ve seen audiences come in feeling low and leave with their spirits lifted, that’s what the arts can do.”
These days, Lew channels that same spirit into walking races, often alongside his wife, Linda, a retired UPMC cardiovascular nurse and his biggest supporter.
“She’s my rock,” he says. “She can speak the medical language in ways I can’t, and she’s been by my side every step of the way.”
Though his cancer treatments and a recent pacemaker surgery put his races on pause, Lew is back on track.
“I just did my first race again, and I have four more scheduled this year. It feels great to be out there again.”
“I want people to know not to fear the treatment, not to be intimidated. Embrace it. At UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, there’s a team that’s willing and able to give you everything you need to get through it.”
