Malcolm McClarty has more beans than a coffee shop, such is his thirst for life.
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The Melburnian, who turns 64 in June, is a full-time squash coach, loves watching rugby union, reading the news, and frequently travels to Thailand to see his partner plus check in on his coffee shop there.
But a sudden discovery left him with a stark outlook - doctors gave him 10 years to live, diagnosing prostate cancer, which spread to his hip.
The father of three had been experiencing pain in his right hip for 18 months, but the head squash coach at Kooyong Lawn and Tennis Club and professional player kept brushing it aside as a sporting injury.
He shared this with one of his students, oncologist A/Professor Niall Tebbutt, who strongly encouraged him to get it checked. Malcolm had a PSA reading of 20, and subsequent tests discovered the initial growth on his prostate, plus its spread to his hip.
Wanting to enjoy living life as much as he can, he takes darolutamide tablets twice a day, receives a dose of Zoladex via an implant every three months, and will start two types of radiotherapy in June.
He strongly encourages all men to get tested from the age of 50 and, if there is a family history, to start at 45.
"I've got no options," he said.
"Mine is management of a timeline; if you get it early you've got much better choices, much better outcomes."
In choosing his treatment plan, Malcolm wanted to maximise his quality of life, having seen the devastating effects of chemotherapy to his sister. He wanted to keep working, playing squash, be intimate with his partner as much as possible, and travel.
"I didn't want to go for the maximum timeline available; I'd rather get the best I can in a shorter timeline."
Since taking the darolutamide tablets - a type of chemotherapy and an anticancer drug, and receiving Zoladex - a type of hormone therapy that lowers testosterone levels, and can be used to treat prostate cancer - his PSA reading is now 0.02.
In May, Malcolm will compete in the Hong Kong Masters Squash Open 2024, which is part of the WSF Masters Tour.
When he spoke with The Senior, he was boarding a plane for Thailand to see his partner Baiya and spend time in his coffee shop, which he set up after struggling to find a good cup over there.
He uses medium-roasted Arabica beans sourced from Thailand and Columbia, and proves quite popular with Australians and curiously, Russians.
"It's like a Melbourne coffee shop," he said.
He shared his story as the newly-released Lancet Commission on Prostate Cancer predicts cases will double from 1.4 million to 2.9 million over 20 years.
USANZ Genitourinary (GU) Oncology Special Advisory Group Deputy Leader Associate Professor Weranja Ranasinghe said while the findings are alarming, Australia is well-placed to manage the spike. This came from advanced diagnostic tools, better treatment options, and quality control registries.
