Some people feign grateful for all they have to be thankful for this time of year. Bill Beranek needs no reminder he has plenty to be grateful for when he gathers with friends and family at Thanksgiving.
Last December, Beranek, a New Prague resident, heard the words nobody wants to hear. He had cancer, an aggressive type of cancer in his prostate. While some prostate cancer patients are told doctors plan to hold off on treatment and observe the cancer for change or growth, Beranek’s doctor told him the cancer was so aggressive that doing nothing was not an option, he said.
His doctor proposed drug therapy and radiation treatment. But with the help of his wife, Marjean, a nurse at an area hospital, Beranek also dramatically adjusted his diet. He cut out carbohydrates, sugar and dairy products, items cancer feeds on for growth. He also maintained a daily exercise regimen with visits to an area health club. He has also taken to enjoying a form of tea research shows can help ward-off any rogue cancer cells.
“It’s not real pleasant, but it’s not terrible,” he said.
Beranek lost 45 pounds in 2½ months. He’s down to 214 pounds. “I lost it without trying,” he said.
Doctors also found a dot on one of Beranek’s kidneys. A biopsy showed the dot was cancerous. Last week, they used a needle to freeze it. Beranek was home for the weekend.
His bout with cancer has changed Beranek. Friends like Pastor Nick Olson at Word of Life Church see him as more approachable, more upbeat and easy-going than before. Last week, he attended a church program at a local laundromat where a congregation helped out people, regardless of need. Beranek struck up conversations with strangers. Marjean believes their faith in God has played a big role in Bill’s improved condition.
Today, signs of the prostate cancer are all but gone. “It’s just uplifting,” he said of facing cancer and seeing it disappear. “I don’t sulk. I don’t get upset about any of this.”
Beranek said doctors told him had he done nothing, in five years the cancer could have spread to bones and other parts of his body. His brothers have also dealt with prostate cancer. Genetic testing, he said, indicates Beranek didn’t get the disease from his parents and his sons likely won’t get the disease through inheritance.
Beranek considers himself a survivor, perhaps not in the traditional...
To see more on this story pick up the November 27, 2025 print edition of The New Prague Times.