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Dad's journey

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User
Posted 24 Sep 2017 at 18:54
My dad was repeatedly told that he didn't have prostate cancer but died just seven weeks after his diagnosis. He had tumours in his lungs spine and probably his liver. I don't understand how he wasn't diagnosed sooner
User
Posted 25 Sep 2017 at 01:58

Hello Jane,

Very sorry to learn that you lost your Dad to Prostate Cancer which had spread to other parts.

We don't know what tests and scans he had or his histology but occasionally scans don't show even significant tumours and biopsies can miss cancer in the prostate and perhaps if this was the case, it was not looked for in more distant parts.

Barry
User
Posted 25 Sep 2017 at 05:35

I can't answer your question either Mallysee but just wanted to say I'm sorry for your loss.

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails
User
Posted 25 Sep 2017 at 08:20

So sorry for your loss. xx


 

User
Posted 25 Sep 2017 at 19:08

Many condolences. .. so sorry for your loss.

I read today:

'PSA testing commonly misses the 15% or so of potentially lethal high­-grade cancers as they often make little or no PSA'

'Additionally, the prostatic specific antigen (PSA) and digital rectal examination (DRE) are both highly unreliable tests'

So maybe science was unfortunately not advanced enough yet to help your dad. I am no expert and had no idea that it was so high (15%) that PSA screening wouldn't pick up. Also this could be wrong but someone else on here may verify.

I hope you get an answer to your question.

Clare

User
Posted 26 Sep 2017 at 00:46

Hi Mallysee, there are 27 types of prostate cancer and not all of them produce PSA - some of the rarer types are very aggressive but the pSA stays normal or even lower than 'normal' so there is little chance of them being diagnosed until the very late stages of the disease. You could ask the GP to explain to you what tests dad had and what the results were; that may help you all to understand how this could happen.

Hi Claret, yes 10 - 15% is the current estimate. Worst offenders are the small cell, basal and ductal PCAs. My f-i-l died with a PSA of 1.2; despite him being on AS they failed to notice it had spread to the soft organs.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
 
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