The right treatment improved his cancer journey

Patient is grateful for the memories ahead

Chris Jones has been a baseball fan all his life. A resident of Clarksville, he has fond memories of going to Cincinnati Reds games at Riverfront Stadium to watch his favorite player, Johnny Bench, and the Big Red Machine throughout the 1970s and beyond.

Decades later, the game remains a source of joy, especially when he can share it with his family.

Playing in his senior softball league a couple times a week has been a huge component of his regular exercise routine for years. If you couldn’t find him on the softball diamond, he was probably playing tennis or helping his grandson at baseball practice. These activities reinforced why he had always worked so hard to protect his health.

Another part of that protection was regular health screenings, which was a lesson he learned from his father, who experienced multiple forms of cancer and died at 62. "Be diligent and constantly be checked," Jones says by way of explaining the mindset he’s carried with him ever since.

For more than 20 years, he regularly visited physicians for screenings and follow-up care even though he felt completely healthy and lived symptom-free. Still, a 2022 biopsy detected a small amount of prostate cancer. At first, treatment wasn’t required. But by 2024, an MRI showed it had grown despite a continued lack of outward signs of discomfort.

He was presented with two treatment options, but neither felt right to him. Radiation concerned him because of his father’s experience, and he hesitated to have his prostate removed because he wanted to preserve his active lifestyle.

So, he started looking for alternatives.

Through a friend, Jones connected with a former IU Health patient who had undergone a less invasive procedure. After traveling to Indianapolis with his wife Ellen for a consultation with Dr. Michael Koch and team, additional testing confirmed he was a candidate for the TULSA procedure, which allows for more personalized and targeted treatment based on tumor location, prostate size and patient goals.

Jones felt his concerns were heard by these new caregivers, which helped him arrive at an informed decision. "I talked to a lot of people, and I wanted to make sure it was the right decision for me," he said.

He underwent treatment in February 2025. Ten days later, he was back on the softball field. His teammates couldn’t believe it. A couple days after that, he was playing tennis again as well.

Follow-up testing has found no evidence of cancer.

"Here I am. I’m good, and I’m thrilled," Jones said.

Jones is quick to credit his earlier physician who initially detected his cancer. This made it possible for him to monitor its progression and pursue treatment while still asymptomatic.

He’s equally grateful to Dr. Koch and IU Health for helping him discover options that matched his priorities. Because of that, he is happy to encourage others, and his advice is simple: “Do not be afraid to ask questions or explore another option,” Jones said. “Getting a second opinion is what really helped me through this.”

Today, Jones is as active as ever and focused on the years ahead with the people who matter most. Out of gratitude, he’s helped connect several people with the care team that treated him. He also chose to make a charitable gift to recognize the people who helped him return to the life he loves.

That life includes softball and tennis, but, most importantly, it includes time with Ellen, his three children and four grandchildren. Jones remembers how much his father loved being a grandfather, and he wants his own grandchildren to grow up knowing how deeply he cares for them.

"That’s my goal in life right now. That’s why I did it," he said.

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